Amber's bookshelf: 2023 en-US Tue, 01 Oct 2024 06:00:30 -0700 60 Amber's bookshelf: 2023 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Like a Mother 63007161
Sarah and Adam Morgan had the perfect suburban a beautiful house, an adorable daughter, a baby on the way, and a once-in-a-lifetime love. They were the couple everyone envied–until Adam died. 

In the wake of his death, Adam’s secrets begin to emerge. The first comes out when a woman named Candace introduces herself to Sarah as Adam’s mother. Adam had always said his mother was dead, so either Adam was lying to her, or this woman is not who she says she is. 

Candace proves that Adam was her son, but she admits that her relationship with her son was strained. But she’s still Sarah’s mother-in-law, and she’s here to help. Struggling with finances after Adam’s death, Sarah agrees to move in with Candace and to accept her help with her toddler and her pregnancy. 

Living in Adam’s childhood home, Sarah begins to understand the life he had before they met–the life he buried along with his relationship with his mother. When Sarah notices Candace’s strange obsession with her pregnancy, and the house begins to feel less like salvation and more like a cage, she realizes that Candace might not be the caring mother-in-law she seems. Maybe Adam had good reason to pretend that his mother was dead.]]> 240 Mina Hardy 1639106243 Amber 3
Merged review:

Happy publishing day! RTC!]]> 3.51 2024 Like a Mother
author: Mina Hardy
name: Amber
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/10
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: arcs, galleys-giveaways, 2023, mystery-thriller
review:
Happy publishing day! RTC!

Merged review:

Happy publishing day! RTC!
]]> The Writing Retreat 61273863
Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.]]> 313 Julia Bartz 1982199458 Amber 3 3.5/4 stars. Review to come! 3.41 2023 The Writing Retreat
author: Julia Bartz
name: Amber
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/10
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: 2023, contemporary, mystery-thriller, storm-vibes
review:
3.5/4 stars. Review to come!
]]> Dead of Winter 63264519 From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she's hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they'll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn't be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing...only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport...and they're far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.]]> 352 Darcy Coates 1728270251 Amber 5
Christa and her boyfriend, Kiernan, join a private tour group and set out on what they expect to be a romantic winter getaway together but when the tour bus is at an impasse after encountering a fallen tree in their path, the travelers take shelter in a vacant hunting cabin nearby to wait out the unyielding snowstorm that rages across the region. After that first night, people really start to lose their heads. Tension builds and trust dissolves. What follows is a gripping tale of nine strangers fighting to survive while being hunted by a killer.

The story is told from Christa’s POV and the short, intense chapters end on cliffhangers that compel you to read just a little bit more until it becomes an addiction to devour the entire novel.

At about the halfway mark, I figured out the identity of ‘the butcher� without an inch of doubt but, naturally, I needed my accusation validated so I burned through the rest of the book� and the midnight oil. The action and suspense were so well-executed that I couldn’t put it down. I was completely on the edge of my seat until the very end. I mean, who wouldn’t love to see how a deadly cat-and-mouse game plays out in the frigid, isolated terrain of the Rocky Mountains? I would also like to think that this book is an intact head nod to Agatha Christie’s classic whodunits to further add to its appeal.

Overall, this successful and suspenseful winter thriller really is a must-read. Add it to your TBR and be sure to check it out as soon as it releases in July!

My genuine and heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.]]> 3.79 2023 Dead of Winter
author: Darcy Coates
name: Amber
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/20
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: galleys-giveaways, arcs, 2023, mystery-thriller, horror, favorites, storm-vibes
review:
There’s thriller and then there’s horror. This story was like an R-rated snogging sesh between the two that ultimately led to a bone-chilling and spine-tingling reading experience.

Christa and her boyfriend, Kiernan, join a private tour group and set out on what they expect to be a romantic winter getaway together but when the tour bus is at an impasse after encountering a fallen tree in their path, the travelers take shelter in a vacant hunting cabin nearby to wait out the unyielding snowstorm that rages across the region. After that first night, people really start to lose their heads. Tension builds and trust dissolves. What follows is a gripping tale of nine strangers fighting to survive while being hunted by a killer.

The story is told from Christa’s POV and the short, intense chapters end on cliffhangers that compel you to read just a little bit more until it becomes an addiction to devour the entire novel.

At about the halfway mark, I figured out the identity of ‘the butcher� without an inch of doubt but, naturally, I needed my accusation validated so I burned through the rest of the book� and the midnight oil. The action and suspense were so well-executed that I couldn’t put it down. I was completely on the edge of my seat until the very end. I mean, who wouldn’t love to see how a deadly cat-and-mouse game plays out in the frigid, isolated terrain of the Rocky Mountains? I would also like to think that this book is an intact head nod to Agatha Christie’s classic whodunits to further add to its appeal.

Overall, this successful and suspenseful winter thriller really is a must-read. Add it to your TBR and be sure to check it out as soon as it releases in July!

My genuine and heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
]]> The Last Word 61767163 No Exit and Hairpin Bridge.

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this ’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?]]> 337 Taylor Adams 0063222892 Amber 4
4.5/5 stars ]]> 3.67 2023 The Last Word
author: Taylor Adams
name: Amber
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/06
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: 2023, contemporary, mystery-thriller, storm-vibes
review:
My self-imposed stress levels were at an all time high with this book. It was tense, multi-layered, creepy AF, and I just couldn’t get enough. I’m also a sucker for badass female protagonists and their [space] dog.

4.5/5 stars
]]> The Measure 58884736
"A story of love and hope as interweaving characters display: how all moments, big and small, can measure a life. If you want joy, love, romance, and hope—read with us." —Jenna Bush Hager
A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?

Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.

But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you the exact number of years you will live.

From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?

As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.]]> 353 Nikki Erlick 0063204207 Amber 3 this box is the knowledge of your life expectancy. Do you open the box? What do you do with that kind of knowledge?�

Erlick fashions a whole new world in The Measure as it explores the reaction of humankind to mysterious boxes that each contain a string. The length of your string determines how long you are expected to live. Set in New York, the story follows a group of individuals as they grapple with the implications of knowing their lifespan.

This book is an interesting societal study on this idea if this type of insight was known (or selectively unknown) amongst us. It raises numerous questions about the ethical consequences of having such knowledge, including discrimination and prejudice based on string length.

Would it be acceptable for employers to use string length as a criterion for hiring? Should dating apps include this information? Is it ethical to have children if you know you'll die young? Should a patient with a short-string receive an organ transplant if it’s known that they’ll die before a patient with a long-string that also needs the same organ? How does this affect your ability/inability to enlist in the military? Oh, you have a short string?... no health insurance for you! These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions and concepts that the book raises.

