Showing posts with label lisa jewell. Show all posts

My Most Anticipated Releases | Summer 2019


I'm a little bit late with this, since we're already two weeks into June, but let's just go with it, shall we? Better late than never and all that. There are actually two that have already released this month that I've read, so I won't list them below but you can check out my reviews for Jennifer L. Armentrout's Storm and Fury and Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything.

Now on to the summer releases that I'm most excited for...


June 18
Molly Alcott didn’t expect to open her mailbox one summer morning and find an old letter stuffed between bills and a supermarket flyer. Penned in familiar handwriting, dated over fifteen years ago, the letter was written to Molly after her first date with the man she’ll never forget.

Week after week, new letters appear. Each marks an event in the history of their epic love affair. Each heals a wound. Each holds the confession of the man who still owns Molly’s heart.

The letters are full of promise, hope and love, but truth be told, Molly wishes she could unread them all.

Because the man who wrote these letters is not the one sending them.

I've been wanting to read something by Devney Perry for quite a while. The synopsis of this upcoming release definitely grabs me so this might be the one I start with.

June 25
Three years ago I met the most amazing girl in the world. We were both down on our luck. Then I got that call—the one that tells you to get your buns on a plane to go meet your destiny.

But the girl was left behind. I didn’t have her phone number, and she didn’t know my real name.

While I became a professional hockey player, she became a superstar, with platinum records and legions of fans. And a slick, music producer boyfriend who treated her badly.

But fate wasn’t done with us yet. When Delilah turns up at a hockey game, I can’t resist making contact. The internet swoons when I ask her out on a date.

She might not remember me. But her jerkface ex does. He’ll do anything to keep us apart.

Good thing athletes never give up. This time I’m playing for keeps.

I mean, it's Sarina Bowen. Need I say more?

June 25
When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

My reading of YA has waned to almost nil but I make an exception for Brigid Kemmerer. I love her contemporary YA novels and I've read some excellent early reviews for this one.


July 9
Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own...shell.
The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all--or mostly all--excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

I've yet to read anything from Abbi Waxman, but I'm intrigued by this one and think it might be an excellent read.










August 6
Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counsellors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

K.A. Tucker is basically an auto-buy author for me. I've loved almost everything she's written and this one sounds right up my alley.

August 8
You thought they were just staying for the weekend. They looked harmless enough – with only two suitcases and a cat in a wicker box.

But soon things turn very, very dark. It happens slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly.

Now you and your sister must find a way to survive.

Not much of a synopsis is it? But Lisa Jewell writes the kind of mystery/thrillers that I love so I don't need to be sold on it. I already have grabby hands.


August 20
See you on the other side.

Laya Marston’s husband, Cameron, a daredevil enthusiast, always said this before heading off on his next adventure. He was the complete opposite of her, ready and willing to dive off a cliff-face, or parachute across a canyon—and Laya loved him for it. But she was different: pragmatic, regimented, devoted to her career and to supporting Cameron from the sidelines of his death-defying feats.

Opposites attract, right?

But when Cameron dies suddenly and tragically, all the stages of grief go out the window. Laya becomes lost in denial, living in the delusion that Cameron will come back to her. She begins posting on his Facebook page, reminiscing about their life together, and imagining new adventures for the two of them.

Micah Evans, a young and handsome architect at Laya’s father’s firm, is also stuck––paralyzed by the banal details of his career, his friendships, and his love life. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, only that there is someone out there who can bring energy and spirit to the humdrum of his life.

When Micah discovers Laya’s tragic and bizarre Facebook posts, he’s determined to show Laya her life is still worth living. Leaving her anonymous gifts and notes, trying to recreate the sense of adventure she once shared with her late husband, Micah finds a new passion watching Laya come out of the darkness. And Laya finds a new joy in the experiences Micah has created for her.

But for Laya, letting another man in still feels like a betrayal to her late husband. Even though Micah may be everything she could wish for, she wonders if she deserves to find happiness again.

I love Renee Carlino and a few of her novels have become real favorites. The advance reviews for The Last Post are a bit... underwhelming (an average GoodReads rating of 3.23 as of this writing - yikes) but I still have high hopes.

August 20
A provocative love story between a tough Kansas woman on a crooked path to redemption and the unlikeliest of champions, from the New York Times bestselling author of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.

Zee is nobody's fairy tale princess. Almost six-foot, with a redhead's temper and a shattered hip, she has a long list of worries: never-ending bills, her beautiful, gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her housebound mother, and her drug-dealing boss.

Zee may not be a princess, but Gentry is an actual knight, complete with sword, armor, and a code of honor. Two years ago the voices he hears called him to be Zee's champion. Both shy and autistic, he's barely spoken to her since, but he has kept watch, ready to come to her aid.

When an abduction tears Zee's family apart, she turns to the last person she ever imagined--Gentry--and sets in motion a chain of events that will not only change both of their lives, but bind them to one another forever.

Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, caused quite a stir and was certainly divisive, but I thought it was brilliant and moving and it instantly became an all-time favorite. I am so excited for her first release since 2016.

Are you looking forward to any of these upcoming releases? What summer release are you most excited for?

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Favorite Books from the Last 10 Years

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
Favorite Books From The Last 10 Years
(one book per year)

To be honest I haven't been thrilled with several recent TTT themes but I was excited when I saw the topic for this week. I love the idea of looking back at my reading over the past decade and choosing a favorite from each year. I guess I should note that I am basing this on the books I read in each given year and not choosing only from the books that were published that year.


