LITTLE ONE  by  SARAH A. DENZIL

My Rating: ★★★

Fran is on her routine early morning jog when she finds a little girl, no older than seven years old, by herself dressed in pretty but old-fashioned yellow dress, covered in grass stains and her hair disheveled. Her name is Esther and she says she's waiting for Father, and that strikes Fran as particularly odd.

After Esther is reunited with her mother, Mary, Fran can't stop thinking about this pious child whose imaginary friend is God. Fran's instincts tell her something is very wrong.

Soon, Fran gets close to Mary and Esther despite Fran's husband warnings not to get too close. But one morning, Esther and her family disappear. Where did they go? Why did they leave their furniture behind?

Fran knows in her gut that something terrible is going to happen to that child, and she can't stand by while it happens. No matter the cost.

This was quite an interesting read though it was easy to predict what was going on quite early in the story.

The narration and the characters are well written. Initially the plot was good but once the Whittaker family left and Fran began her investigation, it kind of became unrealistic. I couldn’t relate to Fran’s obsession and her dropping everything to travel to Arizona in search of Mary and Esther seemed slightly far-fetched.

However, the twists at the end were excellent and helped to bring it all together with a great ending.

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC! 

EVERY LAST SECRET  by  A.R.TORRE

My Rating: ★★★★

Cat Winthorpe has worked hard to get what she has: a gorgeous home; social standing; and William, her successful, handsome husband.

Then Cat's husband, William, hires Neena Ryder at his company. Neena and her husband move into the estate next door. While cautious, Cat like a good neighbor, greets them with open arms and warm hospitality.

Neena isn’t a fellow lady of leisure. A life coach with off-the-rack dresses, personal issues, and a husband who hasn’t delivered, she’s anxious to move up in the world. And has firmly set her target on William.

When Neena’s infatuation escalates into obsession, it’s just a matter of eliminating a few obstacles to get the life she wants. The life next door.

For both women, the desire for a perfect life can turn perfectly dangerous.

The book begins with Neena being interrogated by the police as a possible murder suspect. Right from there I was hooked onto the plot right till the end.

This entire plot felt like a game of chess. Both the women were equally cunning and shrewd. I felt that were perfectly pitted against each other. While one was loud in her actions, the other was more calculative and organized.

At the end it came down to one big mistake- Never underestimate your opponent!

I don’t think have ever enjoyed reading any other cat fight among two women as much as I did in this book. The main reason for that being, both of the women are so unlikable. However, I was actually pleasantly surprised at the show of compassion at the end, I think for me that was unexpected.

Overall, an excellent domestic thriller!

The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson

My Rating: ★★★

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old university campus, a chill runs down her spine as she recalls the unpleasant memories of that place.

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. And they’ve not met as a group since then.

As the party gets underway and old grudges are uncovered, a game of truth or dare is proposed. When everyone has buried secrets, digging for the truth is going to get dangerous.

This was initially a slow burner but there are enough secrets to keep you engaged right till the end.

The main characters are well written, each suspicious in their own way, that you end up suspecting all of them. It was kind of difficult to believe that they were close friends at some point in life because their actions don’t seem to suggest that.

The twist at the end was kind of expected but the build up to it was good. The only thing I was curious about at the end of the book was about the journalist who was introduced in between.

Overall, an okay but twisted read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love

My Rating: ★★★★

A stunning collection of short stories by bestselling authors about the intersection of family, culture, and food in the lives in teens.

Hungry Hearts explores the many meanings food can take on beyond mere nourishment. It can symbolize love and despair, family and culture, belonging and home.

Being a big foodie, I totally loved this book. In fact, to make my reading experience even more memorable, I decided to read only one story a day (oh boy! it was difficult!)

Even though the stories are interconnected, each of them was special and unique in their own way. Most importantly it is a book which fills you both with warmth and hunger to try out some new food.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

My Rating: ★★★★

Beartown is a tiny community nestled deep in the forest but with a big dream. The entire town talks, dreams and lives only for one thing, i.e., Hockey.

Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

But then, Maya, the daughter of the General Manager of the Beartown hockey team, is raped by one of the team's star players and the whole town is thrown into turmoil.

According to me the most important message in this book was loyalty. But the question was: Loyalty to your team or Loyalty to humanity?

This was an incredible story with amazing characterization. Each character along with their own personal background was equally important to the entire story. It is difficult for me to choose a favorite because I enjoyed reading about all of them irrespective of their flaws.

The situations faced and the questions arising in this book are all important. It isn’t something new but the way it has been presented, is definitely thought provoking. It shows the amount of courage, difficulty and willingness that one needs to have to stand up and do the right thing.

Overall, an excellent and emotional read! Highly Recommended!

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli

My Rating: ★★★★

This was one crazy read!

When Anna, a math professor, arrives unannounced at her husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that her best PhD student, Alex, has died, she sees a pair of wineglasses drying by the sink and her deepest fear is confirmed that her husband is having an affair.

Instead of confronting her husband and throwing him out of the house, Anna goes about her life without any complaint. She needs her marriage to work to protect a terrible secret, something that would destroy everything she has already sacrificed so much for.

But then threatening text messages start appearing on her phone, she realises that someone close has been watching her very carefully.

This entire plot is so well written and the author has done an excellent job of grabbing the reader’s attention. When I started reading this and almost halfway into the book, it was okay and I definitely didn’t expect it to end the way it did. 

The main character Anna is so well characterized, there are times that you find her annoying but at the same time you find yourself feeling slightly sympathetic towards her looking at her situation. But the main highlight for me is the entire second half of the book. It is filled with unexpected twists and revelations which are at a completely different level.

Oh, and the title of the book was a perfect fit too! 

Overall an excellent read! Highly recommended!

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks

My Rating: ★★★★

Seventeen-year-old Signal Deere is convicted of her best friend Rose's brutal murder, she's designated a "Class A", the most dangerous and manipulative criminal profile. To avoid prison, Signal signs on for a secret program for 18-and-under Class As and is whisked off to an abandoned sleep-away camp, where she and seven bunk mates will train as assassins.

But Signal doesn't fit in and neither does she manage to take part actively in the camp because unlike her other campers, she is innocent.

I just loved this book because its so different and unique!! Its an amazing YA adventure which keeps you hooked on till the end. Initially some of the characters creep you out because they are just teenagers who actually like killing but gradually through the book you start liking all of them. The mystery of Rose's death keeps you guessing right till the end. And the ending... what do I say... It just makes me cry out for a sequel.

Highly recommended!!

Thank You to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!!

 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

My Rating: ★★★★★

Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. 

And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

I just loved this! It was way beyond my expectations. I was hooked on from the first page till the end.

This is definitely my favorite YA Mystery book. The main reason why I loved this book instantly was because Pip kind of reminded me of when I was younger. Growing up on Nancy Drew and Famous Five books, I used to always try to see if there any mystery lurking around so that I could play detective and try to solve them.

Alas! I wasn't as fortunate as Pip but reading this definitely brought back some memories.

 

The Open House by Sam Carrington

My Rating: ★★★

Nick and Amber Miller are splitting up and selling their Devon family home. But despite the desirable location, the house isn’t moving. Not a single viewing so far.

So, when their estate agent suggests an open house event, despite her initial hesitation Amber agrees. But after the event Amber has more to worry about.

Because thirteen people enter her house that afternoon, and only twelve leave.

The premise was so intriguing and I was excited to read it.

Initially the book started out really good, there was everything that one could want in a psychological thriller. The pace of narration of the plot was good, there were suspicious characters, an interesting open house event as well as some unexpected twists at regular intervals.

But then suddenly towards the end it felt that everything was all over the place. Some of the characters just went missing from the plot without any explanation and the twists introduced to create a spectacular end were kind of too unreal and lacking substance.

Overall an interesting plot which missed the mark for me because of flat ending.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!

