Novel but Nice

When Never Comes by Barbara Davis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes learning to let yourself be happy is the hardest lesson of all… Though the premise of this book may sounds like it veers towards thriller, it is anything but that—in a good way! Davis’s When Never Comes is a beautiful story of resilience, finding yourself, and learning to be open to happiness. It’s a story about a woman who ran away or hid her entire life, until she was forced out of hiding. This book is an incredible addition to Women’s Fiction in 2018. I think many readers will find this story to be a starting point to reflect on their own lives and identify the ghosts we all have following us around. Christine lives an enviable life… Married to handsome, charismatic, best-selling author Stephen Ludlow, book-editor Christine has the perfect marriage. They live in the very house one of Stephen’s books was filmed in for the movie-adaptation. They have no children (by choice), and Christine ...

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger My rating: 4 of 5 stars Everyone’s favorite ex-assistant Emily Charlton is back and just as sassy and confident as ever!! If any character deserved their own book, Emily would be among the top on my list! This book is positively delightful, and introduces two new co-leading ladies who are the perfect complement to Emily. Lauren Weisberger sure knows how to write a trendy book with surprisingly deep social commentary on the insecurity underlying all of the glitz, glamour, and money without being overly critical of anyone who subscribes to that lifestyle. I absolutely had a blast reading this book, and I think other readers—whether new to Weisberger or long-time fans—will feel the same way! Emily Charlton now has her own assistant to boss around... Emily has found her way into a career that perfectly capitalizes on her mix of taste, elegance, and ball-busting working as an image consultant to celebrities. Emi...

Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman My rating: 5 of 5 stars A slow build to a shocking discovery, this book will have you wondering what you would do!!! What an incredible debut novel this is for Catherine Steadman! While the book starts with a bang, the next 30% is a slow build as you get to know the characters. Then at about 35% the story takes a turn and readers will find themselves holding on for the ride, unsure of where they’ll end up!!! I was unsure about this book at first, but I have to say I ended up really enjoying it and found it to be a tantalizing premise for a story. I don’t even know what I’d compare this book to… Its really quite unique from other psychological thrillers, though I’m sure some comparisons (Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins) are bound to come up. I don’t want to make those though because I don’t think readers should go into this book expecting something similar to what they’ve already read. Enjoy this one on it’s own merit! Eri...

Every Single Secret by Emily Carpenter My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one twisty-WTF--suspense novel that is full of secrets and will have you questioning everything!!! Emily Carpenter is a new-to-me author and I’m so glad I was given an opportunity to read and review this book! This was a Traveling Sisters read and though everyone had a slightly different take on it, we all felt the ending was a WOW moment! This book takes a few chapters to get into, because the character dynamics are untraditional. But once you’re in, prepare to be questioning everything and everyone in a slow-building suspense novel with a thrilling conclusion! Daphne has finally found her own person to call her family… Daphne was raised in foster homes and a girls’ ranch, and has had no family to speak of her whole life. But Daphne is a survivor—strong and intelligent, and scrappy as all-get-out. When she met Heath, she instantly knew she had found her partner. Heath and Daphne fell ha...

Last Girl Gone by J.G. Hetherton My rating: 4 of 5 stars A fantastic debut novel and an exciting start to a new series! I am drawn to books with a journalist as the lead (perhaps related to the fact that my grandfather was a notable journalist) because I think journalists are a great mix of detective and every-day person—and isn’t that all of our dream?? Laura Chambers is the lead character in what has been promised as a new series (they are calling this Laura Chambers #1 so I made the assumption) and she is a truly wonderful lead. She’s bold, uninhibited, vulnerable, driven, and empathetic. Just a truly wonderful mix of traits and Laura is a character I really connected with! I thought I’d enjoy this book, but it surpassed me expectations! Laura Chambers is down on her luck... Laura is back in her hometown in Hillsborough, North Carolina—a town she hoped she had left behind for good after high school. Working for the local paper is a big setback for Laura’s...

Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton My rating: 4 of 5 stars A beautiful, haunting story of friendship and what happens when that friendship is put to the test. A must-read for women of all ages!!! Girls’ Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is a gripping tale of friendship and the cracks that form over time. This book reminds me a bit of what makes Liane Moriarty successful—it’s a deep character study of women and their lives both separate to and in relation to one another, and with a dash of suspense. Readers will find themselves turning the pages, wanting to find out the hidden secrets of these three women that will answer the question, what happened to their friendship?? From the outside Ashley has everything a girl could want —a handsome husband, two lovely daughters, a successful business, a 7,000 square-foot home in California, stunning good looks, and a magnetic personality. But these things that Ashley has that make her enviable also make it hard fo...

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney My rating: 5 of 5 stars The parallel plot lines make this book a suspenseful masterpiece! I couldn’t wait to see what happened next! The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney is an absolutely fantastic read. I took a break from my ARC reviews to get back to this one, which I had purchased months ago but not had a chance to read yet. With Delaney having a new book out in the fall, I wanted to get a feel for his (I researched this, and was pleasantly surprised to find that J. P. is a male because the female characters are written so authentically) writing before it came out. I absolutely loved this book! The parallel plots and varying chapter lengths were so well done. I was captivated by both story lines and I couldn’t wait to get back to each one. Neither felt like it was taking precedence over the other, which is quite a feat! Excerpt In my art history degree course, we did a module on palimpsests—medieval sheets of parchment so costly t...

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book had me completely hooked from page one! I have to give this 5 glowing stars for Ruth Ware—who if I’m being honest never disappoints me! This book was positively haunting!!! It was spooky yet meaningful, with lovely prose and compelling plot twists. I cannot recommend it enough! I finished this book last night. It was one of those books that I stayed up late on a work night to finish, because I was so invested in the story. Hal’s dilemma had me completely immersed in the book. I think most readers will find themselves wondering what they would do if they were in Hal’s position! One thing that Ruth Ware does so well in this book (and in her previous work) is to write about characters that are cut off from society in some way. Sometimes this is done through a setting or an experience, and other times it is done through their social predicament. Hal fell into the latter category, with a dash of ...

Lethally Blond by Kate White My rating: 4 of 5 stars Gosh, do I love a Bailey Weggins Mystery! If you've never read Kate White's Bailey Weggins series, I've heard them referred to as Cosmo Girl meets Nancy Drew. Fitting, since the author is the former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. I absolutely love these books. They are fun, light-hearted, and usually have some good twists to them. This one was enjoyable for me, and could absolutely be read on its own (though the character develops across books, so it is also nice to read these in order). It doesn't spoil any of the previous books in the series, so a reader could dive in to this one as a solo book. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) Lethally Blond picks up with our heroine Bailey Weggins still working for Buzz Magazine. Buzz is sort of a celebrity gossip magazine, and Bailey writes about celebrity crimes. But now Bailey is about to find herself involved in a celebrity murder case that hits very close...

The Advice Column Murders by Leslie Nagel My rating: 4 of 5 stars What an adorable cozy mystery! A perfect weekend read :) I enjoyed this book immensely! One of my favorite aspects of this genre (the cozy mystery genre), is that you get the mix of the mystery/detective work, with this running commentary of the quirky lives of the town's residents. I actually discovered in the end of the epilogue that the author, Leslie Nagel, is from a real town of Oakwood, OH. Though there are likely less murders in the real Oakwood, I fell completely in love with this town, and Nagel's true experiences are why this town felt so authentic. This book made me want to live in that sweet town, with it's wacky residents and sweet hometown newpaper! Leslie Nagel's The Advice Column Murders is actually the third in her Oakwood Mystery series. I haven't read the first two, but any reader can absolutely go into this book as a standalone. At first I felt a bit thrust i...

I Know Where You Live by Pat Young My rating: 4 of 5 stars A fast, thrilling read! I just finished I Know Where You Live by Pat Young and I enjoyed this book so much! This book is a very plot-driven, quick read. Once I started, I had a hard time putting the book down because there truly weren't any slow points where I was waiting for the story to move forward. The pace of this story is quick and engaging. Also, I found out after I started this book that it actually involves a partial follow-on to a story told in a previous book. I worried that since I didn't read the first book, I may not understand some of the plot points--but that wasn't the case at all! This book really isn't a sequel. It stands completely on its own as a novel, and the events from the other book--though related--aren't really the point of this book. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) This novel tells the story of Penny and her husband Seth. They live in Texas, but decide to m...

Silent Lies by Kathryn Croft My rating: 5 of 5 stars My first Kathryn Croft book (but not my last)! This is my first Kathryn Croft book, and I enjoyed it so much. I had seen a few of my Goodreads favorite reviewers post about it in the fall around publication, and I ordered it from Amazon right away. It went into my growing stack of books to read, and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. The pacing of this book is good, I didn't have parts that felt slow or too drawn out, which surprised me with the changes in time and perspective. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) 5 years ago... Mia's husband Zach is a college professor who teaches writing. They have an adorable daughter, Freya, and seem happy. But then, to Mia's surprise, Zach commits suicide. His body is found in the apartment of one of his college students, and the student has gone missing. The public goes after Mia, they know her husband is to blame for the girl's disappearance, and without hi...

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers by Louise Candlish My rating: 3 of 5 stars A long book with a fascinating premise. I'd give The Sudden Departure of the Frasers 3.5 solid stars. This was such a well-written novel. My biggest reason for not giving it more stars was that the length of it was honestly a bit too long. There was a long stretch in the middle that was good, but not a lot was happening or revealed and it could have been shorter. That said, I absolutely loved the book! Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) Two women, one house, one year apart... The story centers around a house--or really, it centers around a suburban street. In the best house on the most quaint block, two sets of tenants living their one year apart are mysteriously unsettled... The story changes back and forth in narration between Christy Davenport (the current occupant of the house) and Amber Fraser (the former occupant of the house). Christy and her husband Joe get the deal of a lifeti...

Exquisite by Sarah Stovell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Go in knowing little, and you'll be pleasantly surprised! I must admit that when I read reviews that say the less I know about the book, the better, I find them to be frustrating. Sometimes I want a bit more than what the blurb says, and my favorite reviewers are the ones who are able to pull me into the book with more detail, and still avoid spoiling anything major. Now that I've read Exquisite , I understand some of the hesitancy of reviewers to say too much. That being said, I think there is actually quite a bit revealed in the book description that does not spoil the book whatsoever. So with that I give you a spoiler-free teaser to the book... Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free)   The book is about the close relationship that forms between successful writer Bo Luxton and misguided millennial Alice Dark. Alice is a lost soul. She is in an unfulfilling relationship with a struggling artist who is honestly mor...