2 0 0 9
2 0 1 0
2 0 1 1
2 0 1 2
2 0 1 3
2 0 1 4
2 0 1 5
2 0 1 6
2 0 1 7
2 0 1 8


Do we share any of the same favorites?

Book Outlet Book Haul


Contrary to what The Husband might think (*cough*), I don't buy that many books. No, really, I don't. Quit laughing! :) I one-click a Kindle book now and then, and I'm even kind of cheap when I do that. (I'll rarely go over $2.99 for a Kindle... I have my limits.) And I'll buy physical copies when it comes to my small handful of favorite authors - or when I'm dying to read a new release that I'm sure I'll love (I'm looking at you, Red, White & Royal Blue). So book hauls aren't really a thing for me. 

But a couple weeks ago I was casually perusing Book Outlet - something I hadn't done in probably a year - and what do you know? All the things! I want that book! And that one! And there's another one!


And, before you could say #NoRegrets, I had 18 books in my cart. So that happened. 
  

And because we all enjoy enabling each other sharing (sorrynotsorry), here are all my new pretties. For those interested, I'll include the Book Outlet price (at the time I ordered) in case you're tempted to nab one (or 18) for yourself. (nudge-nudge)


More Than We Can Tell - Brigid Kemmerer ($5.99)
Rev is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. I love adding the hardcover version of his story to my shelf.

9 Days & 9 Nights - Katie Cotugno ($4.89)
After loving Cotugno's 99 Days, I cannot believe I haven't read this yet. So coming across this one was a real score.

Emmy & Oliver - Robin Benway ($5.99)
Until Far From the Tree came out, this was my favorite by Benway. I adore these two main characters.

After the Game and Losing the Field - Abbi Glines ($6.49 each)
I read After the Game but only had the uncorrected e-arc and I haven't read Losing the Field yet, so I was excited to grab both of these.

The Impossibility of Us and Kissing Max Holden - Katy Upperman ($4.89 and $3.89)
I read both of these as e-arcs and love having physical copies for my shelf. Katy is a fantastic new voice in contemporary YA.

The Way I Used to Be - Amber Smith ($3.89)
I initially listened to this on audio several years ago and it was unforgettable. I'd like to do a re-read with a physical copy.

Riot - Tillie Cole ($4.89)
My first experience with Tillie Cole was an epic fail but I'm willing to give her another try. (Especially at this price.)

Riveted and Salvaged - Jay Crownover ($4.89 each)
Having just recently listened to both of these on audio (and loving them) I jumped at the chance to nab copies at such a great price.

Sin & Suffer - Pepper Winters ($4.39)
I'm still fairly new to Pepper Winters, but I know I want to read more from her.

Most of All You - Mia Sheridan ($4.39)
I adore Mia Sheridan and this one was already on my TBR.

I Found You - Lisa Jewell ($7.59)
Ditto with Lisa Jewell. I've been dying to read this one. 

Ride Hard, Ride Rough and Ride Wild - Laura Kaye ($2.79 each)
I just recently read my first by Laura Kaye. Grabbing the first three books in a series for less than $3 a book? Can't pass that up.

The Break - Marian Keyes ($3.29)
It's been a long time since I read anything from Marian Keyes but I've always enjoyed her storytelling.

So there you have it... my epic Book Outlet book haul. Because I so obviously needed more to read. (*looks away quickly*)

Have you read any of these books?
Do you ever order from Book Outlet?

Review: Watching You by Lisa Jewell

WATCHING YOU 
Lisa Jewell
Publication date: December 26, 2018
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Adult
Format: Audio (10 hrs 50 min)
Source: OverDrive

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON












S Y N O P S I S

Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.

As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.

One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…

M Y   T H O U G H T S

I seriously love Lisa Jewell’s brand of mystery/thriller. Maybe because they are less thriller and more domestic drama/character study with a mystery woven into the mix. And Jewell manages to combine all of those elements so well.

Watching You starts with a crime scene – a murder. Only we don’t know who was murdered, or who did it, or why. I love a thriller that starts with a murder and then takes the reader back and allows the events to slowly unfold. You know what’s coming and it adds this feeling of being on the edge of your seat with the tension mounting chapter after chapter.  

There’s a wide and varied cast of characters that we follow in Melville Heights. Among them:
Tom: The charismatic headmaster at the local school.
Nicola: Tom’s much younger wife.
Freddie: Tom’s teenage son who watches everyone from his bedroom window.
Joey: A disillusioned 20-something, newly married and living with her older brother.
Alfie: Joey’s husband.
Jack: a successful surgeon and Joey’s brother.
Rebecca: Jack’s pregnant wife.
Jenna: A student at Tom’s school.

Told from multiple points of view, each character brings pieces of information that moves the story forward. Just as I started to make assumptions and form theories more information would come to light, forcing my perspective to shift again and again. By the second half of the book my feelings about some characters had completely reversed. Police interviews interspersed throughout the book provide even more information and give clues about where the investigation is heading.

In Melville, there are eyes everywhere. Always watching. But things are not always how they seem – and people are not always who they appear to be. And you never know what’s going on behind closed doors. Or who is capable of murder. With hidden threads that formed unseen connections, the narrative was paced perfectly and delivered twists and turns that made for a totally addictive read. 

4.5/5 STARS