Book Review: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell @MCampbellBooks @StMartinsPress #AStrangerontheBeach #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer

PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Press

PUBLICATION DATE: July 23rd, 2019

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Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book to read and share my review with my followers.

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ABOUT THE BOOK: 

There is a stranger outside Caroline’s house.

Her spectacular new beach house, built for hosting expensive parties and vacationing with the family she thought she’d have. But her husband is lying to her and everything in her life is upside down, so when the stranger, Aiden, shows up as a bartender at the same party where Caroline and her husband have a very public fight, it doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.

As her marriage collapses around her and the lavish lifestyle she’s built for herself starts to crumble, Caroline turns to Aiden for comfort…and revenge. After a brief and desperate fling that means nothing to Caroline and everything to him, Aiden’s obsession with Caroline, her family, and her house grows more and more disturbing. And when Caroline’s husband goes missing, her life descends into a nightmare that leaves her accused of her own husband’s murder.

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MY REVIEW:

Caroline seems to have it all. A lavish beach house, a doting husband, a daughter in university, and lots of money. What else could she possibly want? She is the envy of everyone and seems to have the perfect life. One day Caroline sees a man standing on the beach, a stranger that seems to be watching her property. Why would this man be standing there staring at her house?

Caroline throws a lavish party at her beach house, only for her husband to call and tell her something with work has come up and he unfortunately will not be able to make it home in time for the party. Caroline is upset. What could be more important than attending his own party with his wife, and their family and friends? Later on at the party, Caroline finds out that he husband has made a brief appearance with another woman. Caroline is furious and confronts him and this mystery woman. Who is this strange woman and why would she show up with her husband? Confused and hurt, Caroline doesn’t know what to think.

I loved the dark and twisty mystery of this book, and the way it kept you on your toes and at the edge of your seat as the book takes you on a wild ride right through to the very shocking ending of this book! And wow, what a ride it was! There is so much deceit, lies and betrayal, it was hard to figure out who was actually telling the truth. There are so many unreliable characters in this book that it makes for a fabulous book! Who is telling the truth? Are they all just as crazy as the next person, or are there actual victims here?

There were times I felt sorry for Caroline, then for her husband, then for Aiden. As the story unfolds, I wasn’t sure who to feel sorry for, and I loved that about this book. Just when you think you have it all figured out you find out you were wrong.

This book will definitely not disappoint! A great read that was addictive from the very beginning!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: The Last 8 by Laura Pohl @laurampohl @SourcebooksFire @NetGalley #TheLast8 #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #getbooklit

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire

PUBLICATION DATE: March 5th, 2019

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Thank you to the publisher Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for gifting me an eARC copy of this book to read and share my review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A high-stakes survival story about eight teenagers who outlive an alien attack—perfect for fans of The 5th Wave

Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the only reason she isn’t among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.

When Clover hears an inexplicable radio message, she’s shocked to learn there are other survivors—and that they’re all at the former Area 51. When she arrives, she’s greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.

Only they aren’t the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The group seems more interested in hiding than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But then she finds a hidden spaceship, and she doesn’t know what to believe…or who to trust.

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MY REVIEW:

I loved how this book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept my interest throughout. Imagine earth as you know it being over, and taken over by aliens. Humanity dying off one by one until you find yourself alone in the world and fearing for your safety, unsure of how many survivors are left in the world and where you can turn to. Scary situation to be in for sure. Especially for young Clover Martinez.

I enjoyed reading about Clover’s character. She was determined to fight for what she believed in, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She wasn’t afraid of anything and was a fighter. I enjoyed her character development throughout the book and reading about her character.

We are introduced to a wide variety of characters in this book, as we are introduced to 7 other survivors at the former Area 51. Events unfold here where the last teenagers on earth devise a plan to fight back the aliens and reclaim what is left of their world as they knew it. And what is with this mysterious hidden spaceship that the teenagers find? Why is it there, and why was it hidden?

