Novel but Nice

The Retreat by Mark Edwards My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars Haunting!!! Don’t read this book alone at night unless you keep the lights on!!! This is my first book by Mark Edwards and I absolutely loved it! I wasn’t sure what the genre would be at first, because it has such a tone of the supernatural about it. I think it is best for readers to just let it unfold. I didn’t know which genre it would be, and I liked it all the better for the intrigue it held in that regard. I loved the theme of possibility—the notion that what we believe as children sometimes carries into adulthood. The thought that we all have that, I don’t REALLY believe in ghosts, but maybe I do? That is the feeling you have while reading this book, and it adds to the spooky, unsettling quality of the story. This was home. Why had I waited so long to come back? […] I was sure that here, finally, I would be able to write again. Rediscover my voice, my inspiration. Lucas Radcliffe is a horror writer...

The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen My rating: 5 of 5 stars A wonderful, psychological thriller that will make you wonder what you would do if this happened to you!!! I am a big fan of Mary Torjussen’s last book Gone Without a Trace . As a psychologist, I always find books that deal with the character’s mindset effectively to be so compelling, and this is an area Mary really excels in as an author. This book was one I read in two days (which, for someone who works full-time and has a dissertation to write is quite an endorsement). The steady building of suspense in this book had the reader feeling slightly off-kilter along with the protagonist—and that is what made it so hard to put down! I found myself skipping my lunch break to read a bit more, and turning down plans for drinks after work because I just had to know what would happen next! Plot Gemma owns her own real estate business and loves her career. She has a wonderful husband and a beautiful son, but...

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 Neighbor by Joseph Souza My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars Wow!!! Wtf but wow!!! 4.5 Stars! The Neighbors by Joseph Souza just really took me on a ride! This is absolutely a suspense/psychological thriller with some domestic noir and neighborhood noir thrown in the mix. I have seen this book compared to a mix of The Couple Next Door and Gone Girl, but it really is more than that (and different). I can understand why they marketed it that way, but there is a whole extra plotline not captured by those comparisons. I have seen mixed reviews, and so I want to state upfront that this book is a psychological thriller/domestic noir/neighborhood noir/suspense novel with an additional element of racial issues in this country. I don’t say this to spoil (this, I promise you, is not a spoiler), but I do want readers to be aware of that because it can be a controversial topic that some readers love, and others dislike. Plot Teaser Leah Daniels and her husband Clay have moved 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 ...

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...

Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison My rating: 5 of 5 stars Better than I could have imagined! This book was truly fantastic and worthy of the domestic noir/psychological thriller genres. I finished this yesterday and my head is still spinning from all of the twists and turns. I went into this book with some pretty big expectations, because so many of my favorite bloggers spoke highly of it. I have to say, it exceeding my expectations. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) A perfect couple... Ethan and Sutton Montclair are both successful authors, and the darlings of the literary world. They seem like the perfect couple, but there is so much darkness and deception lurking behind the doors of their beautiful Victorian mansion in Tennessee. There's is a marriage so full of passion, that at times it it becomes unhealthy. And then one day, Sutton disappears... Ethan awakens to find Sutton missing. Her normal routine has been broken, and he finds a note from her. Sutton says sh...

The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard My rating: 3 of 5 stars An enjoyable read, with a twisty ending. The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard is a fast, interesting read. The story follows married couple Liz and Phil and Liz’s teenage daughter Danielle as they move into a gated, luxury home community called The Palms. Everything in The Palms is something most people could only dream of. Paradise, Phil calls it. Phil has taken a job as the community manager. He deals with any complaints, inquiries, and parties being thrown at The Palms. Liz is a high school guidance counselor, and Danielle is set to begin her freshman year of high school at the end of summer. In exchange for Phil’s job, they family gets to live in a magnificent home for free. And then one day shortly after they arrive, Danielle becomes best friends with beautiful Kelsey Jorgensen. Kelsey is stunning, popular, and cool, while Danielle is intelligent, nerdy, and still on the bridge betwee...

The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti My rating: 4 of 5 stars Slow build to a lightening fast ending... This was the first book I've read by Kate Moretti and I really enjoyed it. As other reviewers have mentioned, it has a slow build through about the first 2/3-3/4, and then really moves quickly at the end. I wouldn't say I personally found the twists that shocking, as I had considered some of them throughout, but they were certainly delicious and well-done! I found many of the twists to be satisfying. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) This book tells the story of Zoe, a wealthy woman married to one of New York's richest men. Zoe and her husband have everything, and yet something feels off. Zoe and Henry are in love, and Henry dotes on her and cares for her. They seem to have an incredible physical connection as well. But Zoe has a secret--her name used to be Hillary and five years before she ran away from her life in California and started over. Through fla...