Holy cow! This prologue is explosive and and jumps right into the brutal details! And the tension stays To be released just before Valentine’s Day!!
Holy cow! This prologue is explosive and and jumps right into the brutal details! And the tension stays elevated through the entire book. Loved it!
“I’m not a monster. But I do kill people, have been for more than two decades. Mostly, I’m doing the world a favor.”
This is Book #1 in a new series from Jenna Kernan. I almost skipped over this one, because I’m not a fan of series. Some of them go on forever, plus you have the wait between book releases...too much stress, lol. And I already have so many books on my TBR list. So glad I didn’t!
Dr. Finch is a forensic psychologist, who happens to have a serial killer for a mother. Although this isn’t common knowledge among her coworkers. She’s changed her name and worked very hard to keep her personal history a secret. But someone knows, and is threatening to expose her...someone she works with.
Ms. Kernan’s comparison to Karin Slaughter is spot on! This thriller is excellently written...but vivid, grisly and descriptive. Reader beware!
There was a touch of romance between the two main characters, but nothing overly mushy. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Dr. Finch and Detective Demko!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up) Published: February 11th 2021 by Bookouture Pages: 397 Recommend: Yes
Holy cow! This prologue is explosive and and jumps right into the brutal details! And the tension stays elevated through the entire book. Loved it!
“I’m not a monster. But I do kill people, have been for more than two decades. Mostly, I’m doing the world a favor.”
This is Book #1 in a new series from Jenna Kernan. I almost skipped over this one, because I’m not a fan of series. Some of them go on forever, plus you have the wait between book releases...too much stress, lol. And I already have so many books on my TBR list. So glad I didn’t!
Dr. Finch is a forensic psychologist, who happens to have a serial killer for a mother. Although this isn’t common knowledge among her coworkers. She’s changed her name and worked very hard to keep her personal history a secret. But someone knows, and is threatening to expose her...someone she works with.
Ms. Kernan’s comparison to Karin Slaughter is spot on! This thriller is excellently written...but vivid, grisly and descriptive. Reader beware!
There was a touch of romance between the two main characters, but nothing overly mushy. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Dr. Finch and Detective Demko!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jenna Kernan and Bookouture for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up) Published: February 11th 2021 by Bookouture Pages: 397 Recommend: Yes
Ten years ago, Bridget Wilson thought her own life was over when her eighteen-year-old son, Jesse, was killed by a single punch issued by his best Ten years ago, Bridget Wilson thought her own life was over when her eighteen-year-old son, Jesse, was killed by a single punch issued by his best friend, Tom Billinghurst, also eighteen. Six months ago, Bridget and Tom secretly married in a special ceremony at HMP Nottingham, and now Jesse’s killer is her husband.
Wow...It's hard to believe anyone could fall in love with the person who killed their son. This domestic thriller follows the complex situation and is filled with enough twists to make your head spin. I thought I had the storyline figured out. Nope! Once the secrets start surfacing, it is a wild ride.
I’m a fan of Ms. Slater and was drawn to the cover and the outrageous synopsis. I'm glad I stuck through the sluggish beginning because once the pace picked up it was hard to put down.
The story follows numerous characters, along with jumping between the past and present, but flows pretty smoothly between POV’s once you become familiar with all the personalities.
By all rights, Jesse’s death seems like a tragic accident. But Tom still gets sentenced to 10 years in prison. During his sentence, he enters the Restorative Justice program; thus spending a lot of time with Jesse’s mother.
During their time together, they somehow fall in love and end up married just before he completes his sentence...despite the expected backlash from their families.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Ms. Slater for the opportunity to read this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s Published: May 20th 2021 by Bookouture Pages: 356 Recommend: Absolutely!
Ten years ago, Bridget Wilson thought her own life was over when her eighteen-year-old son, Jesse, was killed by a single punch issued by his best friend, Tom Billinghurst, also eighteen. Six months ago, Bridget and Tom secretly married in a special ceremony at HMP Nottingham, and now Jesse’s killer is her husband.
Wow...It's hard to believe anyone could fall in love with the person who killed their son. This domestic thriller follows the complex situation and is filled with enough twists to make your head spin. I thought I had the storyline figured out. Nope! Once the secrets start surfacing, it is a wild ride.
I’m a fan of Ms. Slater and was drawn to the cover and the outrageous synopsis. I'm glad I stuck through the sluggish beginning because once the pace picked up it was hard to put down.
The story follows numerous characters, along with jumping between the past and present, but flows pretty smoothly between POV’s once you become familiar with all the personalities.
By all rights, Jesse’s death seems like a tragic accident. But Tom still gets sentenced to 10 years in prison. During his sentence, he enters the Restorative Justice program; thus spending a lot of time with Jesse’s mother.
During their time together, they somehow fall in love and end up married just before he completes his sentence...despite the expected backlash from their families.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Ms. Slater for the opportunity to read this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s Published: May 20th 2021 by Bookouture Pages: 356 Recommend: Absolutely!
This is an intriguing must-read! Several things drew me to my latest thriller by Marie Rutkoski. I’ve never read or heard of her before and I love tryThis is an intriguing must-read! Several things drew me to my latest thriller by Marie Rutkoski. I’ve never read or heard of her before and I love trying new authors; the location, I lived in a suburb of Chicago; the fact that the author wrote on personal experience; and the awesome cover. Who couldn’t love that cover!?
Samantha is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve read about in a long time. She doesn’t have an easy life, but she’s grateful for what she has, and she is a remarkable stepmother to Rosie.
The story is very character-driven and pulled me into the lives of these strippers immediately. And, of course, the serial killer helped, also. The only part I didn’t thoroughly enjoy was that it made me teary-eyed. Thrillers are not supposed to make you weepy, haha. But the story is perfect and I wouldn’t want it to end any other way.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was wonderful. It included an interview between the narrator and author at the end that readers need to listen to. It explains how the author chose the title and is quite interesting.
A great book to wind down from 2021!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.
“The truth was, the past hadn’t made me a victim like everyone thought; I think it made me a monster.”
So many twists, I can't count them all! I wa“The truth was, the past hadn’t made me a victim like everyone thought; I think it made me a monster.”
So many twists, I can't count them all! I was excited to grab another opportunity to listen to a Kiersten Modglin audiobook and I wasn't sorry. KMod’s edge-of-your-seat thrillers never disappoint. After reading the first part of the synopsis, I couldn't pass this one up:
“Five years ago, the residents of the Gerbera subdivision in the small town of Fallen Oaks were brutally murdered in their beds. The only survivors, now called The Fallen Oaks Five, were children—practically strangers at the time, forever connected by the weight of all they witnessed”
I love captivating and thrilling first chapters and this one is a doozy! It's so suspenseful, it will take your breath away! You literally can't stop reading.
They are The Fallen Oaks Five and they are survivors. Physically, anyway. Their entire subdivision was slaughtered, except for these resilient five children that managed to escape. Leaving their families behind to face the monsters that came in the night.
Five years later and someone thinks it's their turn.
”Two little daisies, ready to pluck. We're coming for you, daisies, don't count on your luck.”
Sincere thanks to OrangeSky Audio for providing this audiobook through NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
The description for this book sounded incredible and I thought it would be amazing as an audiobook. The narration was great and the story wasn’t bad, The description for this book sounded incredible and I thought it would be amazing as an audiobook. The narration was great and the story wasn’t bad, but unfortunately it wasn’t what I expected....more
A...M...A...Z...I...N…G!! This was a dark and disturbing psychological thriller, and I loved every page! I’ve only read three of Whelan’s books, but tA...M...A...Z...I...N…G!! This was a dark and disturbing psychological thriller, and I loved every page! I’ve only read three of Whelan’s books, but they’ve all been 5-star-reads and I was addicted after the first one. I automatically request her upcoming books as soon as I see them on NetGalley, without reading the synopsis. She’s that good!
The book starts off with the violent murder of a mini cow named George. I know…I hate animal abuse and murder, too. It also contains scenes of rape and humiliation. If this one is too disturbing for you, try one of her others. She’s an excellent author that I highly recommend!
Jennifer is an influencer, and her life sounds amazing. She’s recently divorced, has three children and a new boyfriend that just moved in with her and her kids. Tyler is younger than her and still living with his mother when they started dating. I wasn’t a big fan. He’s trying to impress her and the kids, and show off for the ex-husband, so he plans a long weekend away for the family. Four days in Montana spent in a secluded yurt, with no phone service or internet. No one is particularly excited about the trip, especially since Tyler is not a skilled outdoorsman.
I don’t think this trip could have turned out any worse. I’m not a big fan of camping. I like my luxuries…a warm shower, comfy bed, running water, etc. After reading this, I don’t know if I’d feel safe in a secluded cabin, even with all the amenities of home!!
The excitement starts early and the tension stays high the entire time. And....WOW....that ending! What a shocker!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Burbank Books and A.B. Whelan. I received an ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The simple, but sleek, cover caught my eye, and my quick glance at the blurb sealed the deal on this one. It wasn’t exactly a creepy read, but it’s anThe simple, but sleek, cover caught my eye, and my quick glance at the blurb sealed the deal on this one. It wasn’t exactly a creepy read, but it’s an ARC that publishes Nov 3, 2021, so I needed to squeeze it in.
I started by reading this one on my kindle and finished up by listening to the audiobook. The kindle read was a little slow-going for me. There were some lulls and it was hard to stay focused at times. I’m so happy I was able to get the audiobook from #NetGalley. Once I started listening to the audio, I had the book finished up in no time. I’ve found it’s usually easier to relate to the characters when I hear their voice! I recommend the audio version of this one.
Lily takes on more than she bargained for after taking a private tutoring job. Within months she’s married to her employer, living in a gorgeous house, with no money worries. Edward is a handsome widower, but I found him creepy and unlikeable! Although her new stepson is adorable, he’s also very anxious. Noah has secrets that he shares with Lily, but he keeps them from everyone else, including his father. I liked Lily but was irritated with the way she handled this situation.
Huge thanks to #netgalley / #bookouture / #jessryder for this ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
These eight words had my imagination reaching for all kinds of scenarios and twists! Each time a new mystery was solved, it lead to more questions. ThThese eight words had my imagination reaching for all kinds of scenarios and twists! Each time a new mystery was solved, it lead to more questions. The author did a terrific job of keeping the tension high, and throwing in some wicked twists!
Wayland comes home early from school one day and watches his father commit suicide. Afterward, he finds a note that says “I am not who you think I am”. He keeps the note and doesn’t tell anyone about it until years later when he starts to suspect that the man who killed himself may not have been his father. The event has replayed itself in his head so many times he can’t forget it until he finds some answers.
This is a highly-twisted audiobook that I strongly recommend.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s Published: Oct 5, 2021 Audio: 7 hours 55 minutes Recommend: Yes
”The boy who cried wolf, Lily thought again. But again, there was no wolf. Not here, at least.”
I’ve only read one other book by this author, but it wa”The boy who cried wolf, Lily thought again. But again, there was no wolf. Not here, at least.”
I’ve only read one other book by this author, but it was so impressive that I had to try another. And this one didn’t disappoint, with its lovely cover! It’s well-written and full of unpredictable surprises. I alternated between the audiobook and the Kindle version, so I got the best of both worlds on this one!
Lily and Greer are a team. Lily is the talent. An award-winning journalist. Her fans and the camera love her. Greer is her producer. She’s content to be in the background, rather than the spotlight. Or is she?
When Lily was seven, her older sister disappeared and was never seen again. This is a secret she doesn’t share with her fans or coworkers. And she secretly hopes that one day she will be reunited with Cassie.
There are three POV’s and all three are equally as engaging. Lily tells us about her life from her perspective. Nothing is as perfect as it seems on the outside. She’s made her share of questionable choices that she tries to keep private.
Greer describes how she interprets their partnership and Lily’s fame. In public, she’s more than happy to let Lily take the spotlight and stand back in her shadow. But privately, she’s full of resentment and maybe some jealousy.
Cassie gives us an account of the past, leading up to her disappearance. She was a flaky, naive, and trusting college student, who encountered the wrong people and made bad choices. Don’t we all think we’re invincible at that age?
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, Macmillan Audio, and Forge Books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s Published: September 14th 2021 by Forge Books Pages: 304 Audio: 11 hours Recommend: Yes
Julie (JuJu)
>
Books:
2021-reads
(114)