Will the teenagers succeed in reclaiming the earth and keep it safe from harm of these aliens? You’ll have to read this book to find out!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: I Invited Her In by Adele Parks @adeleparks @HarperCollinsCa #Iinvitedherin #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger

PUBLISHER: Mira Books

PUBLICATION DATE: February 5th, 2019

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Thank you to the publisher Harper Collins Canada for gifting me a paperback ARC copy of this book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Imagine the worst thing a friend could ever do.

This is worse.

When Mel receives an unexpected email from her oldest friend Abi, it brings back memories she thought she had buried forever. Their friendship belonged in the past. To those carefree days at university.

But Abi is in trouble and needs Mel’s help, and she wants a place to stay. Just for a few days, while she sorts things out. It’s the least Mel can do.

After all, friends look out for each other, don’t they?

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MY REVIEW:

So much lies, deception, and back-stabbing. This book had me hooked! There is so much drama going on and I absolutely loved it!

Old friends Mel and Abi were close in their carefree University days. They would hand out, party together, and seemed inseparable. Fast forward many years later and they reconnect when Mel receives an email from her long ago friend Abi.

They meet up and suddenly it is like time hasn’t separated them. Old memories of their friendship years ago come flooding back and Mel cannot believe that Abi is in her life again.

Can Abi and Mel regain their old friendship they once had and be friends again? Or is something more dark and sinister at play?

Without giving too much away, this book was a real page turner for me. I loved reading the dynamics of Mel and Abi’s friendship, and seeing how it has changed and evolved over time to the present, as they try to rekindle that friendship. Abi seems keen on getting that friendship back with Mel that she once had, but Mel seems hesitant. Is Mel being overly cautious and paranoid now that Abi is back into her life?

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MY REVIEW: 5/5 stars

 

Cover Reveal: Forget My Name by J.S. Monroe @HoZ_Books @JSThrillers #ForgetMyName #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreviewer #coverreveal

PUBLISHER: Head of Zeus

PUBLICATION DATE: June 13th, 2019

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Hello everyone. I am happy to share with you all today the cover reveal for Forget My Name by J.S. Monroe. I just love the cover of this book and the synopsis sounds so good. I cannot wait to read this book!

Please see below for more info about this exciting book!

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

You are outside your front door. There are strangers in your house. Then you realise… You can’t remember your name.

She arrived at the train station after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen, and with it, her identity. Her whole life was in there – passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, she couldn’t remember her own name. All she knew was her own address.

Now she’s outside Tony and Laura’s front door. She says she lives in their home. They say they have never met her before.

One of them is lying.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.S. Monroe read English at Cambridge, worked as a foreign correspondent in Delhi, and was Weekend editor of the Daily Telegraph in London before becoming a full-time writer. Monroe is the author of six novels, including the international bestseller, Find Me.

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BUY LINKS:

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay

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FOLLOW J.S. MONROE:

Twitter | Facebook

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FOLLOW HEAD OF ZEUS:

Twitter | Facebook

 

Blog Tour & Book Review: My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing @BerkleyPub @smariedowning #MyLovelyWife #MyLovelyWifeBlogTour #BlogTour #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookblog

PUBLISHER: Berkley Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: March 26th, 2019

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Hi there and welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Thank you to Berkley Publishing for gifting me a beautiful hardcover copy of this book and for inviting me to be a part of this exciting blog tour!

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ABOUT THE BOOK: 

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder. 

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MY REVIEW:

Addictive, thrilling, exciting, and edgy! Wow, this book was amazing! I loved it. My Lovely Wife is a thrilling and addictive thriller that will have you not wanting to stop reading! Page after page, this book will have you hooked from the first chapter!

Imagine being married and being a seemingly “normal” couple. Married with children, well known in their neighbourhood with many friends and acquaintances. They have dinner parties, attend popular work and neighbourhood functions, and are well liked. But they share a sinister secret. They enjoy hunting down the perfect person to murder, and what’s even more…they are addicted to the thrill of not being caught and getting away with it. The selection process is a lengthy and a selective one. The perfect person they will murder next has to pass a series of checks and and tests. They will not just kill anyone, but they will watch the person for some time to see if they are the perfect person for the next kill.

I enjoyed this book so much! I was immersed in the dark edginess of this book, and I loved the Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibe in this book. It was so difficult for me to put this book down, I just wanted to sit and read this in one sitting! I enjoyed reading the interesting and sinister dynamics of their marriage and the lengths they both went to in order to keep their marriage alive.