Of course this would trickle into political propaganda themes too, right? We’ll vote for you only if we know the length of your string! Do “short-stringers� lives matter or are they just liabilities? What say, you? Ergo, there was a lot of left-wing politics woven into the story to stress the potential impact that this could have on a government’s political strategy but it just wasn’t something that I cared to ponder over for longer than a chapter.

This book is a great book club or buddy read. It possesses such an intriguing premise with a great deal of substance for discussion. However, it also suffers some pacing issues. The story is just so long-winded and some of the characters and subplots are more engaging than others. Additionally, the sci-fi aspects regarding the origins and logistics of the boxes and the strings within them aren't disclosed. I wanted allllll the details and answers even though it's clear that this isn’t the point of the story. I just comically pictured The Fates from Hercules (Disney’s 1997 animated version, ahthankyou) cutting every single string with their rusty pair of scissors and Santa’s workshop elves delivering them to doorsteps around the world like some diabolical early Christmas gift� but I guess that would be an entirely different tale.

(Also, did the words ‘short-stringers� become overly distracting for anyone else? I wonder what the word count on that is...)]]> 3.96 2022 The Measure
author: Nikki Erlick
name: Amber
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/12
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves: 2023, dystopian, science-fiction, contemporary, lgbt
review:
“What’s in the box?!� Okay, it’s not that kind of story to all you movie-goers out there but in this box is the knowledge of your life expectancy. Do you open the box? What do you do with that kind of knowledge?�

Erlick fashions a whole new world in The Measure as it explores the reaction of humankind to mysterious boxes that each contain a string. The length of your string determines how long you are expected to live. Set in New York, the story follows a group of individuals as they grapple with the implications of knowing their lifespan.

This book is an interesting societal study on this idea if this type of insight was known (or selectively unknown) amongst us. It raises numerous questions about the ethical consequences of having such knowledge, including discrimination and prejudice based on string length.

Would it be acceptable for employers to use string length as a criterion for hiring? Should dating apps include this information? Is it ethical to have children if you know you'll die young? Should a patient with a short-string receive an organ transplant if it’s known that they’ll die before a patient with a long-string that also needs the same organ? How does this affect your ability/inability to enlist in the military? Oh, you have a short string?... no health insurance for you! These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions and concepts that the book raises.

Of course this would trickle into political propaganda themes too, right? We’ll vote for you only if we know the length of your string! Do “short-stringers� lives matter or are they just liabilities? What say, you? Ergo, there was a lot of left-wing politics woven into the story to stress the potential impact that this could have on a government’s political strategy but it just wasn’t something that I cared to ponder over for longer than a chapter.

This book is a great book club or buddy read. It possesses such an intriguing premise with a great deal of substance for discussion. However, it also suffers some pacing issues. The story is just so long-winded and some of the characters and subplots are more engaging than others. Additionally, the sci-fi aspects regarding the origins and logistics of the boxes and the strings within them aren't disclosed. I wanted allllll the details and answers even though it's clear that this isn’t the point of the story. I just comically pictured The Fates from Hercules (Disney’s 1997 animated version, ahthankyou) cutting every single string with their rusty pair of scissors and Santa’s workshop elves delivering them to doorsteps around the world like some diabolical early Christmas gift� but I guess that would be an entirely different tale.

(Also, did the words ‘short-stringers� become overly distracting for anyone else? I wonder what the word count on that is...)
]]> Hello Stranger 61884987 Love isn’t blind, it’s just a little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary� condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.]]> 323 Katherine Center 1250283787 Amber 4 such good care of my heart and I hope that I’m able to express some of my gratitude here.

Sadie Montgomery is a talented yet struggling portrait artist determined to get her big break. Her chance is just on the horizon as she becomes a top-ten finalist in a hugely prestigious portrait competition. Of course, the unforeseen happens and Sadie finds herself needing immediate brain surgery prior to the contest. She reluctantly has the surgery and to her horror, she soon discovers that she’s experiencing a rare side effect—face blindness. She hopes it’s only temporary and that she’ll make a full recovery just in time for the portrait competition� but what if it’s permanent?

Prosopagnosia (face blindness) puts a whole new emphasis on the term �struggling portrait artist� and, bless her Southern heart, Sadie manages to drive that struggle bus with bravery and comical inner monologues throughout the book.

As she navigates through her current situation, she encounters a kind, local veterinarian and an intriguing neighbor in her apartment building that both come to her rescue on different occasions. She begins to develop feelings for one but is soon drawn more to the other. The interactions become endearing but by no means is this a love triangle trope. In fact, it’s a charming story about self-love, introspection, newfound perspective, and finding different ways to adapt, accept, and appreciate our lives and loving the people [and pets!] in them, despite obstacles along the way.

As I went along this journey with Sadie, I laughed, I cheered, and I felt her ongoing frustration. Can you imagine everyone’s faces looking like a Picasso? But, they say that when one sense is lost (or in this case, weakened) the other senses are heightened. Once Sadie came to the realization that �there are all kinds of ways to win,� and that her current condition could be, �a chance for [her] to make her own set of rules,� not only was it an appropriate parallel to both the portrait competition and this rare moment in her life, but it was also immensely empowering.

Seeing the world differently helps you see things not just that other people ’t—but that you yourself never could if you weren’t so lucky. It lets you make your own rules. Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing.


The author’s note was also equally inspiring and beautifully said so, taking her words into consideration, I’ll conclude by stating that the anticipation and hope that this book delivered was a true delight. My heart is happy and I'm optimistic you’ll also feel a similar sense of fulfillment on July 11th when this book is released.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.]]> 3.92 2023 Hello Stranger
author: Katherine Center
name: Amber
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves: arcs, galleys-giveaways, 2023, chick-lit, contemporary-romance
review:
Friends, Romans, countrymen—let it be known that this is the second time Katherine Center has taken such good care of my heart and I hope that I’m able to express some of my gratitude here.

Sadie Montgomery is a talented yet struggling portrait artist determined to get her big break. Her chance is just on the horizon as she becomes a top-ten finalist in a hugely prestigious portrait competition. Of course, the unforeseen happens and Sadie finds herself needing immediate brain surgery prior to the contest. She reluctantly has the surgery and to her horror, she soon discovers that she’s experiencing a rare side effect—face blindness. She hopes it’s only temporary and that she’ll make a full recovery just in time for the portrait competition� but what if it’s permanent?

