Review: The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks

The Wife Between Us

by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Pages: 352

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement.

You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.

You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her.

You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.

Assume nothing.


Kritters Thoughts:  There are certain tropes that a reader sees over and over again.  A cheating husband, the other woman and the wife are things that can be seen in many books.  This book presents them and then flips them upside down and inside out.  What you think is the truth may change a few times in this book.  

With a ton of twists and turns and u turns and wrong turns, this book was full of it and I loved it.  When there is good writing, I love being wrong and when a book takes a twist that is from out of nowhere I get so excited about where it will possibly go!  There were a few moments in this one where I just couldn't predict where it was going and it surprised me.  

I read this book knowing I was already a fan of Sarah Pekkanen and was excited to read a book by her and with a twist of her writing with another - Greer Hendricks.  Before reading this book I knew that Greer was Sarah's editor and knowing that they had a previous writing relationship I was excited to see them team up and write something together.  

This was a great collaboration and I would love for them to do it again!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Oh what a week!  Between work and a weekend with my niece not a lot of reading happened, so hoping for some quiet time this next week!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

A Uterus is a Feature Not a Bug by Sarah Lacy
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Currently Reading:
The Silent Fountain by Victoria Fox

Next on the TBR pile:

Is This It Then? by Victoria Oliver

Review: The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

The Dark Lake

by Sarah Bailey

Publisher: Hachette

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Rose was lit by the sun, her beautiful face giving nothing away. Even back then, she was a mystery that I wanted to solve.

The lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty and inscrutability exerted a magnetic pull on Smithson High School, first during Rosalind's student years and then again when she returned to teach drama. 

As much as Rosalind's life was a mystery to Gemma when they were students together, her death presents even more of a puzzle. What made Rosalind quit her teaching job in Sydney and return to her hometown? Why did she live in a small, run-down apartment when her father was one of the town's richest men? And despite her many admirers, did anyone in the town truly know her? 

Rosalind's enigmas frustrate and obsess Gemma, who has her own dangerous secrets—an affair with her colleague and past tragedies that may not stay in the past.


Kritters Thoughts:  Set in Australia, this murder mystery was so dark eery it was perfect for a fall weekend.  Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is a detective in the small town where she grew up, so when a murder happens she is close to the victim as they grew up there also.  As the story progresses the reader realizes how close she really is and questions keep popping up . . . 

I love a who dun it and I love when they are a little on the creepy side!  I loved how Sarah Bailey paced the book.  I loved how she spaced out the bits of information and they were each timed perfectly just when I felt like I knew it all, she threw out more!  

The small town feel was real in this book.  Growing up in a small town, I could feel how everyone knew everyone else and how a secret can travel a mile a minute!  Sarah Bailey set a stage so well, there were moments where this story could have taken place anywhere and I liked that.  I liked the any small town feel and would encourage fans of the murder mystery genre to pick this one up and start this "fingers crossed" long series.

This book is labeled as book #1 in Goodreads, so I am hoping that this is a series and we have more from Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock.  I enjoyed following her through the investigation and would love to read more from her.  


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

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 55 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Hachette.  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 Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

The Austen Escape

by Katherine Reay

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 320

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  After years of following her best friend’s lead, Mary Davies finds a whimsical trip back to Austen’s Regency England paves the way towards a new future.

Mary Davies lives and works in Austin, Texas, as an industrial engineer. She has an orderly and productive life, a job and colleagues that she enjoys—particularly a certain adorable, intelligent, and hilarious consultant. But something is missing for Mary. When her estranged and emotionally fragile childhood friend Isabel Dwyer offers Mary a two-week stay in a gorgeous manor house in Bath, Mary reluctantly agrees to come along, in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways. But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes that she lives in Regency England. Mary becomes dependent on a household of strangers to take care of Isabel until she wakes up.

With Mary in charge and surrounded by new friends, Isabel rests and enjoys the leisure of a Regency lady. But life gets even more complicated when Mary makes the discovery that her life and Isabel’s have intersected in more ways that she knew, and she finds herself caught between who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who stands between them. Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this triangle works out their lives and hearts among a company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation.