I loved reading the husband’s selection process in choosing their next victim. It was comical yet dark and edgy, and I loved it! A true masterpiece of a novel that I really did enjoy straight through to the end. And that ending.. WOW!! I definitely didn’t see that coming, and what an ending it was!

You definitely need to check this book out!! Samantha Downing killed it (see what I did there… haha) with her debut novel. Way to go Samantha! I will definitely be on the lookout for your future books!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Blog Tour & Book Review: Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson @AgoraBooksLDN @LauraPAuthor #NobodysWife #blogtour #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #nobodyswifeblogtour

PUBLISHER: Agora Books 

PUBLICATION DATE: March 28th, 2019

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Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson. I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting Blog Tour! Thank you so much to Agora Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and for gifting me a beautiful paperback ARC copy of the book to read and share my review with everyone!

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AUTHOR BIO:

Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She spent a decade living in London and working as a copywriter and editor for QVC, Expedia, Net a Porter, EE, and The Ministry of Justice. Now, she lives in Leicestershire, where she writes novels, blogs about her experience of breast cancer (www.breastcancerandbaby.com), runs The Motherload Book Club, and tries to work out how to raise her two children.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Of the four of them, only three remained. And there was no going backwards from there.’

Emily and Josephine have always shared everything. They’re sisters, flatmates, and best friends. It’s the two of them against the world.

When Emily has the perfect wedding, and Josephine finds the perfect man, they know things will change forever. But nothing can prepare them for what, or who, one of them is willing to give up for love.

Four people. Three couples. Two sisters. One unforgiveable betrayal.

From the best-selling author of Missing Pieces comes a heart-wrenching story about family, loyalty, and obsession that will have you racing to the finish.

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MY REVIEW:

I’ve read Laura Pearson’s previous novel Missing Pieces, which I LOVED, so when I heard about her latest book Nobody’s Wife I was thrilled to begin reading it! I was not disappointed!

This novel is full of secrets, lies, deception, obsession, and the ultimate betrayal! What better recipe for an amazing book!? I cannot think of one and this book certainly did not disappoint. I loved this novel and all the shocking lies and betrayal.

Nobody’s Wife starts off at Emily’s wedding. She is about to get married to her fiance Michael. Currently, Emily and Michael share a flat with Emily’s sister Josephine. They are inseparable and close friends, but as soon as they are married the couple plan to move into Emily and Josephine’s family home that they grew up in. Josephine is unsure how she feels about them moving out leaving her feeling all alone in the flat. Josephine has met a man she has been dating for a short time, but hadn’t brought him to the wedding as the relationship is still fairly new but cannot wait to introduce her sister and her new husband to this man.

Eventually Josephine introduces Emily and Michael to her recent boyfriend Jack, and they all instantly click. They seem to really like Jack, and he likes them, and they all quickly form a friendship with one another. That is, until things change and not for the good. What unfolds is the ultimate in lies, betrayal and deception.

I really enjoyed the character development in this novel and the vast set of characters we are introduced to. I really enjoyed Michael’s character. Michael was a loving and doting husband who truly seemed to love and care for his wife Emily. He seemed like a fabulous man who any woman would be lucky to be with. I was not much of a fan of Jack. When we are first introduced to Jack I really liked his character. He seemed friendly and down to earth at first, but then as we get to know him more we learn that he is selfish and deceitful.

I found myself hooked to this addictive read from the very beginning. I loved how fast paced this novel was and found myself not wanting to put it down. I flew through this book as I wanted to always know what would happen next and before I knew it I was at the end of the novel. And wow!! What a shocking ending it was! Absolutely fabulous novel!

Relationships, friendships, marriage and sisterhood are all put to the test. Will they all be able to escape this spider web of relationships or will the betrayal, lies and deception be all of their undoing? Who will come out destroyed? Will either of them escape unscathed? You’ll have to read this highly addictive and immersive book to find out!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

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FOLLOW US ON OTHER STOPS FOR THE BLOG TOUR:

 

 

Blog Tour & Book Review: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith (Bloodleaf #1) @RaincoastBooks @HMHteen @crysrensmith #Bloodleaf #yalit #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #blogtour

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: March 12th, 2019

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Hi everyone and welcome to my stop on the exciting blog tour for Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith. Thank you Raincoast for inviting me to be on this blog tour and to both Raincoast and HMH Teen for gifting me with a beautiful ARC paperback copy of the book to read.

