Emily McIntire: Hooked

Emily McIntire has taken the retelling of a beloved Fairy Tale, Peter Pan, to the dark side:

What if the Fairy Tale had it wrong, that the evil person in the story was actually the good guy. Hook has sought nothing but revenge from Peter, who had ruined his life when he was a young child. The actions that Peter took, caused Hook to turn into the man that he is, dark and depraved. Hook has always sought revenge and when Peter's daughter, Wendy, is spotted in his club he knows he has the perfect way to exact that revenge. But just as his plan is working, Hook's empire begins to crumble he has a trader in his mix, or is it Peter again, realizing that his daughter may be in danger and Wendy isn't sure who she is in a relationship with, a man or a monster names Hook.

I'm all for fairy tale retelling (even though I have only read a few) and this one takes it dark with a retelling of Peter Pan, I totally thought this book would be more of a fantasy read and less of a thriller/dark romance read, but I am okay with that. I liked the little nods that McIntire made to the original story, like pixie dust being the latest drug on the street and the Yacht that Hook lives on was named the Tiger Lily as well as the ticking of the clock plays a major part.

I was pretty hooked (pun intended) on the first half of this book, but somewhere along the way it lost its sparkle. I think that this was due to the fact that I had figured out what was going to happen and there was nothing was set out in the book to question what had figured out. From that point on I found the book predictable and not as entertaining, I mean the beginning of the book start out dark, graphic and murder occurs but these aspect seem less in the second half of the book and Hook is less Hook like.

I enjoyed that McIntire had dual POV, of Wendy and Hook. They are two very different characters with very different POV, yet they complement each other how McIntire has it laid out. 

Wendy was pretty good character and she has some character growth and changes throughout the book but at the same time she chooses to stay blind and refuses to see the red flags that are surrounding her.

Hook is the star of this book. He is a fascinating character and I liked certain aspects that McIntire brough over from the story, like the ticking of the clock sound, that too Hook back to a horrific place. I kind of wish that hook actually had a hook, or no hand with interchangeable appendages to keep it a bit more similar to the story instead of just a hooked knife. Hook is 100% a product from the upbringing that he received and as much as he is dark, gritty, morally gray character you cannot help but feel for him.

This books started out amazing but just seemed lacking in the second half. I really enjoyed Hook as a character and he was my favourite part of the book This book is not for the faint of heart and would be for readers who like their books on the darker side. I know that McIntire has a full series of these dark fairy tale retellings so i may have to try another one and how that it can keep the darkness and pace from beginning to end. So I guess to sum it up I think this book was good but could have been great.

Enjoy!!!

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Stephanie Archer: Behind the Net

Stephane Archer shows that sometimes a Hockey Player can help a Songbird and vice versa: 

All Pippa wanted to do was succeed in the music industry. She knew it would be hard work, but that was her dream. When her Ex crushed her dreams, when his career started to take off, Pippa knew she had to start fresh. But she never thought that she would become the live in assistant not only to an NHL hockey star, but also the guy that she had a crush on in Highschool. Jamie seems to have the typical hockey ego, is extremely hot and grouchy too, but the more that Pippa interacts with him, she realizes just how sweet and protective he is. Pippa knows that nothing will probably come between her and Jamie but she is falling for him and he may break her heart, but it might be worth it.

Alright, this is probably the year that I have read the most contemporary romance books in a very very very long time and I think that Behind the Net would be in my top 2. This is the first book that I have read by Archer and it made me want to run out and try the other books that she has written.

I really enjoyed this book, I was a fan of the storyline, plot points and characters throughout the book. This was an easy read that had drama, but not too much drama, was able to make me laugh out loud at times, and just overall had a good mix of being sweet and steamy.

I liked that this book had dual POV so that we get both Pippa and Jamie's perspective. They are two very different people when it comes to life (very sunshine and grumpy feels) but I think that this complemented the dual POV that Archer decided to have. It was funny to see how they saw different situations and how they chose to act in them. The dynamic between Pippa and Jamie is also awesome i love when they first start living together, there are some funny moments and tense moments that occur.

Jamie is a perfect grumpy guy, who has a heart of gold from the pup he rescues to taking care of his mom and wanting to take care of Pippa too, no matter what form that takes, plus he wants her to succeed in whatever she wants to do, he will support her. He is just an all-around good guy.

I don’t know if it is a spoiler or not but I love that there is not Third act breakup, that is probably one of my biggest pet peeves within the contemporary romance genre. Instead of a third act breakup Archer decided to do the more mature thing and have the main characters talk and work on their relationship so that they can get to their HEA

I picked this book up to take a break from the darker genres that I read and I am so glad that i did. Archer had me invested from the very beginning and I cannot wait to continue on with this series. If you like forced proximity/fake dating and Grumpy/Sunshine, Hockey Romance troupes then you will enjoy this book. 

Enjoy!!!

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Carissa Orlando: The September House

In her debut novel, Carissa Orlando shows that a house can hold on to many things:

Margaret and Hal always wanted a big Victorian house, and once their daughter moves out to go to school, they know that now is their chance to own their dream home. When they purchase the home on Hawthorn Street, they couldn't believe their dreams had come true. However, this home has a dark history that has chosen to stay within except for the month of September, the house weeps blood, the souls trapped inside the house become more present and sometimes violent. This would have most people fleeing for their lives, but not Margaret, this is her house, her home and she will do whatever it takes to ensure it stays that way. But after 4 years, of Septembers Hal cannot take it anymore he wants out, and when he goes missing, their daughter Katherine comes to the house to try and find him.

This book was not as scary as I thought that it would be but it is still the perfect for a spooky read for October (or September) or really anytime of the year. The book is a bit slower that I was expecting as well but it very much comes together with the culmination at the end of the book. I still think about bones crunching and crushing and it makes me cringe. There are points in the book where you really don’t know how it will all play out and I liked the suspense that this created. I think the main part that I did not like was that it was a bit predictable with regards with Hal, I think that it is obvious from the beginning

I loved Margaret as a main character and her ability to not only adapt but accept the pranksters (as she calls them) for what they are, victims of horrible murders and knows that what they are doing in their afterlife is not their or her fault. Even Julian the one that likes to bite, she just knows that is she follows the rules, September will be over, and things get back to relative normalcy. You also feel sorry for why Margaret has had to adapt to any situation that she has been in and why she creates rules that surround her life. She did not have a happy marriage and one that seemed to get worse and worse as time went on. Margaret is for sure the best part of this book

I normally prefer dual POV books as it gives a more rounded story but this having only Margaret’s POV was the right decision. As much as this book is about the house, it is really just as much (or even more) about Margaret. Even though we only have her POV we get to see what she has experienced in the past both within the house and before the house, that give us a greater picture of what she has endured. Also, I was not the biggest fan of the daughter Kathrine, so I'm happy that we did not get her POV.

This was a great debut novel, a great spooky read and an amazing main character. If you are looking for a Gothic type Horror book that I would say is not as dark as a lot out there, pick this one up. I look forward to seeing what Orlando comes out with next.

Enjoy!!!

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Hannah Bonam-Young: Out on a Limb

Hannah Bonam-Young, takes readers on a journey where one night can change everything:

Winnifred "Win" McNulty, does not want to be coddled for her limb difference, she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself with a few minor adjustments. When Bo, a stranger to Win, shows up at a Halloween party and beat her pirate costume, a what is supposed to be a one-night stand occurs. But that one-night stand changes everything. Bo surprisingly wants to be involved in all aspects and to help Win out as much as he can or she'll allow and Win does not know if she can handle this new challenge all by herself. Bo and Win decide to get to know each other just as friends, but as they know things do not always go according to plan.

First I have to say that I really like the pun in the title, I don’t think I have seen a better title for a book in a long time, so well done Bonam-Young.

I do not read a lot of contemporary romance book but I highly recommend this book, it was very wholesome, and it was all about the building of relationship. You know from the premise that a supposed to be one night stand turns into a baby happening, which basically forms the whole basis of the story in trying to build some type of a relationship because baby is coming and they both want to be part of that baby's life

It was really cute how the two of them met, pirates nonetheless and you can see that they are very much drawn to each other right away as they share in their acceptance in the disabilities that they have. Win who has had her's her whole life and Bo, still learning to cope with having his leg amputated. I like that Bonam-Young does not make a "big deal" about the disabilities that each has, they are there and are a part of the people and who they are but it does not overshadow their other characteristic and they are not all about their disability.

Bo is very puppy dog, cinnamon roll, whatever you want to call a good all around guy and super sweet you just have to fall in love with him. Plus, when you hear all that he has faced and how he ended up losing his leg, you realize how much this new possible of a life means to him. Win is just a determined character who charges headfirst in to life, and doesn’t want to ask for help or be coddled, she is doing fine, even when maybe she isn't. You have to love her drive and her wants for the future are amazing and you start to love her as a character as well.

As I said before I have not read that many contemporary romance books, so i wasn’t sure what to expect, many seem to have the third act trope, which I am not a fan of, but I was really happy that this one did not succumb to that.

Fuck me, this book is a little bit of sunshine and I am 100% here for it. I really loved this whole story, from characters to the relationship that Win and Bo try to build together, it just was really solid. Plus Bonam-Young is a Canadian Author so I'm always happy to support Canadian. I know I will be checking out her other books.

Enjoy!!!!

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N.J. Mackay: The Quiet Dead

In the start of a new series N.J. MacKay, when a man confessed to a murder turns out to be innocent:

Hayley DaSilva walks in on a scene that no one should, the murder of her mother, brother, her brother's friend and her youngest brother missing and who was never found. He farther admits to the murder and is convicted and sentenced to life in prison. 15 years later, when a new development is being put in, small bones are dug up from the ground. They belong to Ethan DaSilva, he has finally been found. Hayley now lives in America in a new life, one where no ones knows that her family has been murdered. When she receives the phone call that Ethan has been found, she goes back to England and is forced to face the truth about what happens. DI. Sebastian Locke is assigned to the case and right away, he can tell that the case was not handled well and they were too quick to convict a man and the really murderer is out there. But 15 years has past, can DI Locke finally get justice for the DeSilva family?

I liked that Mackay does not do flashbacks other that what the characters remember, which is not much due to drugs and alcohol consumed at the time. I think that this made it harder to put the evidence together, for both the reader and the investigators in the book, as people are being asked to remember things from 15 years ago. There is never really a clear suspect within the book as the investigators continue their investigation, I enjoyed this, as it kept me on my toes in trying to figure out what happened back then and who has gotten away with murder. I will say I did not have it all figured out, which does not happen very often.

There are dual POV in this book, one of our investigator DI. Sebastian Locke and the only survivor of her family Hayley DeSilva and I did not mind this, but at the same time, I found that Hayley's POV were repetitive at times. She was not able to add much to the investigation, so I found some of her chapters felt slightly like filler chapters. They do make you care for Hayley as a character as you feel really sorry for her for what she has suffered, but that is not the point of the book, the point of the book is to solve what is now a cold case.

You have to admire DI Locke in the book, he is determined and wants everything done right, no matter where the truth may take him. I also like that Mackay took time to make Locke seem like a real person with having some of his family life shown in the book. 

This was a good book and a good start to a series, I really enjoyed the cold case aspect and to me it seemed the investigation was on point. I hope that Sebastian and Lucy work together again, I think they had a good dynamic with each other. I would check out another book in this series.

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Shannon Mayer: Taken by Fate

In the first book in a new series, Shannon Mayer shows what happens when the Veil Falls:

When the Veil fell, humans soon realized that they were no longer at the top of the food chain. The Veil that used to protect them from Werewolves, Vampires, Angels, Demons and the Fae, they are now able to cross over whenever they want. When the humans lost the war, they had to agree to send humans to be sold as slaves a few times a year. Sienna has been running and she knows how not to be caught by the slave runner, until she needs to be. She needs to be sold to the werewolves so that she can find her little adopted brother Jordan and bring him home. But Sienna get bought by a Vampire night for the Harvest Games, one that becomes deadly to survive unless she can find a Vampire to help her, lust after her to survive. But there are political moves going on in the background and death may be immanent. 

This is the first book that I have read by Mayer, and with the cliffhanger that this book has, I know that I will be reading the next book in the series. I found that this book had me hooked from the beginning and i was not expecting that. I really like Sienna as a character from the very beginning she was strong and kind, even to those that she just met and she didn’t take and shit from anyone. I basically got sucked into her story, I would say that the general idea of the Harvest games is very much The Selection but with more deadly consequences and the women are not vying for one guy, but any vampire they can.

While this book is about the human women finding a vampire to eventually take care of them in the Harvest games, I found that this was more of a side story overall, yes it affected some of the scenes and plot of the book but there was so much more going on that I did not mind this aspect (one I think I would normally not enjoy) especially when things get deadly. I was really surprised the amount of the story that was political and almost had a spy aspect to it, from both Sienna and the General's avenues. I was also happy that Mayer decided to have dual POV for this book, as it really rounded out the story.

The world building here is simple and not overly explained or complicated. I do have a few questions about why the veil fell, seems like the vampires do not know either and why when the Werewolves, Vampires, demons, Angles and Fae got together to defeat the humans, it now seems that they are enemies? None of this is really explained, but I found that this does not take away from the overall story and I think will be explained further on.

There is some romance/lusting in the book, but it is a slower burn, which was okay with.

I really enjoyed this book; it was an easy read that I was able to lose myself in. It had both dark and light moments that i think that Mayer blended well. I really like Sienna as a character, she is for sure a highlight of the book for me. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, especially with that cliff hanger.

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Clemence Michallon: The Quiet Tenant

In her debut novel, Clemence Micahllon shows the length a woman will go to, to survive:

Aiden Thomas is seen as a hard-working family man, who is now having to raise his daughter, Cecilia, alone, after his wife passed away from cancer. But Aiden Thomas is not who he seems, every night he visits a woman in the shed, a woman who cannot quite remember what her life was like before, all she knows is that she is alive and if she wants to stay that way she needs to follow the rules. But the rules are about to change, as Aiden's life has changed, her life is about to as well, maybe one that will lead to the opportunity to escape if she can be brave enough, but 5 years of brainwashing, punishment, hurt and fear may have taken that ability away from her, all she really wants to do is make sure that she survives.

Michallon is another debut author that I had the pleasure of reading this year and I think that the first thing that people need to know before reading this book, that is more of a domestic suspense read that a regular serial killer thriller book as most of the main characters are living in a house together, this includes Rachel, the Quiet Tenant. 

I think what this book has in spades is a feeling of suspense, how long will Aiden put up with Rachel, will Rachel find a way out, will Cecilia figure something out or question this women Rachel, and will Emily be able to trust her gut on things. In the same since, since the suspense within the book is drawn out, it can feel slow at times, and not having the plot move forward as fast as one may want it to. It almost become that the chapters featuring Rachel were very the same each time, and i do not know if this was deliberate or not to put emphasis on the life that Rachel has been living in for so long.

You have to admire Rachel for most of the story, even though so of the choices that she makes are frustrating you are somewhat able to understand why she makes them. She has such a high survival instinct that it is insane but at the same time she wants to help Cecilia. Rachel is the one that has survived Aiden and I do not think that this aspect should be overlooked. 

I don’t think that the book needed a POV from Cecilia as I found she didn’t really add much to the story, mainly just talk about Rachel being weird and loving her Dad even though he is strange at times. I think that Emily's POV was interesting, and I do wonder if there was a different twist here or there what would have become of her, I think we all know where Aiden was heading with her but you just don’t know for sure.

I like how there were chapters, even though they were short, where the reader learns how many people that he has killed and how he picked them, lured them and eventually killed them. Some of these "chapters" are longer than other, but they are no more than a page.

This was a good read and overall, I enjoyed the story, plot and how it was presented. I will admit that the book felt slow at times and did not seem to more along, as fast as i would like. For a debut novel I am impressed and i look forward to seeing what Michallon releases next.

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N. E. Davenport: The Blood Trials

In her debut novel and the first book in a duology, N. E. Davenport where one woman bent on revenge can change the entire world:

Ikenna's world has been flipped upside-down, her grandfather and only family left has died and she has been wallowing the last few months in school numbing the pain away. Her grandfather was also the only one who knows her secret, her blood gift that has needed to be kept hidden from birth. When one of her grandfather's best friends tells Ikenna that her grandfather was actually as, she will do anything to find out who was responsible. Bent on revenge she decides to once again pledge to become a Praetorian Guard, the most brutal trail where only a quarter of those who enter survive. The country of Mareen has been at peace for a long time but there are many forces at play and many who do not want Ikenna to survive the trials.

I personally love reading debut novels, I think that when an author decides to put a book out there, their debut is often one of their best and they bring something new to the genre they have chosen write in. So I was extremely surprised to find out that this was Davenport's debut book, it had many things that I love in the fantasy genre and I am personally shocked that this book has not received more hype, especially when it was released last year

Although this book has been stated by some that this is a YA book I would say it is more New Adult as it was fairly dark and a lot of death that in times is described in detail. There is also a lot more politics that occur in the book as well, especially in the latter half of the book. 

I loved Ikenna as a character, even though there were times when you want to hit her, but she felt very real, with real emotions and reactions to what is occurring around her. She has a secret that she has to hide, even from her friends therefore, she is truly alone once her grandfather is dead. Ikenna has a mouth on her and times her anger gets the best of her, but Ikenna has the skills and abilities to back them up, so she is pretty kickass. I found Ikenna's interesting and one we do not see very often, very Kate Daniels like but extra and extreme at times.

Lots and lots of racism and misogyny in this book and while the main lead does not “handle” it well all the time, I mean who would, she is amazing how she navigates through this world. She must prove herself more for not only being black but also a woman and she takes the measure of all those around her both friends and foe.

I think my criticism with this book is that i found it a little predictable, right from the beginning and I am a little bit confused on the world building. I am not completely sure about all the countries involved and why the Mareen are seen as the "best" of the countries, probably just a self-title as they are mainly white people, but as you read farther and farther into the book that does not seem to be the case. I also was confused of all the power that Ikenna's grandfather held and how he was able to hold the peace between so many countries, they say he was good with words, but that alone would not have been enough to hold peace as the way the Mareen treat most people is just horrible 

I really enjoyed this book, it was a lot darker that I thought it was going to be as death and trails is a big part of this book. Ikenna is a character that may be frustrating at times, but still someone you cheer for throughout especially everything that she has to go through. I cannot wait to read the next book in this duology. 

Enjoy!!!!

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Lana Ferguson: The Nanny

In her debut novel Lana Ferguson explores what happens when you finally meet the person you have been “chatting” with online:

Cassie Evans is on the verge on an eviction after losing her job, she has two options: get a new job or bring back her OnlyFans account, something she really does not want to do. When she sees a posting for a live in Nanny position that pays extremely well, she feels like she can get ahead, until she meets her would be employer, Aiden Reid. Aiden is not quite who Cassie thought she would meet for her interview as he is a younger attractive man but Aiden is determined to hire Cassie as she has amazing qualifications. The more that Cassie and Aiden hang out, Cassie son realizes that Aiden is the man who she used to communicate with (and more) on Onlyfans. Cassie doesn’t know what to do, as both them feel the pull towards each other.  

This is the first book that I have read by Ferguson and it was a cute quick read that did have a spicy scene or two thrown in, which may be unexpected with the pretty cute cover. I actually like that this book was more than one would expect, and the relationship between Aiden and Cassie is one that you are invested in right from the beginning.

I feel like this book is very now and on trend with the use of OnlyFans for how they met, and I liked that they had snippets of their interaction at the beginning of each chapter and how they used the site more than just what that site was intended for. I think it would be funny to have a Epilogue about how they finally told Sophie about how they met.

I was not a fan of the third act, I wanted to throw something against the wall. The whole drama in the third act was forced and unnecessary, it just pissed me off. Everything could have been settled with one adult conversation at the hospital and this is it. There was no need to add even more drama to the story.

This was a cute story for the first two third but the third act ruined it for me, I just can't get past the third act break up trope especially when it is something so trivial, the rest of the book was cute and enjoyable but that third act took this book right down for me. I would read another book by Ferguson as I did enjoy the relationship she created here.

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Megan Goldin: Dark Corners

This is the second book in the Rachel Krall series, the first book is The Night Swim and it is an amazing read, but you do not have to read this book in order to read Dark Corners, there are some general references back to The Night Swim but nothing major.

Megan Goldin bring Rachel Krall and her podcast back, but this time Rachel is directly involved in the investigation:

Rachel Krall has made a name for herself with her true crime podcast, and this success has been a blessing but also a curse. She has become a household name, and the last hope for many who are seeking Justice but it has also put a target on her back. Terrance Baily is about to be released from prison, problem is that the local police believe that he is a serial killer. When Terrance gets his first visitor ever, an up-and-coming social media influencer, who then vanishes it is discovered that Rachel's name came up in their interaction. The FBI are at a dead end and want Rachel's help to determine if Terrance had a hand in her disappeared even from behind bars. When a woman's body turns up, Rachel knows that she's no longer there just to get Terrance to talk but to find a murderer as well.

The Night Swim was one of my favourite books of 2020, so i was extremely happy that Goldin decided to bring Rachel Krall back for another one. But I will say that this book is no Night Swim and it took me a bit to get into this book. I think part of the reason is that I wasn’t a fan of Rachel being involved with the actual investigation from the beginning. She has her own way of doing things and what she finds out we are given in her podcast reports a little later in the book. By her being part of the investigation it felt like she was hampered in a way and I much preferred when she was doing her own thing.

I missed the podcast parts in this book, I feel like it had a lot less than the Night Swim.

I'm not the biggest fan of books where we know who the killer is and we are waiting for the main characters to catch up. This takes away the mystery for me and all that is left is how some things are connected together. I will say the evidence pieces that are needed to solve the story are interesting and well thought out, I just wish i didn’t know who the killer was beforehand other than some hints along the way. 

I'm not sure I am the only one, but the relationship seemed forced to me. I mean it did not add anything to the story it was kind of like you're attractive, I'm attractive we should be attractive together. At least Goldin didn't add in a sex scene then i would be done.

I still enjoyed this book, it just did not live up to my expectations. I really enjoy Rachel as a character and her podcast angle is well done, which is why I wanted more of it. I do hope to read more books with Rachel as the main character and what next case she will investigate next.

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Ilona Andrews: Magic Tides & Magic Claims

While this is the start of a new series, you’ll want to read the series this book is based after, starting with Magic Bites. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy you will love this series.

Ilona Andrews brings Kate Daniels back and it turns out she and Curran are not very good at retirement:

Kate and Curran have decide to leave Atlanta behind and start a new life near the water in Wilmington This is supposed to be a fresh start, no pack business, people don’t know who they are, they can just relax and focus on family. But one thing Kate and Curran have never been good at is not helping those who need it and when people need help they are the first to jump into action.

Any time Andrews is going to put out a Kate Daniels book, I know I am going to pick it up. They decided to release two novella’s this year, maybe to test the waters to see if a new spin off series outside of Atlanta would work.  While these books were shorter, I did enjoy reading them back to back and I’m glad that Andrews kept some connection back to Atlanta in the form of some characters.

I think a change of scenery was what this series needed, not only for the characters but also for the storyline to continue. There is only so many times that Kate and crew can save Atlanta without if becoming redundant and let’s face it the last few books did follow a similar formula. There are some similar aspects here, but I think the addition of Conlan makes things different and there are different secondary characters that have come more to the forefront….. hello Kieran, I see you with your Claymore and whit.

I liked that Curran now had a full POV in these books along side Kate. I think readers have wanted this for a long time now and it makes the story more rounded.

My one with was that there would have been a hint of what happened at the end of Blood Heir, some sort of connection/timeline between the two. Though Kate does find out some interesting information.

I’m really hopeful that this will be part 2 of the Kate’s Daniels series and how the second novella ends it certainly feels that way. And I cannot wait to devour new books that feature Kate and Curran. If you enjoyed the first run of this series, you will enjoy this one as well.

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Katherine Centre: Hello Stranger

Katherine Center is back and love isn't blind....just a bit blurry:

Sadie has been on her own for a while now, trying to find her place in the world after the death of her mother when she was a teenager and her father bringing in a stepmother and sister into her life, who made her life a living hell. But things seem to be changing when she is announced as one of the top 10 finalists in a portrait competition. She decided to celebrate and everything changes. She gets diagnosed with face blindness, not something you want to hear when you're a portrait artist and now have a competition coming up. Sadie cannot even see her won face. As she struggles to scope she seems to meet two men, who could not be different from the other, but she feels drawn to both of them even though she has no idea what they look like. Could love really be blurry?

Alright here me out, I both enjoyed and disliked this book at the same time. Firstly, I loved the concept of this book and the idea of Face blindness is one that I have not heard about before and seems slightly terrifying at that, especially in the way that Sadie got it. But man was I not a fan of Sadie most of the time. I found her irritating, immature, and just wanting to punch her at times. I know mean but god just have a simple conversation about the face blindness especially when her and Joe really became more serious. I think that Said was portray younger than her 29 years, I mean she had insta-love with a man she could not see and then created a fantasy in her head about them getting married after one meeting. Just a bit too hard for me to believe a 29 year old would think that way. But I will say once I got to the 80% mark really got me and i was feeling all the emotions.

I liked that this book even had a bad girl, an arch nemesis, if you will for Sadie who is destined to destroy everything positive that she has going in her life. I found it heartbreaking and comical at times the length that her "evil step-sister" would take in order to make Sadie's life a living hell. Anyone else feel a spin off book here for Parker, i feel like that would be a character arc of the century.

To put things simply Joe is just a delightful golden retriever who is simply amazing.

This book tried to have some mystery thrown in on it, or at least I think it tried to with the whole love triangle between Sadie, Joe and the Dr. but i personally thought it was pretty obvious so that why i said Tried. I mean how does a reader not make the connection and then we are stuck waiting for Sadie to figure it out.

So overall just okay for me as I loved the face blindness aspect, evil step-sister and Joe but I just could not love the main character.

Enjoy!!!!

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Alice Feeney: Good Bad Girl

Alice Feeney takes readers on a journey of four women, all who are good but have done some bad deeds:

Everyone has secrets, everyone lies every once in a while, thinking that they had done something for the greater good. But what happens when what you think is right turns out to wrong. Edith is currently living in a nursing home, where she doesn’t want to be, she hates her daughter Clio for putting her there and her nurse Patience is the only individual she now trusts. Patience has been lying to Edith since day one, and part of that is that she has ran away from her mother Freddie for the lies that she has been told. All the women have things they regret, all have secrets and lies that they want to remain hidden, but they are all about to be thrust together in a mystery that spans over 20 years.

I am finding that Feeney is hit or miss for me and I think that the miss part is when she goes more to the domestic suspense side of things, instead of the murder side of things. I am not going to Lie I was boarded for probably 70% of the this book. It was much more about how the people were connected to eat other, which was interesting in a way, but I was able to figure out most of that early on. With this mainly figured out, I wanted to know more about the murder investigation and it seemed odd to me that this investigation was a side point/secondary aspect in the novel. Like why would a murder investigation be left off to the periphery of the plot. I mean this is where the interest really lies as to who killed Joy and Why. And while we do get the answer of this in the end it's just a bit rushed is all.

I think this suffered from a few too many POV as there are four and each one seems to get as much airtime as the last one and all of them in their win way are similar to the last one. I think the only one that was truly interesting was Edith's, with her sharp whit and being from a different generation from the other three characters.

I wasn’t expecting this book to be a domestic suspense one, I wanted it to be the twisty thriller that the premise promised to me. While there are some interesting events that happen in this book, the plot never really focused on the most interesting part. I will read another book by Feeney, i would just try to discern if the book is more murder than domestic.

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