Prosopagnosia (face blindness) puts a whole new emphasis on the term �struggling portrait artist� and, bless her Southern heart, Sadie manages to drive that struggle bus with bravery and comical inner monologues throughout the book.

As she navigates through her current situation, she encounters a kind, local veterinarian and an intriguing neighbor in her apartment building that both come to her rescue on different occasions. She begins to develop feelings for one but is soon drawn more to the other. The interactions become endearing but by no means is this a love triangle trope. In fact, it’s a charming story about self-love, introspection, newfound perspective, and finding different ways to adapt, accept, and appreciate our lives and loving the people [and pets!] in them, despite obstacles along the way.

As I went along this journey with Sadie, I laughed, I cheered, and I felt her ongoing frustration. Can you imagine everyone’s faces looking like a Picasso? But, they say that when one sense is lost (or in this case, weakened) the other senses are heightened. Once Sadie came to the realization that �there are all kinds of ways to win,� and that her current condition could be, �a chance for [her] to make her own set of rules,� not only was it an appropriate parallel to both the portrait competition and this rare moment in her life, but it was also immensely empowering.

Seeing the world differently helps you see things not just that other people ’t—but that you yourself never could if you weren’t so lucky. It lets you make your own rules. Color outside your own lines. Allow yourself another way of seeing.


The author’s note was also equally inspiring and beautifully said so, taking her words into consideration, I’ll conclude by stating that the anticipation and hope that this book delivered was a true delight. My heart is happy and I'm optimistic you’ll also feel a similar sense of fulfillment on July 11th when this book is released.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
]]> <![CDATA[Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout, #1)]]> 60060431 Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.]]> 572 Lucy Score 1945631848 Amber 3 4.14 2022 Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout, #1)
author: Lucy Score
name: Amber
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/30
date added: 2024/01/24
shelves: 2023, contemporary-romance, i-m-the-problem-it-s-me
review:

]]> Twisted Games (Twisted, #2) 58583724 She can never be his...but he's taking her anyway.

Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules:
1) Protect his clients at all costs
2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.

He has never once been tempted to break those rules...until her.

Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She's nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed.

Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he's faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her.

Because she's his.
His princess.
His forbidden fruit.
His every depraved fantasy.

***

Regal, strong-willed, and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.

But when her brother abdicates, she's suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.

And as she navigates the intricacies-and treacheries-of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can't have.

Her bodyguard.
Her protector.
Her ultimate ruin.

Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom...and doom them both.]]> 454 Ana Huang 1087886651 Amber 2 3.98 2021 Twisted Games (Twisted, #2)
author: Ana Huang
name: Amber
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2023/09/01
date added: 2024/01/24
shelves: contemporary-romance, 2023, chick-lit, i-m-the-problem-it-s-me
review:
A ~12 hour journey of self-discovery in finding out that I prefer “sappy� over “smutty� stories� and all-around halfway decent writing. Needless to say that I was the wrong audience for this book.
]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]]> 32620332
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the �80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 389 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1501139231 Amber 2 4.39 2017 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Amber
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/26
date added: 2024/01/24
shelves: 2023, historical-fiction, lgbt, i-m-the-problem-it-s-me
review:

]]> The Golden Doves 61058362
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung females spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.]]> 528 Martha Hall Kelly 0593354885 Amber 3
However, I really felt the length of this book even with layering in two POV and two time periods. The flow of the story was disrupted as certain chapters ended abruptly and transitioned into the beginning of the next with a different theme or time period that detracted from the previous one at certain times and consequently, establishing a connection with the main characters became challenging.

Nevertheless, I must commend Martha Hall Kelly for her careful and thorough research in authenticating her historical fiction. My interest is piqued to read some of her other works.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.]]> 4.16 2023 The Golden Doves
author: Martha Hall Kelly
name: Amber
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/21
date added: 2024/01/17
shelves: historical-fiction, galleys-giveaways, arcs, 2023
review:
I thought this story offered valuable insights into some of the history tucked away within the WWII era.

However, I really felt the length of this book even with layering in two POV and two time periods. The flow of the story was disrupted as certain chapters ended abruptly and transitioned into the beginning of the next with a different theme or time period that detracted from the previous one at certain times and consequently, establishing a connection with the main characters became challenging.

Nevertheless, I must commend Martha Hall Kelly for her careful and thorough research in authenticating her historical fiction. My interest is piqued to read some of her other works.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
]]> <![CDATA[The Kind Worth Saving (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #2)]]> 60916172 In this spectacularly devious novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson—featuring the smart and complex Lily Kintner from his acclaimed novel, The Kind Worth Killing—a private eye starts to follow a possibly adulterous husband, but little does he know that the twisted trail will lead back to the woman who hired him.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he ’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity becomes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a “for sale� sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth.

Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive.]]> 303 Peter Swanson 0063204983 Amber 3 3.65 2023 The Kind Worth Saving (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #2)
author: Peter Swanson
name: Amber
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/30
date added: 2024/01/03
shelves: contemporary, mystery-thriller, 2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snowed In (Fitzpatrick Christmas, #2)]]> 195487194
Christian’s fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn’t mind being alone , but he hates his family’s sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he’s actually, totally, fine.

So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They’re going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever .

Rules are drawn up, a contract is signed on a wine-stained napkin. They will sit through each other’s family gatherings and be outrageously in love until freed from their annual obligations. After all, it’s only for a few weeks.

But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And when a snowed-in cabin and a little Christmas magic are added to the mix, anything could happen�

A swoonworthy and utterly gorgeous romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and fall completely in love. Fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Abby Jimenez won’t be able to put this down!]]> 384 Catherine Walsh 1837906653 Amber 3 4.08 2023 Snowed In (Fitzpatrick Christmas, #2)
author: Catherine Walsh
name: Amber
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/29
date added: 2023/12/29
shelves: holiday, 2023, contemporary-romance
review:

]]> The Holiday Swap 54238730 In a Holidaze and Josie Silver's One Day in December.

All they want for Christmas is a different life.

When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the L.A. set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness; she also loses her ability to taste and smell--both critical to her success as show judge. Meanwhile, Charlie's identical twin, Cass, is frantically trying to hold her own life together back in their quaint mountain hometown while running the family's bustling bakery and dealing with her ex, who won't get the memo that they're over.

With only days until Christmas, a desperate Charlie asks Cass to do something they haven't done since they were kids: switch places. Looking for her own escape from reality, Cass agrees. But temporarily trading lives proves more complicated than they imagined, especially when rugged firefighter Jake Greenman and gorgeous physician's assistant Miguel Rodriguez are thrown into the mix. Will the twins' identity swap be a recipe for disaster, or does it have all the right ingredients for getting their lives back on track?]]> 351 Maggie Knox 0593330749 Amber 3 3.56 2021 The Holiday Swap
author: Maggie Knox
name: Amber
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/21
date added: 2023/12/21
shelves: holiday, 2023, contemporary-romance
review:

]]> One Day in December 38255337 Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780525574682.]]> 393 Josie Silver Amber 4
It was heartwarming, heart wrenching, and I found myself appreciating Josie Silver for taking her time in developing these relatable characters over a 10 year timeline in the novel. Their struggles, their achievements, their wins, and losses; it was all beautifully woven together and felt, well, real.

A lovely holiday read, FINALLY.

3.5 stars rounded up.]]> 3.80 2018 One Day in December
author: Josie Silver
name: Amber
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/08
date added: 2023/12/08
shelves: holiday, reese-s-book-club, 2023, contemporary-romance
review:
I honestly wanted to move onto the next book about 1/4 way in. The beginning wasn’t what I expected and if you know me, I’m running for the snow covered hills at any given sign of a slow burn story but this one� THIS one has been the exception.

It was heartwarming, heart wrenching, and I found myself appreciating Josie Silver for taking her time in developing these relatable characters over a 10 year timeline in the novel. Their struggles, their achievements, their wins, and losses; it was all beautifully woven together and felt, well, real.

A lovely holiday read, FINALLY.

3.5 stars rounded up.
]]> Stranded 57793313
A group of strangers arrive on a beautiful but remote island, ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live there for one year, without contact with the outside world.

But 12 months later, on the day when the boat is due to return for them, no one arrives.

Eight people stepped foot on the island. How many will make it off alive?

A totally addictive psychological thriller with twists and turns you just won’t see coming. Fans of The Hunting Party, The Castaways and The Sanatorium will be totally gripped from the very first moment until the final, breath-taking conclusion.]]> 392 Sarah Goodwin 0008467366 Amber 4 3.93 2021 Stranded
author: Sarah Goodwin
name: Amber
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/30
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves: adventure-survival, mystery-thriller, 2023, contemporary
review:

]]> The Quiet Tenant 61897971
When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend� who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.

Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life—and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut thriller by a major talent.]]> 303 Clémence Michallon 0593534646 Amber 3 2023, mystery-thriller 3.80 2023 The Quiet Tenant
author: Clémence Michallon
name: Amber
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/24
date added: 2023/11/24
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller
review:

]]> Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) 90202302 “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.� —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 Amber 5 fantasy, 2023 4.33 2023 Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Amber
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/15
date added: 2023/11/22
shelves: fantasy, 2023
review:
This was fun. Still reeling from the last 1/8� like, wtf did I just read?!
]]> <![CDATA[The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 Amber 3 fantasy, young-adult, 2023 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: Amber
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/28
date added: 2023/11/15
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2023
review:

]]> The Ferryman 61282437 New York Times bestselling author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia--where the truth isn't what it seems.

Founded by a mysterious genius, the archipelago of Prospera lies hidden from the horrors of a deteriorating outside world. In this island paradise, Prospera's lucky citizens enjoy long, fulfilling lives until the monitors embedded in their forearms, meant to measure their physical health and psychological well-being, fall below 10 percent. Then they retire themselves, embarking on a ferry ride to the island known as the Nursery, where their failing bodies are renewed, their memories are wiped clean, and they are readied to restart life afresh.

Proctor Bennett, of the Department of Social Contracts, has a satisfying career as a ferryman, gently shepherding people through the retirement process--and, when necessary, enforcing it. But all is not well with Proctor. For one thing, he's been dreaming--which is supposed to be impossible in Prospera. For another, his monitor percentage has begun to drop alarmingly fast. And then comes the day he is summoned to retire his own father, who gives him a disturbing and cryptic message before being wrestled onto the ferry.

Meanwhile, something is stirring. The Support Staff, ordinary men and women who provide the labor to keep Prospera running, have begun to question their place in the social order. Unrest is building, and there are rumors spreading of a resistance group--known as "Arrivalists"--who may be fomenting revolution.

Soon Proctor finds himself questioning everything he once believed, entangled with a much bigger cause than he realized--and on a desperate mission to uncover the truth.]]> 538 Justin Cronin 052561947X Amber 3 RTC! 3.86 2023 The Ferryman
author: Justin Cronin
name: Amber
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/06
date added: 2023/11/07
shelves: arcs, galleys-giveaways, dystopian, science-fiction, mystery-thriller, 2023
review:
RTC!
]]> <![CDATA[The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)]]> 26032912 He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity�

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.]]> 321 Holly Black 0316310409 Amber 3 fantasy, young-adult, 2023 4.33 2019 The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3)
author: Holly Black
name: Amber
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/10/23
date added: 2023/10/23
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2023
review:
Meh. Another overhyped series for the birds.
]]> <![CDATA[The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5)]]> 40772063 Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the ending comes...

While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, her sister Taryn began to fall in love with the trickster, Locke.

Half-apology and half-explanation, it turns out that Taryn has some secrets of her own to reveal.

The Lost Sisters is a companion e-novella to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince by master writer Holly Black.]]> 50 Holly Black Amber 3 2023, fantasy, young-adult 3.33 2018 The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5)
author: Holly Black
name: Amber
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/29
date added: 2023/10/20
shelves: 2023, fantasy, young-adult
review:
Good enough and full enough to have bridged a few gaps from Taryn’s perspective.
]]> <![CDATA[The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)]]> 26032887 The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.]]> 336 Holly Black 0316310336 Amber 3 2023, fantasy, young-adult cruel and wicked irony of how the first book ended in comparison to this one. Niiiiiice.]]> 4.27 2019 The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: Amber
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/10/16
date added: 2023/10/17
shelves: 2023, fantasy, young-adult
review:
Okay, I really appreciated the cruel and wicked irony of how the first book ended in comparison to this one. Niiiiiice.
]]> The Maid's Diary 60588456
When homicide cop Mallory Van Alst is called to a scene at a luxury waterfront home known as the Glass House, she’s confronted with evidence of a violent attack so bloody it’s improbable the victim is alive. But there’s no body. The homeowners are gone. And their maid is missing. The only witness is the elderly woman next door, who woke to screams in the night. The neighbor was also the last person to see Kit Darling alive.

As Mal begins to uncover the secret that has sent the lives of everyone involved on a devious and inescapable collision course, she realizes that nothing is quite as it seems.

And no one escapes their past.]]> 376 Loreth Anne White Amber 4 3.5/4 stars! RTC 4.23 2023 The Maid's Diary
author: Loreth Anne White
name: Amber
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/11
date added: 2023/10/11
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller, contemporary
review:
3.5/4 stars! RTC
]]> None of This Is True 62334530
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she ’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?]]> 390 Lisa Jewell 1982179007 Amber 3 2023, mystery-thriller
I'm learning fast that slow-burn stories might not be my cup of English tea but this distinctive writing style might resonate more for those that are fans of Lucy Foley.

Rounding up a half-star here for the unique integration of podcast extracts. It was a clever and tasteful element in establishing a creepy and ominous setting.]]> 4.08 2023 None of This Is True
author: Lisa Jewell
name: Amber
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/19
date added: 2023/10/05
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller
review:
Gosh... I had such high hopes for loving this book. It drew me in from the start and I was completely enthralled! The suspense of waiting for the shocking conclusion, the unforeseen plot twist of the story; it all turned out to be remarkably disappointing.

I'm learning fast that slow-burn stories might not be my cup of English tea but this distinctive writing style might resonate more for those that are fans of Lucy Foley.

Rounding up a half-star here for the unique integration of podcast extracts. It was a clever and tasteful element in establishing a creepy and ominous setting.
]]> <![CDATA[The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, #1)]]> 50607466 Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own�

Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.]]> 384 Alka Joshi 0778310205 Amber 5 4.14 2020 The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy, #1)
author: Alka Joshi
name: Amber
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/10
date added: 2023/09/23
shelves: recs-from-sarah, 2023, historical-fiction, reese-s-book-club
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers]]> 56769575
For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science’s boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They’ve tested France’s first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender confirmation surgery, cadavers have helped make history in their quiet way. Stiff investigates the strange lives of our bodies postmortem and answers the question: What should we do after we die?]]> 320 Mary Roach 0393881725 Amber 4 4.12 2003 Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
author: Mary Roach
name: Amber
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/11
date added: 2023/09/11
shelves: book-club-tombs-and-tomes, nonfiction, 2023
review:
3.5 stars rounded up. Interesting read but I think the author went down a few death related rabbit holes as opposed to staying on the topic of cadavers. I think that there was more that could have been discussed and/or explored.
]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)]]> 62848145 As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can't risk losing this job � not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe . . .

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything...

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go...]]> 318 Freida McFadden 1837901317 Amber 4 4.21 2023 The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Amber
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/18
date added: 2023/08/18
shelves: 2023, contemporary, mystery-thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)]]> 60556912
Every day I clean the Winchesters� beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out� and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of�

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!]]> 329 Freida McFadden 1803144378 Amber 4 4.31 2022 The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Amber
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/11
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller, contemporary
review:

]]> The Seven Year Slip 62926938 An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.]]> 336 Ashley Poston Amber 3 4.17 2023 The Seven Year Slip
author: Ashley Poston
name: Amber
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/08
date added: 2023/08/08
shelves: contemporary-romance, magical-realism, 2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 517 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Amber 4 2023, fantasy - Do I consider myself a big-time fantasy reader? No.
- Have I read enough fantasy books to give an adequate assessment of this book? Mmno.
- Is the main character portrayed as a convincing heroin in her 20's? Negative ghost rider.
- Was I able to exercise self-restraint in flying through this book? Also no...
- Am I going to pre-order the next book? .......

Four gold.. er.. I mean, ORANGE stars for keeping me highly entertained.
]]> 4.56 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Amber
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/01
date added: 2023/08/02
shelves: 2023, fantasy
review:
- Was this the best piece of literature I've ever come across? Nope.
- Do I consider myself a big-time fantasy reader? No.
- Have I read enough fantasy books to give an adequate assessment of this book? Mmno.
- Is the main character portrayed as a convincing heroin in her 20's? Negative ghost rider.
- Was I able to exercise self-restraint in flying through this book? Also no...
- Am I going to pre-order the next book? .......

Four gold.. er.. I mean, ORANGE stars for keeping me highly entertained.

]]> <![CDATA[American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI]]> 46263944
Berkeley, California, 1933. In a lab filled with curiosities--beakers, microscopes, Bunsen burners, and hundreds upon hundreds of books--sat an investigator who would go on to crack at least two thousand cases in his forty-year career. Known as the "American Sherlock Holmes," Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America's greatest--and first--forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing evidence, and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural.

Heinrich was one of the nation's first expert witnesses, working in a time when the turmoil of Prohibition led to sensationalized crime reporting and only a small, systematic study of evidence. However with his brilliance, and commanding presence in both the courtroom and at crime scenes, Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools that police still use today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests, and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence. His work, though not without its serious--some would say fatal--flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.

Based on years of research and thousands of never-before-published primary source materials, American Sherlock captures the life of the man who pioneered the science our legal system now relies upon--as well as the limits of those techniques and the very human experts who wield them.]]> 336 Kate Winkler Dawson 0525539557 Amber 2 3.64 2020 American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI
author: Kate Winkler Dawson
name: Amber
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2023/07/18
date added: 2023/07/18
shelves: book-club-tombs-and-tomes, nonfiction, 2023
review:

]]> Happy Place 61718053
They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They ’t stand to break their friends� hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week� in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.]]> 400 Emily Henry 0593441273 Amber 3 2023, contemporary-romance 3.95 2023 Happy Place
author: Emily Henry
name: Amber
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/28
date added: 2023/06/28
shelves: 2023, contemporary-romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)]]> 61062499
When her friend’s grandfather offered her a job at his parfumerie, she quickly discovered she had a talent—she could find the perfect fragrance for any customer who walked in the door. Now, ten years later, she’s working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she ’t give up this thing that drives her.

Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage.

The final chapter in Alka Joshi’s New York Times bestselling Jaipur trilogy takes readers to 1970s Paris, where Radha’s budding career as a perfumer must compete with the demands of her family and the secrets of her past.]]> 368 Alka Joshi 0778386147 Amber 3 2023, historical-fiction 4.08 2023 The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy, #3)
author: Alka Joshi
name: Amber
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/17
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: 2023, historical-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (The Jaipur Trilogy, #2)]]> 55004546
Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies.

