Make Up Reading

5 out  of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of The Night Swim in exchange for an honest review. Am I the only one who loves listening to audio books as a way to relax? For me there is nothing more calming then listening to a good audio book and doing other things like crocheting to feel myself completely relax. What makes that even better? When the book is great and the narrators are super awesome!  Bailey Carr; January LaVoy; Samantha Desz are great narrators that really captured the feel of the novel and the mood of the characters.  The actual story was really awesome as well. I read a really good book by Megan Goldin  (The Escape Room) last year and was blown away by it. I have to say I enjoyed The Night Swim a bit more which surprised  me! I think one of the things I liked so much about this is we followed a true crime podcaster as she decided to dedicate her latest season to a rape trial. ...

A big 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am just going to say that I totally loved this book! Samantha Hayes really knows how to create an atmosphere.This book is set in a small little Village in the UK and you really can picture every detail from the cottage that the Libby, Sean and  their 4 year old daughter live in. The book takes place in the Fall and you can actually FEEL the Fall all around you as you read. Okay, enough of me ranting about how much I enjoyed this! Libby believes she has the perfect life. She lives in an adorable little cottage with a renovated barn that has been turned into a kitchen for her growing catering business. She has a wonderful husband who is a Vet, an adorable little girl and a sweet stepson.  On a chilly October morning things change as she finds a note on her windscreen telling her that her husband is having an affair. It chan...

5 out of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a wonderful Gothic historical fiction that will reel you into this beautiful, chilling world. Set in London 1850, The Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and all of London is excited! Twin sisters Iris and Rose spend much of their time working, They paint and dress expensive China dolls for Mrs. Salter, their laudanum addicted mistress.  Life is rather bleak for the sisters but then Iris meets Louis Frost a fantastic painter and she agrees to pose for him in exchange for painting lessons. Iris desperately wants to be a painter but as a woman she is nit taken seriously. She is a pretty girl, an object for men to gaze at.  Iris then meets Silas, a taxidermist who becomes obsessed with Iris and will do anything to make her his. As the story goes on and Silas' obsession grows the book becomes darker and darker. Thi...

5 out of 5 stars I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballatine books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I have wanted to read a J.P. Delaney book for a long time so I was super excited when Netgalley informed me that I had been approved to read an advanced copy of The Perfect Wife. Let me just say that I was not disappointed in any way! This was in no way, shape or form your typical psychological thriller. It was totally and completely original and I am thrilled that I got read this!   Abbie awakens and has no idea where she is or what happened to her. She is confused but when the man beside her tells her that his name is Tim, that he  is the brains behind a extremely successful tech company and that he is her husband. Abbie thinks she may have been in an accident and as some of her memories start to come back she immediately asks  her husband about their son Danny. Only after she is told that he is fine d...

4 out of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Delacourt for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love a good retelling and this is definitely a good one. This is a retelling of the classic fairy tale "The Twelve  Dancing Princesses".  This is a Gothic retelling of the tale told through the POV of  Annaleigh one of the middle of twelve sisters. The family resides at Highnmoor Manor on an Island and one by one each sister is found dead. Each death more tragic than the last one. Everyone believes that there is a curse upon the family and basically the sisters are just waiting to see who will die next. Annaleigh has gotten to the point that she can't even cry anymore as she continues to lose her sisters. After all of the grief Annaleigh's step Mother suggest they start living again instead of always being in mourning. Annaleigh is not sure that this is something that she wants to do but for the sake of her sisters she d...

I want to thank Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Nat is in a terrible position. She is a broke art student struggling to pay her bills as well as trying to work things out with her two roommates who are not fond of her. One day after class she goes for a drink with the beautiful Ava who seems to be living a great life in NYC while Nat lives in a crowded apartment in Brooklyn Ava lets Nat in on a secret, she is a sugar baby. At first Nat equates sugar baby with prostitution but Ava says you only have to do what you want. You go on this site, meet up and usually get 500 dollars for a drink or coffee date. It's that simple. Nat still is not interested until she loses her job and is informed by her roommates that she owes them money. Desperate she decides to give it a go. When Nat meets Gabe, a divorced Dad of an 18 year old daughter she thinks she has really lucked out.  Gabe is a good 30 years older t...

5 out of 5 stars I would like to thank Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this wonderful thriller. When I saw the title of this novel I knew I would want to read it even before I read the blurb about the book. The book weaves a story between the past told to us by Sarah Hall, a recent graduate who is desperate to get a well paying job in the world of finance so that she can take care of her ailing parents and the present with four coworkers trapped in an elevator escape room.  As the story goes on we find begin to find the breadcrumbs that tell us what exactly Vincent, Sylvie,Sam and Jules did to bring them all here together. As they try to figure out the clues to be freed they begin to figure out that there is something insidious about the escape room. I really enjoyed reading this and often couldn't wait to get back to the novel to find out what would happen next.

4.5 out of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin-Mira publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. When I requested this I didn't know this was part of a series but I am glad I didn't know because I am not sure I would have requested it. I don't think you need to have read anything else in the series to be able to follow this. Keri Wolfe is a Non-Fiction writer has recently joined a paranormal investigation show. The show goes to investigate a haunted inn known for axe murders. As they begin to set up they discover the body of an FBI agent. Are the killings starting all over again? Keri and Joe are likable characters that you will definitely root for. If you like romance,mysteries and ghost stories this one will be for you!

5 out of 5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Adam always thought he, his wife Ulrika and their 18 year old daughter Stella were a pretty normal family. That is until one day in late August  arrested on suspicion of killing Chris Olsen . Adam who is a pastor finds himself question everything he thought he believed in. Told from the point of view from each family member the truth slowly begins to unravel.   Adam who is a pastor finds himself questioning everything he thought he believed in. Told from the point of view from each family member the truth slowly begins to unravel. Stella has never been your average child, she is the type of girl that lives life by her own rules. Yes, she has been a bit wild but could she ever kill someone? Adam certainly doesn't believe she could do something like that. While Adam sets out to prove Stella's  innocence, Ulrika does everything t...

I would like to thank Atria Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Blanche Potter is an acclaimed documentary film maker but she also happens to be the daughter of cult leader Chuck Varner. In 1996 when Blanche was a child he took her to a mall and told her to go find her Mother, began to shoot up the mall and ultimately turned  the gun on himself. After Blanche's mother is murdered she must return home and face the demons she has been running from for years. I really am a huge fan of psychological thrillers and though I went into this novel expecting to fall in love but I ended up just walking away entertained. I really enjoyed the writing style of Nathan Ripley but there is just something about this book that didn't hook me the way I wanted. Blanche was fine as a character but I really didn't care for her the way that I wanted to.  I would say that this is much more of a slow burn kind of novel. I ...

5.5 Stars First off I would like to thank Net Galley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first novel that I have read by Wendy Walker and I really, really enjoyed this book!  Just twelve hours ago Laura was excited to be going on a date with a man she met on the dating app Findlove.com. Johnathan Fields seems like a pretty perfect match for her, handsome,intelligent and nice. Now she is missing and her sister Rosie is determined to find her before it's too late. Told in three perspectives Laura's first person starting twelve hours ago and working slowly the towards present. Rosie's third person starting from the moment she realizes that Laura is missing and notes from Laura's session with her psychiatrist. The novel hooked me from the start. I must say that the Laura parts of this book read like a play to me. I could picture every scene between Laura and Johnathon as if it was o...

5 out of 5 stars First off I would like to thank Netgalley and  St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review. To be honest when I first started reading this I was not sure how I was going to  like this because I was expecting this to be more of a psychological thriller but this is more of a family drama, mystery. I needn't worry though as I was hooked almost immediately.   The story is told through the POV of Mother-In-Law Diana and Daughter-In-Law Lucy. Told in past and present Lucy and Diana lure you in with their story. You find yourself understanding each woman more and more as the story goes on and your heart breaks as the women's relationship is pulled apart because of misunderstanding. I did not agree with most of Diana's choices but I understood why she made many of them. As I said this is definitely more of a family drama with a mystery thrown in. I do think you will be able to figure out the guilty part...

5 out of 5 Stars First I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.  Meghan went from a happy, healthy and athletic girl to weak sick ghost of her former self almost overnight. Her Mother Becky believes that there is something terribly wrong with Meghan but the doctors can't seem to figure out what it is. There are too many symptoms that are pointing in too many directions. One day Meghan's Father , Carl finally has a suggestion, maybe Meghan has something called Mitochondrial disease. A friend of his suggested it as the disease has a different symptoms for each and everyone person. It is a very hard disease to diagnose. Luckily his friend knows a doctor who specializes in it.  Becky is thrilled with the idea that they may finally have an answer and she is thrilled to meet Dr. Zach Fisher.  Though Dr. Fisher believes she does have Mito when Meghan starts to exhibit new ...

I would like to thank Netgalley,Harlequin for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this fun thriller in exchange for an  honest review. 4.75 Stars Juliette knows that she and Nate were truly meant to be. She also knows that she is the absolutely the most perfect girlfriend to ever exist. The only problem? Nate broke up with Juliette a while ago. Juliette is a go getter though. The way she sees it there is no reason for her to just give up on the most perfect relationship ever. Why should she let a little thing like a break up stand in the way of true love? So Juliette sets out to get Nate back. She goes as far as to train to become an airline attendant at the same airline that Nate is a pilot. Juliette is your worse nightmare, she is smart, sneaky and able to change persona at the drop of a hat.  Let's just say that Juliette definitely would give Dan from "You" a run for his money. I would definitely have given this 5 stars if it had not taken so long to get thin...

3.5 Stars First  off I would like to thank Netgalley and  Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel for a fair and honest review. Leigh Huyett and Pete Conley are the perfect couple with the perfect blended family until tragedy strikes leading to the death of fourteen year old Chrissy, Leigh's daughter and the glue that holds the family together.  At first they are told by both Chrissy and Kip that he was behind the wheel but after the funeral and Kip getting arrested for the death of his stepsister he confesses that it was not him driving but instead it was Chrissy behind the wheel. Leigh just doesn't buy the story Kip is telling. There is no way that Chrissy would lie about something so important.  Kip explains that because he was drunk and slightly high, that Chrissy  refused to let him drive. After the accident they changed seats and he took the blame. From there the family completely falls apart. I feel that Bonnie Kistler did...

4.75 stars Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review. The first book in The Searchers series is a definite must read.  FBI agent Elsa Meyers has not had an easy life and things are not getting any easier as she tries to deal with the impending death of her Father.  When a teenage girl named Ruby from Forest Hills goes missing Elas is on the case. As the hours tick by she knows that the chances are getting slimmer that Ruby will be found. Can she find the girl before its too late? The mystery/thriller part of this novel is well written but the best part of the novel is Elsa herself. She is an interesting and flawed character that you find yourself rooting for.  I am definitely interested in spending more time with her.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martins Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 5 Stars! So far this has been a very good reading year with many really good books and this was a great one! Chloe wakes up from a month long coma after being in a horrendous car crash. Suffering from a bleed on her brain she has no real memory of what happened and worse, she has no memory of anyone in her life. Gloe is released to the custody of her family but she doesn't know who to trust. She feels trapped in her parents estate with the locked gates and isolation. Her Father who happens to be a renowned psychiatrist insists on treating her memory loss in his own way and though she is slowly getting her memory back she does not feel comfortable with the way he is treating her. I mean really who would feel comfortable being treated by their Father in this way? She does not trust him and as her distrust grows she finds herself trusting  her Mo...

3.75 stars I would first like to thank Netgalley and Park Row Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. We first meet Maddie as a desperate voice at one end of a 911 call.  As the story progresses we bounce back and forth between Maddie's first person POV to the third person POVs of her husband Ian and the first responding officer to the 911 call. Told from the early 2000's to present day we follow the complicated relationship of Maddie,Ian and her best friend Joanna all over the world. As we begin to fit the puzzle pieces together to discover what happened we also have a countdown to the event starting ten weeks prior. There is a lot of strong parts to the book. I loved the countdown, seeing what was happening in Maddie's life as she worked through the repercussions of an accident that has left half of her face scarred and her memories of the night that it happened blurry at best. Suffering from a brain injury sh...

3.5 Stars Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for allowing to to read an advanced copy of this novel for a fair and honest review. I didn't know that this was the second book in a series (The first being "Cold Day in Hell") when I requested it but, I really don't think it hindered my enjoyment of the book as Redmond gives us plenty of backstory and she does it in a way that was not intrusive or boring. I never felt lost during any point in the book. We kick right into the story as Lauren, a Cold Case detective is stabbed within the first few pages of the book. She has no idea who stabbed her but she does know one thing, it was a cop as she recognized department issued boots right before she faded out. when Lauren awakens she informs her partner Reese and the detectives working her case that she knows it was someone from the force. The only other clue to why Lauren was stabbed is the missing murder book which contains all of the information for the cold case ...

5 out of 5 stars First I want to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. The more books I read by Teresa Driscoll the more I enjoy her writing and this was no exception. The first book I read by her was "I am watching you" and I really enjoyed it. I just finished the audio version of "The Friend" and really enjoyed it. "The Promise" was just as good even though it had a different feel. Sally, Beth and Carol, three best friends living in a catholic boarding school made a promise to keep a secret just between them forever. A secret so dark that has haunted them for life.  Now grown woman Carol has completely distanced herself from Sally and Beth to the point that they can't even find her. Sally and Beth however have grown closer So close that they are practically codependent. When news comes that the school is being demolished they are afraid that their secret w...