Can we just take a moment to admire the beauty that is the cover of this book?! I mean I love it, such a beautiful cover.

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ABOUT THE BOOK: 

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life? 

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MY REVIEW:

Magical, enchanting, addictive. Three words that perfectly describe this book. I was hooked from the beginning! This book pulls you into the magical world that is full of different types of magic. Some dark magic and some good magic. Magic is frowned upon, and where Princess Aurelia is from those who use their blood magic are punished, especially those considered “witches”.

Princess Aurelia finds herself having to escape from her country as she is no longer safe there, and tries to find refuge in a nearby country. She leaves with some that are her protectors, especially her nearest and dearest friend Kellan.

I loved this story. I really enjoyed Princess Aurelia’s character. She was a young woman who was determined to fight for what she believed in. She would not back down and would do anything to protect those she loved and would stand up and face any fears. She was kind and thoughtful, and was a true warrior. It was interesting to read about her character development throughout the course of the novel and to watch her grow as a person.

I also loved reading about Kellan’s character. He too was a fearless protector and friend to Princess Aurelia. He was devoted to her and their cause, and he truly cared a lot about his friend. He was brave and was determined to do whatever he could to protect Princess Aurelia.

A story full of love, magic, friendship, and heartache. For fighting for freedom and for what you truly believe in. An addictive, magical book straight through to the end, I was immersed in the magic and beauty of this book the whole way through. A true page turner that will demand your attention to the shocking ending, you will not be disappointed in this book!

On sale now!

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MY REVIEW: 5/5 stars

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FOLLOW ALONG OTHER STOPS ON THE BLOG TOUR:

Book Review: You Owe Me a Murder by Eileen Cook @Eileenwriter @HMHteen @HMHbooks #YAlit #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger

PUBLISHER: HMH Books for Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: March 5th, 2019

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Thank you to the Publisher for gifting me a beautiful paperback copy of this book to read and share my review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Seventeen-year-old Kim gets more than she bargained for when she is set up for murder. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying, E. Lockhart, and Gillian Flynn.
17-year-old Kim never expected to plot a murder. But that was before her boyfriend dumped her for another girl. Now, Kim’s stuck on a class trip to London with him and his new soulmate and she can’t help wishing he was a little bit dead, even if she’d never really do that.
 
But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up. Nicki’s got a great sense of humor, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along—that is, until Kim’s ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies.
 
Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfill her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one.

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MY REVIEW:

Wow this book! I was hooked!

Kim and her boyfriend have recently broken up. She is devastated and heartbroken, and now has to watch him with his newest girlfriend while they all go on a school trip together to England. Kim doesn’t want to see them together, but has no other choice while on the trip.

While at the airport waiting for their flight, they find out their flight has been delayed. While waiting at the airport, Kim meets a young girl by the name of Nicki and they become instant friends. Nicki is witty, friendly, funny, adventurous and seems up for anything to have fun. Nicki tells Kim that she was visiting her father and is flying back home to England.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book, and enjoyed reading about the friendship between Nicki and Kim, especially when the plot thickens and Nicki doesn’t appear to be who she says she is.

Once we find out Kim’s ex-boyfriend dies while on their trip in England, things really start to heat up in the book. I found myself so engrossed in the book I was unable to put it down. I wanted to know who was responsible, and why he suddenly died.

Kim begins receiving mysterious, threatening messages, but who is sending them to her and why?

I found this book to be an addictive read that made me want to keep turning pages to see what would happen next. Especially when Kim is pressured to hold her end of the bargain and murder someone, or else she will have to pay for not going through with it…..After all, a deal is a deal, right?!

A great read that I highly recommend! You will love this book!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Mission Critical by Mark Greaney @MarkGreaneyBook @BerkleyPub #MissionCritical #bookreview #bookblog #bookreviewer #bookblogger

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLICATION DATE: February 19th, 2019

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Thank you to the Publisher, Berkley, for gifting me a beautiful finished copy of Mission Critical by Mark Greaney to read and share my review with others.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Court Gentry’s flight on a CIA transport plane is interrupted when a security team brings a hooded man aboard. They want to kick Gentry off the flight but are overruled by CIA headquarters. The mystery man is being transported to England where a joint CIA/MI6 team will interrogate him about a mole in Langley.

When they land in an isolated airbase in the U.K., they are attacked by a hostile force who kidnaps the prisoner. Only Gentry escapes. His handlers send him after the attackers, but what can one operative do against a trained team of assassins? A lot, when that operative is the Gray Man.

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MY REVIEW:

Wow! What a ride! A brilliantly written, fast-paced, action-filled novel that will have you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride! A nail-biter of a book, this will not disappoint you.

This was the first book by Mark Greaney that I have read and it definitely will not be my last! Mission Critical is book #8 in the Gray Man series, but can easily be read as a standalone novel. I had no trouble keeping up with what was going or or keeping up with the various characters However, I am now interested in checking out other books in this series to get more background information on all the main characters, especially the Gray Man himself.

The Gray Man, also known as Court Gentry, is one badass operative. He is ruthless, dangerous, and the best at what he does. He has to be, of course, since he is the world’s most famous assassin. You wouldn’t want to cross paths with him or get on his bad side, that’s for sure. I loved his character. He was witty, smart, and despite being an assassin I found him to be quite an interesting character.

I enjoyed the edge of your seat ride this book takes you on, and leaves you wanting more as you read chapter after chapter. This book will pull you in and demand your attention the entire way through to the very last page!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @PenguinRandomCA @doubledayca #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #watcherinthewoods

PUBLISHER: Doubleday Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: February 12th, 2019

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Thank you to Doubleday Canada for gifting me a beautiful copy of Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong to read and share my review. The cover of the book is absolutely gorgeous and the synopsis had me hooked!

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. Casey Duncan, the town’s only detective on a police force of three, has already faced murder, arson and falling in love in less than the year that she’s lived there. Yet even she didn’t think it would be possible for an outsider to find and cause trouble in the town she’s come to call home.

When a US Marshal shows up in town demanding the release of one of the residents, Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Dalton, are skeptical. And yet only hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only visible suspects are the townspeople and her estranged sister, in town for just the weekend. It’s up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why they would kill to keep him quiet.

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MY REVIEW:

Although this is book 4 in the Rockton series, it can easily be read as a standalone. This is the first book I have read in the series, and the first book by Kelley Armstrong that I have read, and I was not disappointed!

Gripping, thrilling, and addicting! Watcher in the Woods had me hooked right from the start. It is such a fast paced thriller of a book I was at the end of the book before I knew it. The pages seemed to turn themselves as I was so deeply immersed in the story, that I could not wait to see which direction the book would take next.

Imagine moving to a small town in Northern Canada, where you are set apart it seems from the rest of the world. Not many know of the place, and the ones who do live there, either to escape a part of their past or to escape someone. They are all there for one reason or another, and appear to be like a small, close family. That is, until all this takes place.

How did the US Marshal find out about the town of Rockton and how did he even get in? Who is he looking for?

I really enjoyed reading about Detective Casey Duncan’s character. She was a badass female and I love a good book with a strong, independent female lead role. She was great at her job, and it was interesting to read things from her perspective. I enjoyed reading about her relationship with her co-worker, Sheriff Dalton. They were quite the great duo. Also interesting was reading about Casey’s past, which lead her to flee for the town of Rockton as well. She has her own dark past and secrets that she is hiding.

In a town where everyone knew one another, that is until the US Marshal turned up saying one of the residents wasn’t whom everyone else believed they were, the town of Rockton is turned upside down. Life as they knew it in Rockton has changed it seems, and who can you trust? Can the town of Rockton ever be as safe as it once was?

A fabulous book that was a pleasure to read. I now need to go out and get the first 3 books in this series! I need more Rockton!

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MY REVIEW: 4/5 stars