In New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s intriguing new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling.]]> 384 Alka Joshi 0778331857 Amber 4 historical-fiction, 2023 4.02 2021 The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (The Jaipur Trilogy, #2)
author: Alka Joshi
name: Amber
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/19
date added: 2023/05/27
shelves: historical-fiction, 2023
review:
3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the first book more but I still liked this one especially since it expanded on Malik’s character. Overall, I’m looking forward to reading the third installment!
]]> All the Living and the Dead 58724737
We are surrounded by death. It is in our news, our nursery rhymes, our true-crime podcasts. Yet from a young age, we are told that death is something to be feared. How are we supposed to know what we’re so afraid of, when we are never given the chance to look?

Fueled by a childhood fascination with death, journalist Hayley Campbell searches for answers in the people who make a living by working with the dead. Along the way, she encounters mass fatality investigators, embalmers, and a former executioner who is responsible for ending sixty-two lives. She meets gravediggers who have already dug their own graves, visits a cryonics facility in Michigan, goes for late-night Chinese with a homicide detective, and questions a man whose job it is to make crime scenes disappear.

Through Campbell’s incisive and candid interviews with these people who see death every day, she Why would someone choose this kind of life? Does it change you as a person? And are we missing something vital by letting death remain hidden? A dazzling work of cultural criticism, All the Living and the Dead weaves together reportage with memoir, history, and philosophy, to offer readers a fascinating look into the psychology of Western death.]]> 288 Hayley Campbell 1250281849 Amber 5 unusual and macabre common interest or curiosity on this topic to read/listen to this book.


[Unexpected] Trigger Warning: Infant death and loss is discussed as well as unsettling forensic descriptions/details related to infant death.]]> 4.25 2022 All the Living and the Dead
author: Hayley Campbell
name: Amber
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/07
date added: 2023/05/09
shelves: book-club-tombs-and-tomes, 2023, nonfiction, favorites
review:
Wow� this was a fascinating read. What an incredible exploration of the death industry and those that work in it each and every day. I definitely need/want to expand on my thoughts a lot more with this one but for the time being, I encourage anyone that shares this unusual and macabre common interest or curiosity on this topic to read/listen to this book.


[Unexpected] Trigger Warning: Infant death and loss is discussed as well as unsettling forensic descriptions/details related to infant death.
]]> <![CDATA[Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)]]> 61918816 A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin�-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass� scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,� and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she ’t refuse.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 1538704390 Amber 5
*adds to Favorites shelf*]]> 4.29 2023 Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Amber
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/15
date added: 2023/04/17
shelves: 2023, contemporary-romance, favorites
review:
This. THIS was the romcom that I knew I desperately needed. I laughed. I cried and now I need to think of all the various ways I can gush about this novel�

*adds to Favorites shelf*
]]> Books Aren't for Bears 123164392 32 Mark Barry 1684465508 Amber 3
Additionally, I was a bit confused by some of the book's messaging, such as the [paraphrased] statement that, "grown-ups hardly notice anything important." While I'm all for promoting the value of reading and librarians, I also didn't see why the author needed to cast classrooms and bookshops in a slightly negative light. Could the teacher and bookshop keeper have just encouraged Bear to go to the library from the get-go and in a kinder way?

As a mom of young children, I like to use [some] books to teach valuable lessons and I saw potential for this story (being about books and all) to incorporate more learning opportunities. That being said, I still think it's a decently charming children’s book with beautiful illustrations, and I would recommend it to others with the caveat that it may not have as much educational content as some parents might be expecting or looking for.

(Minor plot hole but someone in/around the forest is also forever without their bike�)

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC.]]> 4.21 Books Aren't for Bears
author: Mark Barry
name: Amber
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/16
date added: 2023/04/07
shelves: 2023, childrens-s-books, arcs, galleys-giveaways
review:
This children's book tells the story of a bear learning how to read and his little journey to seek out more books. While I absolutely loved the vivacious and colorful illustrations, I felt that the story could have been stronger in terms of its educational content. I would have appreciated a little more focus on the process of learning to read (i.e recognizing letters and sounding out words) or exploring the emotional aspects of the learning journey � patience, frustration, and elation.

Additionally, I was a bit confused by some of the book's messaging, such as the [paraphrased] statement that, "grown-ups hardly notice anything important." While I'm all for promoting the value of reading and librarians, I also didn't see why the author needed to cast classrooms and bookshops in a slightly negative light. Could the teacher and bookshop keeper have just encouraged Bear to go to the library from the get-go and in a kinder way?

As a mom of young children, I like to use [some] books to teach valuable lessons and I saw potential for this story (being about books and all) to incorporate more learning opportunities. That being said, I still think it's a decently charming children’s book with beautiful illustrations, and I would recommend it to others with the caveat that it may not have as much educational content as some parents might be expecting or looking for.

(Minor plot hole but someone in/around the forest is also forever without their bike�)

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC.
]]> American Gods 11823620 An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here and here.

First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.

A storm is coming...

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.]]> 674 Neil Gaiman Amber 4 Review to come! 4.20 2001 American Gods
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Amber
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/02
date added: 2023/04/06
shelves: 2023, fantasy, science-fiction, magical-realism, contemporary
review:
Review to come!
]]> The Soulmate 60784540
Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths, and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.

Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. . . .Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate . . . lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.]]> 327 Sally Hepworth 1250229707 Amber 3 stunning cover art, I couldn’t wait to dive in (pun count: 1). However, while the story had its moments, it ultimately fell a little flat for me (pun count: 2).

Pippa Gerard and her husband, Gabe, move to their cliffside dream home just outside of Melbourne with their two young daughters. The view is to die for (pun count: 3)! The cliffs, infamously known as “The Drop,� have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has successfully prevented seven suicides but when he attempts to rescue a woman at the edge, she jumps to her death� or did she? Once Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim and chose to withhold that piece of information from the police, we’re left questioning if Gabe is hiding something. What really happened on that cliff?

Told through alternating PoV and brief, engaging chapters on two different timelines (before and after Amanda’s demise) between Pippa and Amanda (yes, the deceased victim!), we learn more about them and the secrets they’ve kept hidden within their marriages. The mystery slowly begins to unravel as we uncover imminent truths and rationalize the deceptive façades.

Yet, once everything was resolved, I was still trying to grapple with the concept of how two parents could even consider living in a home like this without having some type of fencing or safety precautions in place to prevent their young children from straying near the cliff to their death. This is certainly my mom-brain doing a metaphorical finger wag here but this tiny, bothersome detail took away a sense of believability for me. At the same time, no one in this novel is really in their right mind. *shrug*

Furthermore, while the book explores themes of love, marriage, family, [in]fidelity, and death, it read more like a suspenseful domestic drama as opposed to a [domestic] thriller. It’s a very fine line but I feel like it would’ve been more impressive marketed/tagged as the former. Since I expected a thriller and the unexpected twists and turns that come with it, I was less than thrilled by the end of the book. I think I stoically said to myself, “well, that all made sense.�

Still, I think readers that are drawn to slower-paced, character-driven centric stories would enjoy this book more than I did (it looks like most already do, heh) so don’t let my review talk you off the proverbial ledge (pun count: 4)!

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.]]> 3.78 2022 The Soulmate
author: Sally Hepworth
name: Amber
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/11
date added: 2023/03/15
shelves: arcs, galleys-giveaways, 2023, contemporary, cover-art-love, mystery
review:
At first glance, this book has all the makings of a captivating read. With an enticing synopsis and stunning cover art, I couldn’t wait to dive in (pun count: 1). However, while the story had its moments, it ultimately fell a little flat for me (pun count: 2).

Pippa Gerard and her husband, Gabe, move to their cliffside dream home just outside of Melbourne with their two young daughters. The view is to die for (pun count: 3)! The cliffs, infamously known as “The Drop,� have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Gabe has successfully prevented seven suicides but when he attempts to rescue a woman at the edge, she jumps to her death� or did she? Once Pippa discovers that Gabe knew the victim and chose to withhold that piece of information from the police, we’re left questioning if Gabe is hiding something. What really happened on that cliff?

Told through alternating PoV and brief, engaging chapters on two different timelines (before and after Amanda’s demise) between Pippa and Amanda (yes, the deceased victim!), we learn more about them and the secrets they’ve kept hidden within their marriages. The mystery slowly begins to unravel as we uncover imminent truths and rationalize the deceptive façades.

Yet, once everything was resolved, I was still trying to grapple with the concept of how two parents could even consider living in a home like this without having some type of fencing or safety precautions in place to prevent their young children from straying near the cliff to their death. This is certainly my mom-brain doing a metaphorical finger wag here but this tiny, bothersome detail took away a sense of believability for me. At the same time, no one in this novel is really in their right mind. *shrug*

Furthermore, while the book explores themes of love, marriage, family, [in]fidelity, and death, it read more like a suspenseful domestic drama as opposed to a [domestic] thriller. It’s a very fine line but I feel like it would’ve been more impressive marketed/tagged as the former. Since I expected a thriller and the unexpected twists and turns that come with it, I was less than thrilled by the end of the book. I think I stoically said to myself, “well, that all made sense.�

Still, I think readers that are drawn to slower-paced, character-driven centric stories would enjoy this book more than I did (it looks like most already do, heh) so don’t let my review talk you off the proverbial ledge (pun count: 4)!

My sincere thanks and appreciation to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
]]> What Lies in the Woods 60784373
For decades afterward, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods―no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.]]> 336 Kate Alice Marshall 1250859883 Amber 4 2023, mystery-thriller
3 stars for the first half / 4 stars for the last half]]> 3.93 2023 What Lies in the Woods
author: Kate Alice Marshall
name: Amber
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/10
date added: 2023/03/11
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller
review:
Well, what a winding labyrinth of lies and secrets this was! Just when you think you’re approaching a conclusion, you’re hit with another shocking turn. I’ll need to absorb this one for a beat� bbl.

3 stars for the first half / 4 stars for the last half
]]> The Good Lie 56238004 Six teens murdered. A suspect behind bars. A desperate father. In a case this shadowy, the truth is easy to hide.

Psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore is an expert on killers. She’s spent a decade treating California’s most depraved predators and unlocking their motives—predators much like the notorious Bloody Heart serial killer, whose latest teenage victim escaped and then identified local high school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor. The case against Thompson as the Bloody Heart Killer is damning—and closed, as far as Gwen and the media are concerned. If not for one new development�

Defense attorney Robert Kavin is a still-traumatized father whose own son fell prey to the BH Killer. Convinced of Thompson’s innocence, he steps in to represent him. Now Robert wants Gwen to interview the accused, create a psych profile of the killer and his victims, and help clear his client’s name.

As Gwen and Robert grow closer and she dives deeper into the investigation, grave questions arise. So does Gwen’s suspicion that Robert is hiding something—and that he might not be the only one with a secret.

Six teenagers dead. Finally, the killer behind bars. But are the games just beginning?]]> 257 A.R. Torre 1542020174 Amber 4 4.12 2021 The Good Lie
author: A.R. Torre
name: Amber
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/03
date added: 2023/03/03
shelves: 2023, mystery-thriller, contemporary
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Waypoints: My Scottish Journey]]> 60617136
"I had to believe, because frankly, I had come so far there could be no turning back."

In this intimate journey of self-discovery, Sam sets out along Scotland's rugged ninety-six-mile West Highland Way to map out the moments that shaped his views on dreams and ambition, family, friendship, love, and life. The result is a love letter to the wild landscape that means so much to him, full of charming, funny, wise, and searching insights into the world through his eyes.

Waypoints is a deeply personal journey that reveals as much about Sam to himself as it does to his readers.]]> 270 Sam Heughan 0316495530 Amber 5 memoir, nonfiction, 2023 4.24 2022 Waypoints: My Scottish Journey
author: Sam Heughan
name: Amber
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/20
date added: 2023/02/20
shelves: memoir, nonfiction, 2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Life’s Too Short (The Friend Zone, #3)]]> 54377375
When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad" (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.

Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.]]> 384 Abby Jimenez 1538715686 Amber 4 4.13 2021 Life’s Too Short (The Friend Zone, #3)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Amber
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/18
date added: 2023/02/17
shelves: 2023, chick-lit, contemporary-romance, zachary-webber
review:
This delightful little rom-com strikes a great balance between drama and humor. I appreciated the constant theme of living your most fulfilling life every day, which gave the book a nice heartfelt message. Vanessa was a colorful character who brought a lot of fun to the story, while Adrian was crush-worthy and relatable. The inclusion of a cute dog was also a bonus! If you listen to the audiobook, you'll be treated to a fantastic performance by Zachary Webber, who brings Adrian to life with his skilled narration, as per usual. ;)
]]> <![CDATA[The Ocean at the End of the Lane]]> 57281804 ASIN moved from less recent edition

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.]]> 259 Neil Gaiman Amber 3
The book's unique blend of fantasy and reality, along with its masterful use of language and imagery, really make it a unique work of art. I haven't read other Gaiman books [yet], but if they're anything like this one, I can see why he's referred to as a 'master storyteller' by other readers.

If you enjoy immersive, beautifully written stories that transport you to another world, this one is for you.

