The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shriner My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Wife in the Photo in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shiner is a exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque coastal town, it’s a tale that transports readers into the lives of her characters. The Details At the heart of the novel is the protagonist. Her mysterious disappearance years earlier continues to haunt her husband and their…
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The Sorority Murder
The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Sorority Murder in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan is a moderately engaging mystery that introduces readers to the secrets and scandals within the sorority world. While the novel has its moments of suspense, it falls short of delivering a truly gripping experience. The Details The central murder mystery within the sorority sets the stage for intrigue, and Brennan successfully captures the essence of the collegiate setting. The characters, though somewhat…
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The Binding Room
The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Binding Room in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I made a big mistake. I read a sequel before reading the first part in a series. This is partly due because I didn’t do my research properly. And partly because I thought it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I skipped the first book. How wrong I was. It appears that I tend to get rather agitated and annoyed when something doesn’t make sense. Skipping an entire book that…
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Good Husbands
Good Husbands: A Novel by Cate Ray My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Good Husbands in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I began reading Good Husbands not knowing anything about it and was hooked by the time I had finished reading the dedication. Seems a little quick and impulsive, I know, but the start was very promising. If it had only stayed that way. Let me explain. Just a little trigger warning. The story deals with sexual assault, specifically rape, overdosing, alcoholism and dementia. The Details Three…
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The Maid
The Maid by Nita Prose My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with an ARC of The Maid in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Maid came to my attention through a Goodreads article, outlining 7 great books hitting the shelves the first week of January 2022. Canadian debut author. The book promises to be a sort of whodunnit mystery with a different type of protagonist. Sign me up! The Details As the reader finds out in the book blurb, the protagonist has difficulty reading social cues and is constantly faced with challenges of…
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You Will Remember Me
You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Mira Books, for providing me with an ARC of You Will Remember Me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I had the pleasure of reading McKinnon’s previous book Sister Dear last year, I believe. So, when I found she had a new story ready to hit the shelf I was quite excited to get my hands on a copy. This is only my second book by McKinnon, but I am starting to sense a theme to her stories, especially the type of atmosphere she…
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Tell No Lies
Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Mira Books, for providing me with an ARC of Tell No Lies in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I love murder mysteries. I mean, give me murder, intrigue, shifty characters, atmosphere and a good setting and I’m all yours. It relaxes me; I feel comforted. It’s weird, I know, but murder mystery stories are incredibly soothing for me. When I read the synopsis of Tell No Lies I thought that this could be a great way to forget about certain very stressful points in life right…
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Danger in Numbers
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham My rating: 1 of 5 stars Danger in Numbers. Thank you to the publisher, Mira Books, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I have been on a little book review hiatus. And the first review I get to write has me staring at my trusted little laptop screen. I don’t know what to say. Well, I do know what to say, I just don’t know how to say it without sounding like a complete jerk. What the heck?! Here it goes: I thought this was really not that good. Wow! Can…
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A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Gist I have known about A Clockwork Orange as long as I can remember. As a literature student ten years ago I meant to read as many popular literary books as I could, but working 20 hours a week, going to school fulltime and being part of the school theatre tech group didn’t leave much spare time. I am slightly ashamed to say that I still have to read many well-known classics to this day. So, how did I come about reading A Clockwork Orange? Well, it’s kind of a long story that includes a very tenacious…
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No One Saw
No One Saw by Beverly Long My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist At the time I decided to read and review No One Saw, I was not familiar with the characters of detectives McKittridge and Morgan or the previous story that did the initial introduction of them. I jumped in with both feet, ready to embark on a mystery story with a police-procedural flair to it. The story accomplished that and yet it didn’t. There was a distinct divide between solving the…
