The Wedding by Ruth Heald **Book Review** @bookouture

Happy Tuesday y’all! This was such a twisted story that will make you never want to get married, well at least not have a wedding!👰🏻‍♀️

My Thoughts

I would suggest you do not read this book if you’re in the middle of planning your wedding. Talk about a wedding gone wrong. Lauren and Adam have been together for 18 years and are finally going to get married. Now personally I think if you’ve been together this long you might not need a huge wedding and if they had not had a huge wedding then none of this would’ve happened. Anyways Lauren is happily planning her wedding when she receives a card with the words “he does not love you“ written on it. There is also a creepy doll that resembles Lauren with a slashed up wedding dress. This is followed up by missing phones, miscommunications, doubts, and secrets. Not only was I questioning if Lauren and Adam would ever say “I do“, I was questioning if they should.

This was an addictive fast paced story. The narrative bounced between past and present. Lauren is a very likable character and you really want her to have her big day. Adam on the other hand, I still am not quite sure about him. There was a large cast of secondary characters and I was seriously suspicious of all of them at one point or another. But I do have to say at about 75% I was pretty certain of the culprit. Even though I knew the who I wasn’t quite sure why until it was revealed. I’m still not sure how I feel about the end it was slightly over the top. A fun read with some pretty wild twists.

This book in emojis 👰🏻‍♀️ 🩺 📱 🖼 🌊

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

Just four words were printed in the card. He doesn’t love you.

I’ve been dreaming about this day – marrying Adam, my childhood sweetheart, who I’ve loved for eighteen years.

I didn’t realise the perfect day would turn into the perfect nightmare.

I was so excited to send out the wedding invitations, carefully writing everyone’s names on thick cream paper in beautiful cursive script.

I had no idea I was inviting someone to destroy our marriage.

I couldn’t wait to say ‘I do’ surrounded by loved ones clinking champagne glasses.

I couldn’t imagine that one of them would try to hurt me.

It was meant to be the first day of the rest of our lives.

I never thought it would be the end of my life as I knew it.

We were meant to share our vows, to toast our future. But when the truth comes out, shocking the onlooking guests and ripping my heart out, is a happy ever after possible?

A completely gripping and totally addictive read that will get your blood pressure rising and send shivers down your spine. Fans of Date Night, The Sister-in-Law and The Girl on the Train will devour this twisty, dark and gasp-worthy page-turner in one swift gulp!

Author Bio:

Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.

Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.

https://twitter.com/RJ_Heald

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3aM5b2g 

Apple: http://apple.co/33DgtSA 

Kobo: http://bit.ly/37uvhE0 

Google: http://bit.ly/37xatf3

The Girl in the Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite **Book Review** @bookouture

Hello book people!

Are you looking for an addictive dark and twisty read? Then look no further!

My Thoughts

Twin sisters, 25 years, and an unsolved mystery. Barbara Copperthwaite has crafted another dark and twisted thriller. 25 years ago Stella‘s twin sister Leila left their father‘s birthday party in the pouring rain never to be seen again. Stella was never the same… faithfully spending every anniversary of her sisters disappearance papering the town with missing person posters. Now they are filming a documentary about Leila‘s disappearance and Stella is hopeful that this will bring her much needed answers. What Stella was not expecting was the killer to contact her directly. Coercing personal information from Stella in order for her to find out the truth about what happened 25 years ago. As Stella gets closer and closer to the killer an evil game of cat and mouse evolves.

This was a truly addictive read. The build up in the first half was a bit of a slow burn, but once things got going…. BAM! The story is told from the perspective of Stella, with snippets of the documentary and a peppering of flashbacks. There were plenty of twists and misdirections to keep me on my toes. The characters were all well drawn and the dogs were a nice added bonus. Another wonderful thriller from this stellar author.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

24 June, 1994 – Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins runs from her father’s birthday party into the stormy night wearing her sister Stella’s long red coat. Some say she was crying, others swear they saw her get into a passing car. Nobody ever saw her again.

 

Present – This time every year, on the anniversary of that fateful night, Stella decorates the small seaside town she grew up in with pictures of her beautiful missing sister. But after twenty-five years, is it even worth hoping someone will come forward? Perhaps the upcoming documentary will spark people’s memories by reuniting all the guests who were there the night Leila went missing.

 

As old friends gather and long-buried secrets begin to surface, the last thing Stella ever expects is a direct response from someone claiming they took Leila. They want private details of Stella’s life in return for answers. But as the true events of the night of the party play out once again, who is lying? And who is next?

 

From the bestselling author of The Perfect Friend, this absolutely gripping psychological thriller will keep you up all night and leave you sleeping with the light on. If you loved Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you!

Author Bio: 

Barbara is the Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, THE DARKEST LIES, and HER LAST SECRET. 

More importantly, she loves cakes, wildlife photography and, last but definitely not least, her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy (who force her to throw tennis balls for them for hours).

Having spent over twenty years as a national newspaper and magazine journalist, Barbara has interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. She is fascinated by creating realistic, complex characters, and taking them apart before the readers’ eyes in order to discover just how much it takes to push a person over a line.

When not writing feverishly, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs. 

 

Author Social Media Links: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorBarbaraCopperthwaite

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BCopperthwait

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_barbara_copperthwaite/

Website: www.barbaracopperthwaite.com

 

 

Her Perfect Life by Sam Hepburn **Book Review** @bookouture

Happy weekend all!

This book was quite a wild ride! I had no idea where it was going for most of the book, and I have to say the ending completely surprise me. 😯

My Thoughts

An entertaining slow burn. Gracie appears to have the perfect life. A doting husband, an adorable daughter, a gorgeous home, an amazing job. Juliet’s Life is messy. Her husband is living in a different country with his pregnant girlfriend, her daughter is frightened of her own shadow, her flat is a dump, her career has never got off the ground. But as much as Juliet despises Gracie for her perfect life she still wants to very much be part of it. The story bounces back-and-forth between the perspectives of Gracie and that of Juliet. And there is a lot going on here: adultery, stalkers, infertility, abuse. Neither of these women were tremendously likable, but I sure did want to find out what was going on. My only tiny Kniggle with the story is some parts went on a little too long and I think that’s because there was so much going on. The book really was kind of like a maze. You’d be going along thinking you knew where it was headed and then you’d run into a dead end and have to redirect. A wild ride filled with plenty of twists and untrustworthy characters.

This book in emojis 👩🏻‍🍳 🍷 🩰 📱 🐶

*** Big thank you to for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

One woman has nothing to lose.
The other has everything.

To the outside world, Gracie Dwyer has it all: the handsome husband, the adorable child, the beautiful home and the glittering career.

Juliet’s life couldn’t be more different. A single mother struggling to make ends meet, she lives in fear of her vindictive ex-husband taking their five-year-old daughter from her.

So when Gracie moves into Falcon House, just streets away from Juliet, she sees an opportunity. If Juliet can just get close to Gracie, maybe her fortunes will begin to change. After all, if anyone has luck to share around, it’s Gracie Dwyer.

And if cracks begin to appear in Gracie’s perfect life, well, it’s Juliet who will be there to pick up the pieces. Because no one’s life is really that perfect – and sometimes all it takes is a little push to expose the darkest of secrets…

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with a mind-blowing twist, fans of The Wife Between Us, My Lovely Wife and Gone Girl will be utterly addicted to this twisted story of envy, secrets and lies.

 

Author Bio: 

Sam Hepburn read modern languages at Cambridge University and, after a brief spell in advertising, joined the BBC as a General Trainee. She worked as a documentary maker for twenty years and was one of the commissioners for the launch of BBC Four. Since then, she has written several books, including psychological thrillers Gone Before and Her Perfect Life, and novels for young adults and children. She won the 2017 CWA Margery Allingham Short Story award and has been nominated for several other prestigious prizes, including the CILIP Carnegie Medal for her YA thrillers.

 

Sam has worked and travelled widely in Africa and the Middle East, and is a trustee of the Kenyan’s children’s charity, I Afrika. She now lives in London with her husband and children. 

 

Author Social Media Links:

 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Sam_Osman_Books

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SamHepburnAuthor

 



If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier **Book Review** @berkleypub

Happy Thursday y’all!

If you are looking for your next great atmospheric thriller with a creepy vibe, look no further!👀

My Thoughts

Captivating and creepy. Atmospheric and tense. Uncomfortable and unsettling. Eliza Jane Brazier’s debut had my pulse pounding from first minute to last. Sarah is a lonely and lost 30 something with an obsession with true crime podcasts, the “Murder She Spoke“ podcast being her favorite. When Rachel the host of the MSS podcast goes missing Sarah is compelled to find her. Sarah‘s search for Rachel takes her to small town Northern California and Rachel‘s family ranch. When Sarah arrives in the small town she is surprised to find that nobody seems to be worried about where Rachel has gone. Not her family, not her friends, not the police, but Sarah is certain there are sinister things going on and she is determined to find her favorite podcaster.

The story is told in second person with Sarah speaking to the reader as if they are Rachel. There were also snippets of the podcast woven into the beginning of each chapter.The creepy feel of this ranch was so vividly described it just jumped off the pages. Sarah ends up taking a job at the ranch and is housed in disgusting quarters. I had the heebie-jeebies and wanted to gag from the description of the smell of rat droppings. *Yuck* I could just visualize the overgrown blackberry bushes and feel the impending doom. The story is filled with Unusual characters that you never quite get a handle on. Even Sarah our narrator is a complete mystery. Is she reliable? Is she crazy? What’s with the obsession? I knew she was divorced, had a nowhere job, and was about to get evicted, but other than that I really had no idea of her backstory. I think this might have added to the atmosphere of the story? I always felt a little bit off balance, a little uneasy, a couple facts short of understanding completely what was going on. A compelling thriller, looking forward to see what is next from Miss Brazier

This book and emojis 🐎 🐈‍⬛ 🐀 🌿 📓 🛻 🚜

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

“Blending the true crime compulsion of Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark with the immersive creepy-craziness of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, Brazier creates a heady, pitch-dark cocktail all her own.” (Publishers Weekly)

“This twisted and riveting thriller is one that will keep you up late at night with suspense.” (CNN)

A Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by CNN • E! Online • Buzzfeed • PopSugar • Crime Reads • Hello Giggles 

When her favorite true-crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman sets out to investigate and plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She’s sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it’s time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel’s small hometown to begin her search. She’s convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won’t be the last….

Rachel did try to warn her.

Have a thrilling day! XOXO Berit

The Newlyweds by Arianne Richmonde **Book Review** @bookouture

Happy happy weekend!

It is actually cold and rainy here in Southern California. The perfect weather to cuddle up and read a good book.☔️

My Thoughts

Oh what a tangled web we weave… this was one twisted book. Vivian and Ashton are newly married and appear to be the perfect couple. But as any seasoned thriller reader knows never ever trust anything that appears to be too perfect. Soon cracks start showing in this perfect marriage, and even though Vivian is denying everything people are beginning to become suspicious. But again, things are never quite as they seem. In this wild game of cat and mouse you never quite know, who is the cat? And who’s the mouse?

The story is told solely from the perspective of Vivian and so it becomes a matter of trust. Can you trust Vivian? Is she the victim? Or is she the predator? I really had no idea and boy oh boy did my opinion bounce all over the place throughout the story. None of these characters were tremendously likable. They had their southern charm porn but it seemed so insincere. On the surface Vivian seemed sweet and naïve, while Ashton seemed like a perfect southern gentleman. But underneath all that charm there was definitely something much more sinister. I do wish there was more tension throughout the story more of a sense of urgency. One of the twists was revealed very early and while I did want to see how it all played out I lost a little bit of interest at that point. However, the ending to this book, Holy smokes I was so tense I wanted to cover my eyes. It was so surprising there is just no way you could’ve predicted it. Not even sure it fit into the story, but it was extremely nerve-racking! And that epilogue…. well played! Just for the ending of this book I’m rounding my 3.5 up.

This book in emojis 💍 🍾 🚤 🍕 🦈 📱 🩺

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

One marriage. One lie. Two sides to the story.

 

The moment Vivien meets Ashton, she knows she will be his wife and absolutely nothing will stop her.

 

Powerful, rich and from a good family, Ashton is everything Vivien is not. So, she molds herself into Ashton’s perfect soulmate.

 

Pouring his favorite vintage wine, whispering ‘I love you’ over dinner in front of friends and biting her tongue when she disagrees with him are simple sacrifices for the perfect marriage she has always craved.

 

When people begin to notice the bruises on her cheek, she holds their stares. There is no cry for help from Vivien. She simply keeps her mouth shut and lets the gossip continue.

 

If you saw Vivien nursing a black eye, you might be forgiven for thinking what everyone else does—that she is the victim in her marriage, but you’d be wrong. Vivien and Ashton’s life together is much more complicated than that. You will never guess the true story behind Vivien’s undying devotion to her husband. Nor could you possibly predict what she does next…

 

Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Behind Closed Doors and The Perfect Couple. If you enjoy reading twisted psychological thrillers with bags of suspense, then you’ll love The Newlyweds from USA TODAY bestselling author Arianne Richmonde.

 

Author Bio: 

Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thriller, THE WIFE’S HOUSE (released by Bookouture Aug 24, 2020) and suspense and romance. Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.

 

 

Author Social Media Links: 

For updates on new releases, sales and giveaways please sign up for her Newsletter by going to: https://bit.ly/2ZoRQVx

 

Or join her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorArianneRichmonde/ or send her an email ariannerichmonde@gmail.com – she loves hearing from readers and will always reply.

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/A_Richmonde

 

 

The Perfect Guest by Emma Rous **Book Review** @berkleypub

happy Friday y’all!

This was such a great thriller that I strongly encourage you to pick up! So very sinister and atmospheric!

My Thoughts

Delectably deceiving. deeply disturbing. Deliciously dark. Emma Rous once again stretched my mind with her mesmerizing storytelling, an atmospheric story with a Gothic vibe. 1988 Beth arrives at Raven Hall hopeful that this will be her new home. The family has a daughter Nina about the same age as her and Beth is eagerly cautious to befriend the girl. not long after arriving at the manor Beth begins to get some strange vibes, like why is it that Nina is not allowed to leave the property? 2019 struggling actress Sadie gets a part as a Party Guest at a mystery dinner. she cannot believe her luck a stunning dress, a gorgeous manner, interesting company. But it isn’t too long before Sadie figures out there is more to all of this than meets the eye. oh what a sinister tale Miss Rous has spun. Two women,one creepy manor, 30 years apart. what ties these two storylines together and what secrets is Raven Hall keeping?

I could not put this book down! I stayed up late into the night and finish this in one sitting. I was completely engrossed in this twisted mind bending tale. The story bounced between Sadie and Beth as well as now and then. I was equally engaged in both narratives. The story was extremely compelling even though the pacing was not always perfect. there was such a chilling sinister feel to the story, I was constantly waiting for something bad to happen. The ending was cleverly revealed one piece at a time keeping the tension throughout.

This book in emojis 🏚 🗝 ⛸ ☕️ 🫖 🍷 🎻 🎭

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

The USA Today bestselling author of The Au Pair returns with another delicious, twisty novel—about a grand estate with many secrets, an orphan caught in a web of lies, and a young woman playing a sinister game.

1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she’s truly part of the family…until they ask her to help them with a harmless game—and nothing is ever the same.

2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It’s strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she’ll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose. 

In person, Raven Hall is even grander than she’d imagined—even with damage from a fire decades before—but the walls seem to have eyes. As day turns to night, Sadie starts to feel that there’s something off about the glamorous guests who arrive, and as the party begins, it becomes chillingly apparent their unseen host is playing games with everyone…including her.

Purchase on Amazon

Have a lovely weekend! XOXO Berit

Unfaithful by Natalie Barelli **Book/Audiobook Review** @bookouture @dreamscapeaudio

happy Thursday all!

Have you ever read a book by Natalie Barelli? Do you like twisted unreliable unhinged characters? If the answer is yes then you have got to pick one of her books up STAT!

My Thoughts

yes yes yes I loved it! Natalie Barelli not going to lie whatever goes on in that imagination of yours scares me a little. Seriously Natalie has written some of the most unreliable unhinged characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Meet Anna. mathematician, loyal colleague, devoted wife, adoring mother, faithful friend… maybe? No need to mention any of the plot here you get more information than you need from the blurb and truly that is not the highlight of this book. This Book takes you on a fast paced addictive wild and crazy ride in Anna‘s brain through her inner dialogue. I kept thinking… Is she delusional? A master manipulator? does she have the worst luck ever or is this all by design? As The story progresses things spiral more and more out of control. Miss Anna does and says things that wil leave your jaw dropped open. #nofilter there were so many times I was thinking, oh no she didn’t, but yes yes, she did. The ending to this book was so twisted and brilliant all I can say is bravo Natalie Barelli! The audiobook was narrated by Emily Rankin Who did a stellar job. She gave the perfect voice and tone to off the chains narrator Anna. cannot wait to see what comes next from the imagination of this remarkable author.

This book in emojis 👩‍🏫 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 📓 📱 🍷

*** Big thank you to Bookouture & Dreamscape Nedia for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

“Thank you,” I say sweetly when she tells me I’m lucky to have such a beautiful family. But I want to tell her it’s not just luck. A family is like a fortress you have to defend all the time. You can’t relax because there’s always someone looking for a breach, always someone trying to get in. Someone just like her…

When I arrive unannounced at my husband’s studio in need of a shoulder to cry on after hearing that my best student, Alex, has died, I see a pair of wine glasses drying by the sink and my deepest fear is confirmed: my husband is having an affair.

Most women would fall to their knees in tears and throw him out of the house–but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Instead, I go home and cook a healthy dinner for our children, walk the dog and unload the dishwasher without complaint. I will make him see that I’m still the woman he married; attractive, successful, the glue that holds our perfect family together. I need this marriage to work to protect a terrible secret of my own, something that would destroy everything I’ve already sacrificed so much for.

But when the police arrive at my door asking questions about Alex’s death that I can’t answer, and threatening text messages start appearing on my phone, I know that someone close has been watching me very carefully.

The truth is, there are three people in my marriage, but only one of them is deadly…

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller with a twist that will knock you sideways, perfect for anyone left hungry for more after The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us or The Other Wife.

 

Author Bio: 

Natalie Barelli can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie loves cooking, enjoys riding her Vespa around town and otherwise spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia, with her family.

Author Social Media Links: 

Website: www.nataliebarelli.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieBarelliBooks

have a wonderful day! XOXO Berit

The Sranger in the Mirror by Liv Constantine **Cover Reveal** @suzyapbooktours @harperbooks

Happy Sunday y’all!

It’s a great day for a cover reveal! Lovely cover and a super intriguing blurb cannot wait to get my hands on this book! Looks SO darn good!

Coming July 2021

About the Book

A diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel about a woman with no recollection of her past from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Wife Stalker.

 

 

Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn’t know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .

In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she? 

As these two lives intersect, The Stranger in the Mirror hooks readers with riveting drama, told with Liv Constantine’s hallmark blend of glamour, tense psychological thrills, and jaw-dropping twists.

About The Author: 

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Together, they are the bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, The Last Time I Saw You, The Wife Stalker, and The Stranger in the Mirror (coming July 2021). Their books have been praised by USA Today, The Sunday Times, People Magazine, and Good Morning America, among many others. Lynne and Valerie are national and international bestselling authors and their books have been translated into 27 languages, are available in 32 countries, and have been optioned for both television and film. Lynne lives in Milford, Connecticut; Valerie in Annapolis, Maryland. Visit their website at www.livconstantine.com and find them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LivConstantine2 or Instagram under the handle @livconstantine2

 Author Website: https://livconstantine.com/

Pre-Order Link

https://bit.ly/strangerinthemirrorpreorder



The Housewarming by S. E. Lynes **Book Review** @bookouture

Happy Sunday all!

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! This was a slow burn tense thriller about parents living through all parents worst nightmare.

My Thoughts

Ava and Matt are living every parent’s worst nightmare. You run upstairs to grab your phone before you leave the house. You know your child is safe because they’re buckled in their stroller and they can’t undo the latch. You take a minute to fold some sheets and scroll through Facebook- you finally have a minute to yourself and the baby is being quiet. And then… you go back downstairs and there is no baby in the stroller- and even worse… the door is wide open. Where is your baby? She couldn’t have gone far, could she have? Terrifying right? That is what happens to Ava, her daughter Abi is nowhere to be found. The story begins with Ava and her husband Matt frantically searching for their toddler Abi. Then the story jumps forward a year. Ava cannot let go of the guilt. How could she have left her little girl alone? How could she have not close the door? Why did she need to scroll through her phone? There was no body, there were no answers, there was no closure. Matt has finally talked Ava into going to the neighbors housewarming party and while there Ava overhears something that will change everything.

This was a slow burning emotional character driven thriller. This couples grief and guilt was dripping off the pages. The tension in the story was understated and the twists were quiet. I knew the truth was going to be sinister… but as things began to be revealed it was so much worse than I had anticipated. This was truly a heartbreaking tale about the lengths we go to protect ourselves and in doing so we hurt others.

This book in emojis 💔 🦥 🏡

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.
All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…
Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone – she walked down the road, past the Lovegoods’ house, and was never seen again.

A year later, the Lovegoods are planning their long-anticipated housewarming party. Ava doesn’t want to go. She can’t bear to look down that end of the road, to see the place where Abi vanished, and she doesn’t want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Her husband Matt persuades her: he’s worried about her. A night out might do her good.

But as her friends and neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything.

Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.

She’s about to find out she was wrong…

Brilliantly dark and moving suspense fiction for fans of Gillian Flynn, Claire McGowan and Lisa Jewell, The Housewarming will have your pulse racing and your heart in your mouth from start to finish.

 

 

Author Bio: 

Former BBC Producer, S.E. Lynes is the Amazon best selling author of ‘intelligent and haunting’, ‘beautifully written’ psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? and her latest novel, THE HOUSEWARMING, available for pre-order NOW.

After completing her MA, Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.

She has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it

 

Author Social Media Links: 

Facebook: S E Lynes Author
Twitter: @SELynesAuthor
Instagram: @S E Lynes Author

 

The Girl She Wanted by K. L. Slater **Book Review** @bookouture

Happy weekend all!

If you are looking for a quick addictive thriller do I have the book for you!

My Thoughts

Tense and addictive. K L Slater has once again grabbed my attention with her gripping storytelling. Alexa and Carrie are sisters. Carrie has moved in with Alexa, her husband, and little girl Florence after her divorce. Alexa is a little more dependent on her sister Carrie then husband Perry would like. When Carrie who is a nurse is accused of wrong doings at the hospital Perry is more convinced than ever that she needs to leave the home. But Alexa knows that her sister would never do anything hurtful or harmful, that is until…..

The story bounces between the perspectives of several different characters keeping you informed and continually suspicious of everyone.. I really enjoyed getting to know all these characters and found the family dynamics intriguing. The more the layers of the story were peeled away the more unsure I was as to what was going on. There were definitely some twist at the end that I did not see coming. The original title of this book was DEAR DAUGHTER and I have no idea why they changed it because I cannot for the life of me figure out what this new title means? A quick absorbing thriller.

This book in emojis 👩🏻‍⚕️ 👶🏼 👭

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

About the Book

What if my sister is unstable and everyone can see it but me? What was she really doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?

Alexa has always looked up to her older sister Carrie. Carrie lives in Alexa’s family home, and adores her one-year-old niece Florence. Alexa doesn’t know how they would cope without her. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa reels in disbelief. Alexa knows how caring Carrie is, and as she watches Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows her little girl is in safe hands.

Alexa’s husband doesn’t trust Carrie. He wants her out of the house, unable to ignore what people are saying about her. But when he suggests that Carrie could be a danger to their daughter, Alexa shuts him out. Nobody will ever come between her and her sister.

Then Florence is hurt while in Carrie’s care and Alexa at last starts to wonder. Alexa has always wanted to protect Carrie from the past they have hidden. But does Alexa know what Carrie wants? And will the secret that has kept the sisters together now destroy her little girl?

A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Girl She Wanted.  

Author Bio:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

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Buy Links:

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