3.5/4 stars...? (because I don't have another story/book to mentally "compare" it to since this is a book/author entirely in its own class but at the same time I don't think a 5-star rating can be entirely justified because it's such a marvelous lone wolf??? I don’t know. I have more positives to voice than negatives so disregard my conflicting thoughts here... **adds another Gaiman book on my TBR list**.)]]> 4.22 2013 The Ocean at the End of the Lane
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Amber
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/31
date added: 2023/02/17
shelves: fantasy, 2023, magical-realism, paranormal-supernatural, science-fiction
review:
This novel really defines magical and imaginative storytelling. It felt like childhood remembered by an adult - a story of memories as fluid as the ocean, where the waves continue to roll and the landscape is ever-changing. Gaiman interlaces these memories into mythology thus creating a haunting and enchanting world that's off-kilter in the best way.

The book's unique blend of fantasy and reality, along with its masterful use of language and imagery, really make it a unique work of art. I haven't read other Gaiman books [yet], but if they're anything like this one, I can see why he's referred to as a 'master storyteller' by other readers.

If you enjoy immersive, beautifully written stories that transport you to another world, this one is for you.

3.5/4 stars...? (because I don't have another story/book to mentally "compare" it to since this is a book/author entirely in its own class but at the same time I don't think a 5-star rating can be entirely justified because it's such a marvelous lone wolf??? I don’t know. I have more positives to voice than negatives so disregard my conflicting thoughts here... **adds another Gaiman book on my TBR list**.)
]]> <![CDATA[The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone, #2)]]> 50208350 The Friend Zone.

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?]]> 401 Abby Jimenez Amber 3 4.14 2020 The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone, #2)
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Amber
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/13
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: 2023, contemporary-romance, chick-lit, zachary-webber
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)]]> 61242426
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success � not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 296 Travis Baldree Amber 4 fantasy, 2023, lgbt
What a sweet slice-of-life story � heartwarming and wholesome as a steaming cup of coffee. This book is like being wrapped in a big warm hug full of love and optimism. A flavorful blend of likeable misfit characters, a low-stakes story, and deliciously delightful descriptors of coffee and food that will leave you salivating. What a gem of a novel! A perfect read for the winter season or a season of needing a cozy little escape for awhile.

*a comfy blanket paired with your favorite hot beverage and pastry highly recommended while reading but not required]]> 4.04 2022 Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Amber
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/08
date added: 2023/02/09
shelves: fantasy, 2023, lgbt
review:
3.5/4 cozy stars

What a sweet slice-of-life story � heartwarming and wholesome as a steaming cup of coffee. This book is like being wrapped in a big warm hug full of love and optimism. A flavorful blend of likeable misfit characters, a low-stakes story, and deliciously delightful descriptors of coffee and food that will leave you salivating. What a gem of a novel! A perfect read for the winter season or a season of needing a cozy little escape for awhile.

*a comfy blanket paired with your favorite hot beverage and pastry highly recommended while reading but not required
]]> Forever, Interrupted 16130531 Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid Amber 2
I guess my first mistake was not starting with reading all her hyped-up books first (i.e. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and The Six, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto is Back) …I’ll get to them eventually. After reading this one and One True Loves, enthusiastic isn't quite the word I would use to describe my current mood.]]> 3.63 2013 Forever, Interrupted
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Amber
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2023/01/04
date added: 2023/02/08
shelves: contemporary-romance, drama, 2023
review:
This is my second TJR book and I’m just wildly unimpressed but I also don’t think that this type of story/drama appeals to me. The loss of a spouse is a hard topic that I ’t [and hope] to never relate to. My heartfelt sympathy is there but my attention span is not.

I guess my first mistake was not starting with reading all her hyped-up books first (i.e. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and The Six, Malibu Rising, and Carrie Soto is Back) …I’ll get to them eventually. After reading this one and One True Loves, enthusiastic isn't quite the word I would use to describe my current mood.
]]> Spare 62296528
For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.]]> 410 Prince Harry 0593593804 Amber 5 2023, memoir, nonfiction 3.78 2023 Spare
author: Prince Harry
name: Amber
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/03
date added: 2023/02/08
shelves: 2023, memoir, nonfiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (Grishaverse, #0.5 & 2.5 & 2.6)]]> 35152401 289 Leigh Bardugo 1250122538 Amber 4 2023, fantasy, young-adult 4.24 2017 The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (Grishaverse, #0.5 & 2.5 & 2.6)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Amber
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/15
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: 2023, fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> These Silent Woods 57669287 A father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains must reckon with the ghosts of their past in Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods, a mesmerizing novel of suspense.

No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin's shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she's starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her--and he's still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.

The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred--and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch's growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding--or finally face the sins of his past.

Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.]]> 288 Kimi Cunningham Grant 1250793408 Amber 4
Finch is lovable and clever while Cooper exemplifies a father’s raw honesty and determination to protect his daughter. I thought the character development was above par and memorable. The relationship between the two is wholly convincing and you’ll find yourself genuinely concerned for what will become of them. Their closest neighbor, Scotland, also appears in the story at random times as he brings odd gifts for Finch like animal skulls and leaves specific newspapers for Cooper to read. He's super sus and you just don't quite know what to make of him. That thread of uncertainty is woven throughout the book and keeps you on your toes until the last page.

Overall, a thoughtful and telling tale about regret, redemption, and grace. I would also strongly recommend keeping a Kleenex handy towards the end. Lawd knows I needed one!]]> 4.17 2021 These Silent Woods
author: Kimi Cunningham Grant
name: Amber
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/08
date added: 2023/01/16
shelves: 2023, contemporary, mystery, adventure-survival
review:
The author gets high marks for the atmospheric setting in this novel with Cooper raising his 8 year-old daughter, Finch, in a secluded cabin in the Appalachian mountains. (You slowly discover what lead up to the pair living in complete isolation as the story unravels.)

Finch is lovable and clever while Cooper exemplifies a father’s raw honesty and determination to protect his daughter. I thought the character development was above par and memorable. The relationship between the two is wholly convincing and you’ll find yourself genuinely concerned for what will become of them. Their closest neighbor, Scotland, also appears in the story at random times as he brings odd gifts for Finch like animal skulls and leaves specific newspapers for Cooper to read. He's super sus and you just don't quite know what to make of him. That thread of uncertainty is woven throughout the book and keeps you on your toes until the last page.

Overall, a thoughtful and telling tale about regret, redemption, and grace. I would also strongly recommend keeping a Kleenex handy towards the end. Lawd knows I needed one!
]]>