Kritters Thoughts:  Mary Davies is an engineer and with her work life hitting a snag she decides to confirm the trip with her cousin that will take them deep into Austen land.  When they land in England, her cousin has a medical mishap and Mary must call on an interesting person to help her with her cousin. 

I would say one of my big quips with this book was since I haven't read a Jane Austen book, I felt lost a lot.  I would say this book should only be read if you have read a good majority of Austen's books.  With characters and quotes and all of those things throughout this book, you could be lost like me if you are not an Austen aficionado.  

I still loved the plot of the story and enjoyed that there was a place like this in this fictional world and would love to see a place like this for fictional characters that I am a fan of!  

I loved the characters Isabel and Mary and the story, I just felt lost a lot of the time which isn't a great feeling.  I would probably love to reread this book after I read a few Austen books and would probably love it so much more.


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

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: The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr

The Boyfriend Swap

by Meredith Schorr

Publisher: Henery Press

Pages: 293

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? New Yorkers Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows aren’t so sure.

Robyn has always dated struggling creative types. For once, her parents would love her to bring someone with health insurance and a 401(k) to their Chrismukkah celebration. Her actor boyfriend doesn’t qualify. While across town, Sidney’s professional life already belongs to her parents. She’s an attorney at her father’s law firm and she works tirelessly to keep her love life private. If she brings her lawyer boyfriend to their annual Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have the wedding planned by New Year’s Eve. 

A mutual friend playfully suggests they trade boyfriends for the holidays. The women share a laugh, but after copious amounts of wine, decide The Boyfriend Swap could be the perfect solution. This way, Robyn can show off her stable attorney boyfriend and Sidney’s high-society family will take no interest in her flakey actor beau.

It’s a brilliant plan—in theory. In practice—not so much. When Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years, and Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe, one thing is certain: The Boyfriend Swap might just change their lives forever.

Kritters Thoughts:  Robyn and Sidney end up at a happy hour/party of sorts and after a few adult beverages they are complaining about the upcoming holidays and how their families will react to their current boyfriends when they realize that they are dating what they think their families will see as their ideal, so why not swap for the holidays!

I loved the concept, it was so fun and I loved the execution!  Robyn and Sidney were just entertaining and I loved their reasoning for how their families will not approve of their partners and how a quick swap could make the holidays so much better for both.  I loved the twist that Robyn ends up knowing Will (not a spoiler its in the synopsis) and that adds some extra tension which I liked.  I also loved seeing Sidney be challenged by Perry Robyn's boyfriend and learning a lot about herself through it all.  

It was just a fun ride and perfect to get the holiday season started!  With it being just under 300 pages and easy to get into and a quick read, I would completely recommend adding it to your ereader for the holiday season.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 53 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  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 First Husband by Laura Dave

The First Husband

by Laura Dave

Publisher: Viking

Pages: 246

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Annie Adams is days away from her thirty-second birthday and thinks she has finally found some happiness. She visits the world's most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she's happily cohabiting with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka "futures counselor") and announces that he's taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered. Reeling, Annie stumbles into her neighborhood bar and finds Griffin-a grounded, charming chef who seems to be everything Annie didn't know she was looking for. Within three months, Griffin is Annie's husband and Annie finds herself trying to restart her life in rural Massachusetts.


Kritters Thoughts:  The First Husband by Laura Dave centers around Annie Adams as her relationship is falling apart and she is trying to decide what is next for her life.  In walks another man and after a quick courtship she follows him to Massachusetts to start a new life, but is she just running and running or headed in a good direction for her life.  

I have read a few books by Laura Dave and have absolutely adored every one of them and when I saw that a new one was coming out I was excited to try to finish the backlist, I still have a few more to go, but one less on the to do list.  I have to say that this wasn't my favorite one of hers, I just couldn't enjoy Annie's journey because I didn't really enjoy her.  I am basically the same age as her and I know I am in a different space in life, but she just kept acting in an immature way that I couldn't get on her page.

The concept of the book worked for me and the plot was good, it was the characters that didn't sell m on this one.  If you are a reader that can handle a little bit of wishy washy then you may enjoy this one more than me.  

I won't ruin an ending for a book, but I will say that it was satisfying.  I liked where she ended up and felt it was where she was meant to be all along.  So not a complete bust of a book, but not one that I would rave about. 


 Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more (from these characters)

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

A semi quiet week at work and week at home and then the best rainy weekend with minimal plans!  The next two weeks at work and home will be crazy so the reading will be much smaller.
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The First Husband by Laura Dave
Beginning Again by Sarah Pekkanen
The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
A New York Christmas Fairy Tale by Sarah Morgan
The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey
The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Currently Reading:

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Next on the TBR pile:

The Silent Fountain by Victoria Fox

Review: Chocolate for Two by Maria Murnane

Chocolate for Two

by Maria Murnane

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 286

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Waverly Bryson’s life is officially perfect: She’s engaged to her gorgeous boyfriend, Jake; her Honey on Your Mind TV segment is more popular than ever; and Waverly’s Honey Shop is growing by leaps and bounds. What could possibly go wrong? For starters…everything.

This is Waverly, after all, and drama follows her wherever she goes. Why should her trip down the aisle be any different? Now, before she can marry the man of her dreams, she’ll have to go head-to-head with his high-society mother, whose vision for their wedding isn’t exactly meshing with Waverly’s. Adding to the chaos is the impending departure of Paige, Waverly’s very pregnant retail partner; the arrival of her suddenly secretive best friend, Andie; and the meddling of a new TV producer who’s promising to “shake things up.” Suddenly Waverly’s perfect life feels like it’s about to come crashing down…unless the irrepressible Miss Bryson can prove to the world—and to herself—that she really can have it all. 


Kritters Thoughts:  The 4th in a series and as I said yesterday I may say a few spoilerie things, so if you haven't read book 1-3, you may want to stop here and start reading the books!


Waverly in book 3 finds her footing in her professional life and her relationship is moving but maybe not in as stable a place as her work life.  I think this book focuses much more on her relationship and the moves that will be made to solidify it.  Not only does it focus on her relationship, I think it also focuses on her friends relationship statuses also.

I know I stated yesterday that I like a well rounded book that doesn't focus on just the relationship because our lives are a balance of everything, but after reading book 3 with a little more of a focus on her job, I didn't mind this book focusing on her love life.  I think together they make a good pair, I wouldn't like this book without that one!

I loved getting to know Jake more and his family and really seeing how Waverly and Jake's future would be like with his big family and her very small family.  Spoiler alert - they get engaged and start planning a wedding and it was less of a bridezilla and more of a mother-in-lawzilla and I found it hilarious.  Thank goodness I didn't experience this so I could cringe and see the humor in it all!

I wouldn't mind more Waverly books and to continue to see how she does life.


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 51 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  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: Honey on Your Mind by Maria Murnane

Honey on Your Mind

by Maria Murnane

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 308

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  For Waverly Bryson, life is anything but boring! And never is that fact more evident than in Maria Murnane’s delightful third novel about the irrepressible heroine. This time around, Waverly faces a game-changing opportunity: an offer to turn her popular advice column into a regular guest spot on the new TV show Love, Wendy. It could be the break of a lifetime—but for a few not-so-minor details. For starters, Waverly’s acceptance of the job means moving clear across the country, giving up her rent-controlled apartment, and leaving behind her best friends McKenna and Andie. Oh, and there’s the fact that TV host extraordinaire Wendy Davenport is none-too-pleased by the prospect of Waverly usurping her broadcast throne. Then there’s Jake, Waverly’s boyfriend. He’s as crazy about her as ever. His mother, on the other hand? Not so much. 


Kritters Thoughts:  Book 3 in a series and if you haven't read book 1 or 2, then there may be spoiler or two in here, so don't read any further if you want to start at square 1!


We meet Waverly again in this book as she is taking a big leap of faith and moving across the country for a job that she doesn't have a ton of details for.  The one perk for the job is moving to the same coast as her boyfriend as Jake lives in Atlanta.  Will this move help move their relationship forward?  Will this be the big break for her career and her clothing line?  

I love Maria Murnane's writing.  It is easy and has just the right flow.  Even though I had taken a break in between reading book 2 and book 3, it was so easy for me to get right back in and enjoy Waverly's story.  Waverly is just the right amount of fun and sass with being a fictional character but still someone that you would want as a friend.

I also loved the balance of work and romance.  Some stories that revolve around a young woman are unbalanced and either work or romance are the driving force, I loved that Waverly was trying to balance both and she felt passion about both her career and work life and trying to be a good partner in her relationship.  It just felt healthy!

Right as I finished this one, I was excited that I already had book 4 in hand, so tomorrow I will be reviewing book 4 - Chocolate for Two.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 50 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  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.

October 2017

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October was just a nutty month!  With busy weekends and busy weeks, I am completely proud of what I accomplished.  I hope to get a few more books read in November, but November is looking just not if not more nutty, so fingers crossed!

1. Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt
2. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
3. The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
4. Reader, I Married Him by Assorted Authors
5. Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
6. Honey on Your Mind by Maria Murnane
7. Chocolate for Two by Maria Murnane
8. News of the World by Paulette Jiles
9. The Diplomat's Daughter by Karin Tanabe
10. The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff
11. The Other Girl by Pam Jenoff
12. No Way Back by MJ Arlidge
13. Hide and Seek by MJ Arlidge
14. Running Blind by MJ Arlidge
15. The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr
16. Does this Beach Make Me Look Fat? by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
17. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
18. The First Husband by Laura Dave

Total pages read, clicked and flipped:  4,965

Where having I been Reading?:
Upstate New York
Oxford, England
England (2)
New York City, NY (3)
Texas
Poland (2)
California

Happy Halloween 2017!

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Maybe not my favorite holiday, but Happy Halloween!

Review: Hide and Seek by MJ Arlidge

Hide and Seek

by MJ Arlidge

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 416

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Framed for a murder she didn't commit... 

As one of HM Prison Holloway's most high-profile new inmates, Helen Grace has a target on her back and nowhere to hide. She has made a long list of enemies over the course of her career--some are incarcerated within these very walls. When one of Helen's fellow prisoners is found mutilated and murdered in her own locked cell, it's clear that the killer is someone on the inside. 

But time is running out for Helen as she races to expose the person who framed her, and the body count in the prison starts to climb. Helen will need to draw on all her investigative skills and instincts to catch the serial killer behind these murders and discover the truth--unless the killer finds her first.

Kritters Thoughts:  This is book 6 in a series and I will have to warn you that there could be spoilers below because book 5's story line completely informs book 6, so you at the very least would have wanted to read the book before this before you dive into this one and to be very frank, I would start at the beginning.  These books are too good to jump around in the series, you will enjoy the series so much more if you start at the beginning.


Ok.  With that warning in mind, I am going to proceed with my review which could very well have quite a few spoilers and such!

We find Helen Grace in this book in jail for the murders from the previous book in the BDSM community.  This is a completely different setting than any of the other books and having her inside the jail was so so interesting.  

Of course since Helen Grace is in a jail, there are going to be murders in the jail and she is going to have to insert herself and help solve them.  But the added security and inability for her to access information makes this book so different than the rest of the series.  I loved that she was almost handicapped, but was risking it all to try to help solve these murders of her new "friends."

I will always love and adore this series.  The murders are crazy and not for the faint of heart, but the twists and turns are oh so good!!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  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.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

So after a crazy weekend last weekend, I forgot to post this, so this is two weeks worth of reading.  This weekend was nutty also as we were out of town for a wedding.  I am ready for a quiet weekend at home with minimal things on the to do list!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Diplomat's Daughter by Karin Tanabe
The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff
The Other Girl by Pam Jenoff
No Way Back by MJ Arlidge
Running Blind by MJ Arlidge
Hide and Seek by MJ Arlidge
The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr
Does this Beach Make Me Look Fat? by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Currently Reading:

The First Husband by Laura Dave

Next on the TBR pile:

The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay