Book Review: The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

Gripping, intriguing, fantastic! Three words to describe this book. This book was seriously amazing! I loved how it was very intriguing from the very beginning and draws you into the unknown and unfathomable, into a world where nothing is at it seems and the in-seemingly possible is possible. It was beautifully written and I loved Shepherd’s style of writing. The pages turned themselves and I found myself not wanting to put it down as I wanted to know what would happen next. Full of mystery and surprises, you can’t help but feel a whole bunch of emotions for all the characters in the book.

This book takes place in a futuristic world and mostly follows the two main characters, married couple Ory and his wife Max. One day on the news it is reported that a man in India has lost his shadow. No one knows why or how it happened, or what it means, but it is a strange phenomenon that mystifies everyone. Slowly the news spreads around the world, leaving most people scared and confused. Until the phenomenon spreads and countries begin shutting down their borders, leaving inhabitants quarantined. No one is allowed to enter or leave the country. The people who have lost their shadows have strange things happen to them that cannot be explained. They seems to gain powers, but it comes at an unthinkable cost. Their memories start to fade. Some people touched by this plague and lose their shadow lose their memories quite quickly, while others seem to lose their memories more slowly, and are desperate to hold onto their memories. If you realized one day that your shadow had suddenly disappeared, what would you do? What would you be willing to give up to remember and hold onto your precious memories?

The world as they know it is no more. Chaos erupts and people are scared and more and more lose their shadows and their memories. No one knows how to help. No one knows how to stop others from losing their memories or their shadows and people are frightened. Buildings are destroyed, homes are wiped out, electricity is wiped out and food is becoming scarce. People are robbing and killing others for food and shelter. The whole world is chaotic.

Ory and Max both have their shadows. Then one day Max loses her shadow. They both know that once her memories start to fade away she will become more and more dangerous; But so far she has all of her memories. How long will she have until her memories begin to fade? One day while Ory is out gathering supplies, Max runs away to try to save Ory from herself and sparing him from having to watch her deteriorate like this. When Ory returns home he is devastated to learn that Max has run away. How could she do this to him. They promised one another to not abandon the other.

You will experience many emotions reading this book. I know I certainly did. I had hopes that Ory would be able to find Max one day and they would both be ok. The story continues from both Ory and Max’s points of view. Max as she has run away and her journey to where she is running, and Ory on his path to try to find Max, the love of his life.

Will Max manage to get where she is going with her memories intact? Will Ory be able to find Max before she forget him and it is too late?

This book was incredible! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an eARC copy of this book.

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Book Review: The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows a young woman named Lizzy Beresford. She lives in a small cottage with her boyfriend Joe and their cat Frank. One morning Lizzy finds a letter in an envelope sticking out from underneath the floorboards. After finally retrieving it with much effort, the envelope appears to be old as if it has been there for quite a long time – years even. But the letter is addressed to Lizzy and has the current date on it. How can this be? Who would write a letter to Lizzy and leave it under the floorboards?

After reading the letter, Lizzy discovers someone is threatening her. But who would want to do that? She seems to get along with everyone and has never made an enemy in her life. Who would want to scare her like this? The only person Lizzy can think of is her sister Emma. They were very close growing up but have had a falling out a few years ago, and haven’t talked at all since. But surely her sister wouldn’t go to this length to threaten, scare and taunt her? Surely her sister wouldn’t do that!

Confused as to who would do this to her, Lizzy continues on with her life. However, strange and threatening things continue to happen to her. Things she cannot explain. She finds notes and messages addressed to her at her work, after she has closed up the store for the night, and other incidents happen that she cannot explain. It is very clear that someone is out to scare her. Or worse!

Lizzy begins to suspect everyone. She is not sure who she can trust. Could it be her sister Emma? Her boyfriend Joe? Her boss even? What about her neighbour? Lizzy finds she is looking over her shoulder everywhere she goes, and is not sure who to turn to for help. She is scared to walk to work, or drive in her community.

I loved this book and how it was written. The book draws you in from the very first chapter and has a lot of twists and shocks throughout to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. I found the pages were turning themselves as I was curious to find out just who would do such a thing to Lizzy and threaten her like this.

A lot of thrills and chills, this book didn’t disappoint. I loved how there were several shocks throughout, even to the very end. Lies, betrayal and thrills. This book was fantastic and I highly recommend it!

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Book Review: The Good Widow by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Gripping, suspenseful, deceitful. Oh the lies! I loved this book!

Jacqueline Morales (known as Jacks) is an elementary school teacher. Her husband is gone to Kansas on a work business trip and she hears a knock on her door one day. Jacks opens the door to two police officers who have some devastating news. Her husband has been in a car accident and was found dead – in Hawaii… and he was not alone…

Devastated by the news of the death of her husband, Jacks is also confused as to why he was found in Hawaii. That can’t be possible… They must be mistaken… Her husband was in Kansas. Or was he? And to be told he wasn’t alone but was with someone else? Jacks is not sure how that is possible. Did her husband lie to her? And if it was him in Hawaii, why was he there and who was he with? Jacks has a lot of unanswered questions, on top of dealing with the recent news of her husband’s death.

After laying her husband to rest, Jacks gets another visitor at her door. It is a man who introduces himself as Nick, the fiance of the woman who was found dead in Hawaii with her husband. Both Jacks and Nick have no idea why their significant others were together, in Hawaii, and want answers to what happened on that fateful night.

Nick suggests they both fly to Hawaii and retrace the steps that their significant others took to get some answers – visit the hotel and ask the locals if they have seen the couple together and go from there. Even visiting the location where the “accident” took place, claiming both their lives.

As the story continues, secrets are revealed and lies are exposed, and everything is not as it seems. Be sure to buckle yourself in for this bumpy roller coaster of a ride, and you will not be disappointed. There are a lot of twists and turns, and oh my gosh moments that I was definitely not expecting. Wait until the very end, where the biggest shock of all is revealed.

I loved reading this book it was fantastic from beginning to end. It was hard to put down and I recommend this book for all, especially fans of thriller and suspense type books.

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Book Review: False Pretenses by Olivia Flaggert

This book was a free book from the author Olivia Flaggert for review. Thank you so much Olivia, it was truly a pleasure to read.

False Pretenses follows the life of a young woman named Bella who works closely as a Marketing Assistant for Dr. Benson, a well-respected neurologist in a hospital in Texas. Bella loves working for her boss and loves her job. It’s the job of her dreams. She loves working so closely with the Dr. and she cannot believe how fast her career is climbing.

Then one day Bella comes across something belonging to Dr. Benson that makes her question the nice Dr. Benson. Does this actually belong to the Dr. or was it planted there by someone else to stage him? She is not sure what to do. Does she confront the Dr. and let him know what she has found and let him explain, or does she keep it secret and turn a blind eye?

I loved how this book makes you question if the Dr. is truly a nice man, who due to recent events is made to look bad, or if he truly is not the man she thinks he is. Should Bella be careful around the Dr. and watch her back, or should she trust him? It made me question a few times who was to blame and who she should watch her back around. A lot of “oh my gosh” moments that took me by surprise, with the twists and turns that unfold in the story as you read along.

If you enjoy reading thrillers then this is a book you have to read. Lots of thrills, suspense and shocking moments. With a big twist near the end that you won’t see coming, at least I didn’t. I loved it!

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Book Review: The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

Gripping, thrilling, and a roller coaster of a ride. This is a must book you have to add to your TBR if you haven’t read it already.

The Child Finder is a book that has been on my TBR for a while and I finally got the chance to read it. I have heard so much about this book recently from friends and online, that I knew it was the kind of book that I would just devour and love.

This was my first book I have read by Rene Denfeld and trust me, it won’t be my last. This book was so well written, and it draws you in from the very beginning and keeps you hooked right through to the last page. This is the kind of book that I love to read, as you are always turning the pages to find out what will happen next and cannot seem to put the book down. I read this in just one day it was that incredible of a book. I love Rene’s writing style and the way she captivates the reader with her writing. There is a strong female lead in the book as well which I loved.

This book follows the story of The Child Finder, a woman named Naomi. She seeks out to find children that have gone missing from their families with a trace. Some she is able to find, some she cannot. Some have happy endings and are returned to their families, some not so much of a happy ending.

The Culvert family contacts Naomi as their young daughter Madison had gone missing. They were out in the Skookum National Forest in Oregon looking for a Christmas tree, only to have her disappear as she seemed to vanish into thin air. One moment she was there happy with her parents, the next she was gone. The Culvert family have hopes that The Child Family can help them locate their missing daughter and return her alive and safe to her home, as it is their last hope of finding their daughter.

The Child Finder has a knack for finding lost and missing children, as when she was younger she too was a Lost Child. As you read the story Naomi’s past is revealed slowly in bits and pieces.

I loved this book as I found Rene had a way of writing a sad and terrifying story about a sensitive issues including a monster, and had a way of writing it in a beautiful way that you can’t help but feel for everyone involved, including the monster.

The characters were all well written about and I love the character development in the story as you get to know each one of them individually and what makes them who they are today. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters and develop empathy for them as their story unfolds.

Will Naomi be able to find their missing daughter Naomi? And if so, will she be alive? You’ll have to read this amazing book to find out! 🙂

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Book Review: The Day I Lost You by Alex Sinclair

Gripping, thrilling, thrilling! This was my first book I have read by Alex Sinclair and let me tell you it won’t be my last. This book was very well written. It draws you in at the very beginning and keeps your interest through to the very end. I love books that can captivate the audience and keep the momentum going the whole way through, and this book definitely does just that.

The Day I Lost You follows the story of a woman named Erika. She is with her 4 year old daughter Alice as they visit the apartment complex Alice’s father, and Erika’s ex-husband Michael, lives in to retrieve a toy that Alice had left behind from a previous visit she had with her father. While in the elevator to go up to Michael’s apartment, the elevator stops near the 7th floor, the doors get jammed partways open and the elevator lights shut off. Alice is terrified of elevators, and takes the opportunity to run from the jammed elevator and takes off into the hallway of the 7th floor through the open doors of the elevator, Erika calls her to come back but the little girl will not listen. Frantic, Erika tries to escape the elevator as well, but she is unable to squeeze in between the small gap of the jammed elevator doors. Where did Alice run off to? Why did she take off like that, instead of staying with her mom where she would be safe?

The story continues on with Erika’s escape from the elevator and the frantic and anxious search for her daughter. She is no where to be found and no one in the apartment complex has seen a little girl who appears to be alone and lost. What is going on? Erika is not sure if this was a freak accident or if someone is out to get her and kidnap her daughter. Will Erika be able to find her daughter?

From all the shocking twists and turns in the book, to the shocking revelations and character building as we read on, you will not be disappointed. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, then this book is a must to add to your to be read list. I was so shocked at the many surprises in this book, and just wait….There is a huge revelation at the end that I DID NOT see coming. I loved it!

I was hooked from the start of this book and was unable to put it down. A great page turner of a book, that keeps you reading more and more late into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: The Best Friend by Barbara Copperthwaite

The Perfect Friend follows the story of two females, Alex and Carrie. They meet one day in a support group and quickly become friends….best friends.

Alex’s husband has left her along with their two children, a boy and girl who are twins, and neither of them will speak to her. Alex is devastated. What happened to her family? What could she have done so terrible that even her own children want nothing to do with her?

Carrie is a single woman. She has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and doesn’t have much longer to live. Alex wants to do everything for her, and make her last days memorable. They become good friends.

Carrie is all Alex has. The only friend she has, and since she has no family, Alex confides in Carrie. Carrie would never do anything to hurt her friend, and she can be trusted, can’t she?

This was my first book I have read by Copperthwaite and it was very well written. I love how her writing quickly draws you into the storyline and you are hooked from the start. This was a great thriller book, and it keeps you turning the pages. There were shocks and twists right to the end of the book, which I love. There were many shocking reveals throughout, and a few times I couldn’t believe the twists and turns that took place. I was definitely shocked a few times, in a good way!

This is a must read for fans of thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Gracie’s Secret by Jill Childs

Gripping, heart breaking, thrilling, and a heck of a roller coaster ride. Brace yourself, as you will go through many emotions while reading this novel. It was very well written and I often found myself unable to put the book down as I was wanting to know what would unfold in the story next. This was my first book I have read by Jill Childs and I am interesting in reading more of her novels.

In the story we read about Jen and her daughter Gracie. At the beginning of the book, Jen gets a call from her ex-husband who proceeds to tell her that Gracie has been in a terrible car accident and is in a coma. Once Jen arrives at the hospital she finds out that her daughter Gracie was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and was miraculously resuscitated.

The story continues with Gracie’s recovery, and she begins telling her mother Jen things about what she has seen and heard, strange stories that are hard for Jen to believe. Is Gracie telling the truth with these stories? Did she dream and think they were real and actually happened? Jen is unsure what to believe. And to make things worse, Jen is furious when she learns that her ex-husband’s new girlfriend Emma was the one driving the car when the accident happened. Jen was never fond of Emma and this makes her dislike Emma even more. Gracie tells Jen things she heard in the car that day, before the accident, and Jen has a lot of questions.

There are a lot of surprises and twists and turns in the book that will have you gasping! Many secrets are revealed and shockers that will thrill you throughout, with a great twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: A Mother’s Goodbye By Kate Hewitt

Oh my gosh! This book is sad, thrilling, gripping and completely pulls on your heart strings. You will laugh, gasp, cry and even get mad as you read this book. So many mixed emotions at different times while you read this book. This book draws you in at the first chapter and keeps you entertained and hooked the whole way to the end.

Full of heartache, tough decisions, dilemmas, drama and struggles of everyday life that most families go through at one point or another. This book, in two words, simply amazing!

This book follows the lives of Heather, her husband Kevin, and their 3 daughters – Emma, Amy and Lucy. Heather and Kevin began dating in highschool, only to find out shortly after they were pregnant. At the age of 17 Heather and Kevin get married, and a few months later their first born Emma was born. Life was hard, as they were a young couple trying to find their way in life. A few years later, Kevin is injured on the job at work, landing him on disability payments as he is unable to return to work due to back problems. Already with 3 children at home, and struggling to find enough money for their rent, bills and not to mention food and clothes, Heather finds out she is pregnant again with baby number 4! What are they going to do? They can’t afford things as it is, life at home is hard, they are getting eviction notices, and now they are expecting another child!?

Heather is faced with the unthinkable dilemma – to terminate the pregnancy, to give the baby up for adoption, or keep the baby? What will she do?

After discussing it with her husband Kevin, they have made the tough but necessary decision to give the baby up for adoption. Heather looks into this and comes across a woman named Grace. Grace is a successful working woman, who has no children and she is single but desperately wants a child of her own to love and raise. Heather thinks Grace is perfect to adopt their baby. Their lives become connected through the child and the love they all share for the child.

As you keep reading there is so much heartache and sorrow, and devastating news that rocks you to your core! A twist I was definitely not expecting at all.

So be sure to strap yourself in for this gripping, thrilling roller-coaster of a ride as you read this book. You’ll love it and trust me, you won’t be disappointed. But make sure you have some tissues handy, as you will surely cry at least once or twice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Book Review: Caged by Ellison Cooper

This book is gripping, thrilling and oh so good from the beginning. It pulls you in and keeps you hooked from the first page. This is a great crime/police type book.

In this book FBI neuroscientist Sayer works with the police force to solve a crime after the body of a girl is found in the basement of what appears to be an abandoned house. The girl appears to have been murdered, but by whom? The FBI and local police force work hard to try to uncover what happened, who is responsible, and why. They then face the question – are there more victims? Is this an isolated case or are they in search of a serial killer on the loose?

This book I found very interesting. It keeps your interest throughout, as you try to uncover the mystery of what exactly happened and who was responsible. I thought I figured out who the murderer was only to find out I was completely wrong. And the truth shocked me, did not expect that at all.

I haven’t read a lot of books in the crime/police type genre so this was pretty new to me, but overall I did enjoy it.

This is a great book that was a true pleasure to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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