 

Book Love by Debbie Tung

My Rating: ★★★★★

Oh my goodness! This was simply amazing. I felt like I was reading my memoir!

Every book lover should read this, you will be able relate to every page of this book like me. It contains everything that a book lover can think of. This is one book you should just read and not be bothered about the reviews!!

 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

My Rating: ★★★★★

“Ove has a heart problem. . . . His heart is too big”

I just loved this book! I have to so many things to say but I don’t think I will be able to express my feelings properly. This is not a kind of book which one can analyze and comment.

It is so beautifully written and has a soul of its own. Each chapter deals with the different phases in Ove’s life, his ups and downs and the events that shaped his personality. The character development is so amazing that as you go on reading, you can’t help but fall in love with Ove. The other characters in the book also have their own charm and are quite memorable.

People like Ove are a rarity in today’s world. His honesty, kindness, principles and ethics are those which we often try to replicate in our life but more than often fail to do so.

I did not want this book to end, but all good things do come to an end. This is one book which will forever feature on my favorites list.

 

Wildflower Graves by Rita Herron

(Detective Ellie Reeves #2)

My Rating: ★★★★

Detective Ellie Reeves heads into the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains when she wants to get lost and forget all the whispers chasing her and the past that keeps her up at night. She’s sick of having to prove herself to her small town.

But hiking in the endless miles of woods isn’t the escape she was hoping for. A gust of wind blows some petals on to Ellie’s path. Following the trail, she finds a golden-haired young woman dead on a bed of daffodils, with a note: ‘Monday’s child is fair of face.’

When Ellie emerges from the forest, she receives a message on her phone. Someone has sent her a picture of her colleague, Officer Shondra Eastwood with a challenge to find and save her before it’s too late.

Ellie is up against a serial killer who will claim a victim for every day of the week. Ellie needs to figure out who the killer is and save Shondra before he gets to her first.

I was so glad to read this one! I really loved the first book in this series and this was equally good as well!

It continues from where the first book ended but that’s just to give a slight background. The main characters are well written, Ellie is definitely one of my favourites . Also, there are so many twists throughout the plot that it keeps you guessing right till the end.

I tried to guess who the killer was but I just got it wrong. There were so many victims (one for each day of the week), I just wanted to know more about them and why were they chosen. The end was definitely an exceptional twist that I didn’t see coming.

Overall an excellent read. And I also loved the way the end was left hanging with a hint of what to expect next, that makes me even more eager to read the next book in the series. The secrets just keep getting better.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

 

Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton

My Rating: ★★★★

‘Our scars are simply the marks of our stories. They show we've lived our life, and most of all that we have survived it.' - this is one quote which I would love to remember from this book.

Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months recovering from an accident. So when a new patient is put in the bed beside him, he's eager for someone different to talk to. A new face on the ward is about as exciting as life gets for him right now.

Alice has been badly burned and can't bear to look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else see her. She insists on keeping the curtain around her bed firmly closed at all times.

But that doesn't stop Alfie trying to be friends. And gradually, as he slowly brings Alice slowly out of her shell, there might even be potential for something more?

I actually liked and enjoyed this book even though it was kind of unreal at times.

It was fun to read the interactions between all the characters especially it was lovely to see their friendship and bonding. Nurse Angles a.k.a Mother Angel was amazing but for me, Alfie is the star of this book. His personality was so likable and positive, I feel I might have to learn a few things from him about how to stay positive and happy while going through a tough time. His conversations with Mr Peterson were so enjoyable.

Initially when I read the book, I didn’t like Alice much and I found her grumpy and was annoyed at how she was behaving. But then as I thought more about it, I felt that I was being slightly harsh and that it’s not that easy to go through what she was facing. Being a burn victim and seeing your entire life change is definitely not an easy experience.

The ending was on expected lines but it happened just a bit too fast. I wish there was epilogue to know a bit more and obtain a sense of completion to the story.

Nevertheless, an enjoyable read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC!