Review: Zenith Man by Jennifer Haigh

Zenith Man

by Jennifer Haigh

Publisher: Amazon

Pages: 23

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Whatever had been going on behind the closed doors of the shuttered old house, the couple who lived there kept it to themselves. Among the locals, there’s only chilling speculation.

Neighbors are shocked when Harold Pardee reports his wife dead. No one even knew the eccentric TV repairman was married. Within hours, horrible rumors spread about what that poor woman must have endured for thirty years. Until the Pardees’ carefully guarded world is exposed. New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Haigh delivers an endearing short story about our misguided perception of strangers, the nature of love, and the need for secrets.

Kritters Thoughts:  An interesting little story that is less than 25 pages, but so much is packed into just a few pages.  Harold Pardee wakes up one morning and his wife has passed away at some point in the night, he calls to report and maybe doesn't choose the best of words to describe the fact that his wife is dead and he is charged with his murder.  A young lawyer unfamiliar with murder trials gets a break . . .

With a short book/story, my review will be short and quick.  I loved it.  I always worry with short stories that with the limited pages will the story feel full and this one absolutely did.  I wanted more which for me is a good sign!  Pick this one up for a quick afternoon read this new year.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 46 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Happily Ever After by Trista Sutter

Happily Ever After

by Trista Sutter

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Pages: 264

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Trista Rehn was a pediatric physical therapist moonlighting as a Miami Heat dancer when she heard about casting for a new reality show—one guy getting to know twenty-five girls in the hope of finding a fiancée. As improbable and crazy as it sounded, Trista took the chance—and had her heart broken on the very first season of The Bachelor. But the next season, as the first Bachelorette, her fairy tale fell into place during a whirlwind courtship with poetry-writing firefighter Ryan Sutter and, eventually, a dream-come-true wedding on national TV.

In the midst of building a life with Ryan and raising two kids, Trista started to make a conscious effort to remember her favorite part of each day. And she’s made sure to post these thoughts, her own personal expressions of gratitude, almost every night on Twitter and Facebook—even on days she was dealing with fertility issues, a difficult pregnancy, family deaths, and other challenges that many of us face.

Sometimes it’s the smallest gestures and the most unassuming things that can have the greatest effects. Trista is often asked her secret to being one of the rare reality-TV relationships to make it to the altar and beyond. In this heartfelt book, she shares the simple yet profound keys to finding everyday happiness: gratitude and grace. From the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moments we have with our kids, our spouses, our pets, or even strangers, to the more obvious lessons we pick up from reading the news or hearing an inspirational story, knowing how to recognize, accept, and be grateful for all of our daily blessings is truly what “happily ever after” means.

Kritters Thoughts:  Trista was the first bachelorette and is still married to the prince charming she met on the show.  This book is part memoir and life stories combined with a little self help and for me it was the perfect combination.  I enjoyed getting to know Trista and her life before, during and after the show and I really appreciated her perspective on gratitude and the different areas in one's life where extra gratitude could be a good idea.  

Each chapter took a different part of your life and she gave examples on how to add a little gratitude to improve that area of your life.  The two that made the biggest impact on me were relationships - both friendly and romantic and work.  Both giving and receiving at work are important and I don't know how to advise my boss that a little extra gratitude could be great, but I know how I can increase my giving of it at the workplace and hope that it can improve things.  

This book was published in 2013, so I wouldn't mind an update and/or another book from Trista on a completely different topic where she can share personal stories, but also teach a life lesson or two!   

I had the audio book from amazon and the ebook from Netgalley, so I was able to read this in both formats basically at the same time and I loved having Trista i my car reading me the book as I commuted.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: First Cut by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

First Cut

by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A hard-nosed medical examiner. A suspicious case. An underworld plot only she saw coming.

San Francisco’s newest medical examiner, Dr. Jessie Teska, has made a chilling discovery. A suspected overdose case contains hints of something more sinister: a drug lord’s attempt at a murderous cover-up. But as Jessie digs deeper, she faces unexpected pushback from her superiors—and pressure to stay in her lane, close the case and move on.

For Jessie, San Francisco was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to escape her troublesome past in Los Angeles. Instead she finds herself overworked and underpaid, working in a dingy morgue and living under the fog in a cramped converted cable car. Now, despite warnings from her colleagues and threats from her boss, she is determined to find the truth.

As more bodies land on her autopsy table, Jessie uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to a plot involving opioid traffickers and San Francisco’s shifting terrain of tech start-ups. Autopsy means “see for yourself,” and Jessie Teska won’t stop until she has seen it all—even if it means the next corpse on the slab could be her own.


Kritters Thoughts:  A mystery thriller that is told through a unique set of eyes - a medical examiner.  Dr. Jessie Teska abruptly leaves her job as a medical examiner in Los Angeles and moves to San Francisco to start anew.  She quickly gets involved in some interesting cases that put her in harms way and she must figure out the hows and whys of some of the deaths in San Francisco to find out who is wishing her harm.  

I absolutely loved this book.  I felt it was so different from the typical murder mysteries as seeing it through the eyes of the medical examiner and figuring out how someone really died compared to how it was presented was just so fascinating and I was completely wrapped up in the story from the beginning.  I felt as though the author gave us the right clues at just the right time.  

I also just loved Dr. Jessie Teska as a character herself.  She was smart and there were maybe a few moments where I didn't get all the medical lingo, but it didn't go completely over my head.  

I am so excited to watch this series develop and grow and will be anxiously waiting for book two!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 62 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley

You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 320

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too — unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of them, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?

Kritters Thoughts:  First I must say I don't love books at this stage in my life that center around a marriage that isn't in a good place, it is just hard for me to read, so I had a few moments where I was really wondering where these characters were going to end up.  

For me the reason that kept me reading was Mia.  I was able to get extremely invested in her story and really care about where she would end up.  I felt so much for her going through what she went through in hopes of starting a family and how much that can affect you emotionally and how hard that can be on a marriage.  I wanted so much for them to find comfort in each other instead of in other things in this hard time.  

I will not spoil this book, but I must say that the ending is the thing that saved this book for me.  Without it ending the way it did, I wouldn't have liked it at all, but it made it into an okay book for me.  

I am a Colleen Oakley fan and I would say that I will keep reading her after this one, but I sure hope I adore the next one!


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Bout of Books Wrap Up

This bout of books was better than a few in the past, but I still didn't reach my goal.  It did encourage me to read more this week, but I wasn't able to completely shut down my week and read away!

Total book count: 6
Total page count:  1,509

Day 1- Monday, January 6 Total 178 pages
The Other Gloria by LA Villafane (finished, 163 pages)
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham (started, 15 pages)

Day 2- Tuesday, January 7 Total 221 pages
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham (finished, 221 pages)

Day 3- Wednesday, January 8 Total 179 pages

The Antidote of Everything by Kimmery Martin (179 pages)

Day 4- Thursday, January 9 Total 173 pages

The Antidote of Everything by Kimmery Martin (finished, 155 pages)
Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer (started, 18 pages)

Day 5- Friday, January 10 Total 130 pages

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer (130 pages)

Day 6- Saturday, January 11 Total 364 pages

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie Grazer (finished, 176 pages)

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (started, 188 pages)

Day 7- Sunday, January 12  Total 264 pages

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (finished, 120 pages)
Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner (started and finished, 144 pages)

Review: The Little Bookshop on the Seine

The Little Bookshop on the Seine

by Rebecca Raisin

Publisher: HQN

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When bookshop owner Sarah Smith is offered the opportunity for a job exchange with her Parisian friend Sophie, saying yes is a no-brainer—after all, what kind of romantic would turn down six months in Paris? Sarah is sure she’s in for the experience of a lifetime—days spent surrounded by literature in a gorgeous bookshop, and the chance to watch the snow fall on the Eiffel Tower. Plus, now she can meet up with her journalist boyfriend, Ridge, when his job takes him around the globe.

But her expectations cool faster than her café au lait soon after she lands in the City of Light—she’s a fish out of water in Paris. The customers are rude, her new coworkers suspicious and her relationship with Ridge has been reduced to a long-distance game of phone tag, leaving Sarah to wonder if he’ll ever put her first over his busy career. As Christmas approaches, Sarah is determined to get the shop—and her life—back in order…and make her dreams of a Parisian happily-ever-after come true.

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series where I accidentally read it first!  Although I didn't love book one as much, I would completely suggest starting there before moving on to this book.  

Sarah Smith is back and her bookshop in Connecticut is doing just ok.  When a friend from Paris wants to do a bookshop swap, Sarah is ready to make a temporary change and try something new - even with a little fear!  When she arrives in Paris things go a little wonky and the bookstore staff are not welcoming, so she has quite a few things to overcome to make Paris a great experience.

I loved this part of Sarah's story.  This one felt like such a fuller story than the first book in the series and I enjoyed really getting to know Sarah in this one.  I appreciated the ups and downs of her relationship with Ridge and all the quirks and things with the staff in the store in Paris.  

I would completely recommend this book to any book lover as no one can complain about a book that takes place in a sweet little bookstore in Paris.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 66 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Bookshop on the Corner by Rebecca Raisin

The Bookshop on the Corner

by Rebecca Raisin

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 160

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Who said that only real heroes could be found in fiction?

Sarah Smith had an addiction – she was addicted to romance novels. The meet-cute, the passion, the drama and the gorgeous men! Now this wouldn’t have been such an issue if she hadn’t been the owner of the only bookshop in Ashford, Connecticut.

Ever since her close friend Lil, from The Gingerbread Café, had become engaged she had been yearning for a little love to turn up in her life. Except Sarah knew a good man was hard to find – especially in a tiny town like Ashford. That was until New York journalist, Ridge Warner stepped into her bookshop…

Love could be just around the corner for Sarah, but will she be able to truly believe that happy-ever-after can happen in real-life too! 

Kritters Thoughts:  The first in a series and I made the mistake with this one by reading book two first which I review shortly.  So start here with this series and then move to book two.

Sarah Smith has always felt average.  She always kept her nose in a book and now as a bookstore owner, she loves sharing the joy of reading and playing match maker with people and books.  In walks in a gorgeous reporter and maybe he could change her future.

With this book being a short one, it felt as though their romance went real fast and I wished there had been a few more pages or it had gone a little slower and bled into book two more.  

Stay tuned for my thoughts on book two.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 65 out of 100

Review: The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr

The Country Guesthouse

by Robyn Carr

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A summer rental, a new beginning…

Hannah Russell’s carefully crafted plans for her life have been upended without warning. When her best friend died suddenly, Hannah became guardian to a five-year-old named Noah. With no experience at motherhood, she’s terrified she’s not up to the challenge. She and Noah need time to get to know each other, so she decides to rent a country house with stunning views on a lake in rural Colorado.

When they arrive at the house, they are greeted by the owner, a handsome man who promises to stay out of their way. But his clumsy Great Dane, Romeo, has other ideas and Noah immediately bonds with the lovable dog. As Hannah learns to become a mother, Owen Abrams, who is recovering from his own grief, can’t help but be drawn out of his solitude by his guests.

But life throws more challenges at this unlikely trio and they are tested in ways they never thought possible. All three will discover their strengths and, despite their differences, they will fight to become a family. And the people of Sullivan’s Crossing will rally around them to offer all of the support they need.


Kritters Thoughts:  First let me say, I am huge Robyn Carr fan and I have read every book in this series and have enjoyed each one.  That is why I was surprised when this book didn't work for me at all.  Let me explain.

First, the way this book started out seemed abrupt and cheesy at the same time.  Hannah attending a corporate retreat at the lake and returning with her newly adopted son just seemed obvious.  Then the quick change from Hannah in corporate life to family life at the lake just seemed real quick.  

The realist in me also had problems with her lack of job and ease to take leave.  She talked about it often, but it still felt realistic and I kept wanting her to take an active role in Owen's business, I wanted this so much!  There were other moments like these where I wanted the character or the story to go a way and it didn't - I know I am not the author, but it felt so obvious it was frustrating.  I don't usually feel this way with Robyn Carr so I was sad to feel this way.    

I have loved the lake as a setting and the main characters who have stayed as a constant in each book, so I will read the next one, but wasn't satisfied with this one.


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 61 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Meet Me On Love Lane by Nina Bocci

Meet Me On Love Lane

by Nina Bocci

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 304

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.

She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.

With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series that I highly suggest starting at the beginning.  This book centers around a different character than book one, but the characters from book one make many appearances and it is more fun knowing what happened in book one before reading this one.  

Charlotte Bishop has had a tough time in New York and decides to move back to a small town that she barely remembers from the few years she lived there in her childhood.  She has always had a dream to open her floral shop and this dream becomes a reality through some interesting twists and turns.  She is also able to reconnect to her grandmother and her dad and start making new memories in a town that had a negative space in her mind.  

I loved the romance in this book, it had just the right amount of ups and downs and I was along for the ride!  As the same in the first book, I enjoyed that the story had quite a bit of moments on the job and characters actually showed up and worked!  

The writing in these books is just effortless and easy.  I loved that it was just easy to sit down and enjoy this story - I think I read it two short sittings.  These books would be just perfect for any time of year, from a winter weekend or some time on the beach.  

There are two more books coming out in this series in this year and I will definitely be reading them both!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: On the Corner of Love and Hate by Nina Bocci

On the Corner of Love and Hate

by Nina Bocci

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What’s a campaign manager’s worst nightmare? A smooth-talking charmer who’s never met a scandal that he didn’t like.

When Emmanuelle Peroni’s father—and mayor of her town—asks her to help rehab Cooper Endicott’s image, she’s horrified. Cooper drives her crazy in every way possible. But he’s also her father’s protégé, and she can’t say no to him without him finding out the reason why: Cooper and her have a messy past. So Emmanuelle reluctantly launches her father’s grand plan to get this Casanova someone to settle down with and help him lose his lothario reputation.

Cooper Endicott wanted to run for Mayor, but he never wanted the drama that went with it. Now that he’s on the political hamster wheel, the other candidates are digging up everything from his past. Even though he’s doing all the right things, his colorful love life is the sticking point for many of the conservative voters. He wants to win, badly, and he knows that if he wants any chance of getting a vote from the female population, he needs to change his image. The only problem? He might just be falling in love with the one person he promised not to pursue: the Mayor’s off-limits daughter.

Kritters Thoughts:  The first book in a series that takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania where two people have lived most of their lives.  Emmanuelle and Cooper grew up in small town PA and Emmanuelle's father has been the mayor for many many years.  As he is getting ready to retire, Cooper has decided that he would like to take the reigns and Emmanuelle is ready to help him win the seat.  With an interesting opponent and a will they won't they plot, this book was a fun ride in a small town!

I love books that take place in a small town because I grew up in a small town and I love how drama goes in a small town.  I could also relate to the feelings that Emmanuelle and Cooper had in the fact that they grew up there and some townspeople still see them as the young people they were.  

The will they won't they storyline got a little old and frustrating, but was fine to follow.  Thankfully the characters were so great that as a reader I could enjoy it a little bit.  I liked the secondary characters that came in and out of the stoyline and enjoyed the moments that took place in city government as that felt unique in a romance.  I don't know of any other storyline that took place as much at work and that dealt with city government.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2019 Challenge: 62 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Deep State by Chris Hauty

Deep State

by Chris Hauty

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 288

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Recently elected President Richard Monroe—populist, controversial, and divisive—is at the center of an increasingly polarized Washington, DC. Never has the partisan drama been so tense or the paranoia so rampant. In the midst of contentious political turf wars, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his house. A tenacious intern discovers a single, ominous clue that suggests he died from something other than natural causes, and that a wide-ranging conspiracy is running beneath the surface of everyday events: powerful government figures are scheming to undermine the rule of law—and democracy itself. Allies are exposed as enemies, once-dependable authorities fall under suspicion, and no one seems to be who they say they are. The unthinkable is happening. The Deep State is real. Who will die to keep its secrets and who will kill to uncover the truth?


Kritters Thoughts:  President Richard Monroe was elected at a time where the country is very divided.  He hopes that with his policies both domestically and especially abroad that he can bring the country together and maintain the ideals of the United States.  There is a group that doesn't want him to be able to make these changes and they will do anything to stop him from doing anything.  

The book's central character is Haley Chill who leaves the military to become a White House intern.  Seeing this story through her eyes made the story feel so unique and different from your typical White House political thriller.  Haley Chill through her military training is able to do things and notice things that most White House interns wouldn't pick up on and I liked that she had this training to back her up.  

When a murder happens close to Haley she is thrust into the middle of things and I was ready for it!  Although a fiction story that definitely had some plot devices, I loved it and it worked for me.  I was sold on the story and enjoyed the journey.  

This one had great twists and turns.  When I thought we were headed in one direction, it would veer off into another and I loved it.  I like when these political thrillers take all the turns until the end.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Book Expo .  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Good Girls Lie by JT Ellison

Good Girls Lie

by JT Ellison

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 384

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

Kritters Thoughts:  The perfect scenario - an old all girls boarding school in the mountains of VA with stories passed of ghosts and secret societies and an opening prologue with a dead girl, this book should have been right up my alley, but it just didn't work.  

The short chapters were ok.  I felt as though they stunted the pacing of the book and I wanted more continuous flow in the story.  I think if the chapters had lingered a bit more and let you sit into the drama of the novel it would have worked just a bit better.  

The girls in the boarding school were great to follow.  I loved the range of characters of characters and they didn't feel cookie cutter - they felt unique.  The teachers and administrative staff of the school on the other hand were just ok.  They felt obvious in the roles that they played and I wanted more from them.  

The twists and turns ended up being just ok.  I would read this author again, but would have to make sure I liked the setting and the jist of the plot.    


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.