Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson 5 Stars

Never Have I Ever has been talked about quite a bit this summer, and I am so grateful to William Morrow Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to read and review!

A quick description:
Don't play games you can't afford to lose...
Amy Whey is proud of her ordinary life and the simple pleasures that come with it -teaching diving lessons, baking cookies for new neighbors, helping her best friend, Charlotte, run their local book club.  Her greatest joy is her family: her devoted professor husband, her spirited fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, her adorable infant son.  But Amy's sweet, uncomplicated life begins to unravel when the mysterious and alluring Angelica Roux arrives on her doorstep one book club night.
Sultry and magnetic, Roux beguiles the group with her feral charm.  She keeps the wine flowing and lures them into a game of spilling secrets.  Everyone thinks it's naughty, harmless fun.  Only Amy knows better.  Something wicked has come her way -a she-devil in a pricey red sports car who seems to know the terrible truth about who Amy is and what she once did.  
When they're alone, Roux tells her that is she doesn't give her what she asks for, what she deserves, she's going to make Amy pay for her sins.  One way or another.
To protect herself and her family and save the life she's built, Amy must beat the devil at her own clever game, matching wits with Roux in an escalating war of hidden pasts and unearthed secrets.  Amy knows the consequences if she can't beat Roux.  What terrifies her is everything she could lose if she wins.

I was hooked from the very first chapter! Two strong female characters, circling around each other, ready to pounce at any moment.  So many twists and turns that kept me utterly enthralled.  This book shattered my mind.  Two different times, I had to put it down and walk away, just so I could absorb what I had just read.
Amy and Roux were so different, but also so similar.  I didn't particularly like either of them as people, but at least Amy had some redeeming qualities as a good mother/step-mother/wife. The drama was expertly woven as the different characters lives began to unravel.  This was an outstanding story, incredibly well written, and completely fascinating. I was guessing until the final pages.  A 5 star read!

What would you do to keep your darkest secrets hidden from those that you love? 

Release date: July 30th, 2019

The Passengers by John Marrs 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkeley Publishing Group for the ARC to read and review!

A quick description:
You're riding in your self driving car when suddenly the doors lock, the route changes and you have lost all control.  Then, a mysterious voice tells you, "You are going to die."
Just as self-driving cars become the trusted, safer norm, eight people find themselves in this terrifying situation, including a faded TV star, a pregnant young woman, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife, and a suicidal man.
From cameras hidden in their cars, their panic is broadcast to millions of people around the world.  But the public will show their true colors when they are asked, "Which of these people should we save?...And who should we kill first?"

I've read a few other books by John Marrs, so I was happy to see this book was available for review.  This book was definitely a fast paced thriller.  A glimpse in to a possible not-so-distant future, and a brilliantly twisted novel.

Each of the 8 passengers had their own secrets to hide, as well as reasons for what they did, and the hackers were diabolical in their actions.  From beginning to end, I was engrossed in this story.

The theme of this book was disturbing and thought-provoking, and the characters were all easy to relate to.  It was so simple to choose one passengers story over another.  Mob mentality at it's finest, I suppose!
I also really liked the references to his novel The One, which I just found out is going to be a Netflix series!  I guess I'm a bit behind, but I definitely want to watch it because I thought the book was outstanding!

I'm rating this 4 Stars, an amazing story that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Release date: 8/27/2019

Moth to a Flame by Cambria Hebert 4.5 Stars

Thank you to Cambria Hebert for giving me an ARC to read and review!  Any images used in this post were originally posted on Facebook by Cambria Hebert.

I'll start off by saying that Cambria Hebert is a 1-click author of mine.  She writes a book, I buy it and devour it.  This book was no different.  

A quick description for those who are new to this book:
The only thing drawn to her more than danger is him...Danger isn't Zoey's middle name.  But it is something she can't forget, something she's reminded of every time she looks in the mirror.  For those reasons, Zoey has become an expert at creating the perfect illusion.  Her ability to fool the eye, to create truth where there was previously none makes her the best in the business.
Working as a makeup and special effects artist for Hollywood combines her two life must-haves: her passion for makeup and hiding in plain sight,  It also doesn't hurt that she's safe within the heavily secured and secret studio sets, away from the public eye. 
Then her perfect job becomes her perfect nightmare.
Not only does her illusion slip with the blast of icy water, but it does so in front of the country's biggest action hero, and the gossipiest of celebrity TV shows.
At first, Zoey thinks danger hasn't caught to her and the worst thing about her mishap is the world's most perfect man sees her in all her not-so-perfect glory.
Until a series of unexplained accidents begins on set.
That's when Zoey knows.
Danger as caught up to her...and this time she fears death has too.


This was a great story!  Lots of twists and turns to keep you wondering.  Zoey is a strong well written character.  Her tough outer exterior is only surpassed by her inner strength.  Nick is the perfect Hollywood heartthrob with a heart of gold.  Their dynamic was fascinating.  All the secondary characters were written well.

Following the character development and the story line of this book was really fun because it was like watching them become 3 dimensional people, rather than book characters. Could this novel become a movie?  Definitely!  Would I watch it?  Absolutely.

This is a really hard review to write, because there is so many things I want to talk about that I CANNOT spoil for everyone!  So, read this book, and then COME BACK and we'll talk about it!  Comment, message, whatever!  We need to discuss this book.

I rate this book 4.5 Stars.  Another must-read winner by Cambria Hebert!

Release date: 8/2/2019

The Chain by Adrian McKinty 5 Stars

The book The Chain has been on my must read list for months now. I had a few others I wanted to read before I was going to start this one, but then I saw it made the Summer Book Club on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and I didn’t want to wait anymore. 

The premise of this story is that a stranger kidnaps your child.  In order to free them, you must abduct someone else’s child. When your victim’s parents kidnap another child, yours will be freed.  If all of this doesn’t happen, your child will be killed. If you contact law enforcement, your child will be killed. If you stray from any of the directions, your child will be killed. 

You are now part of the chain. 

This novel really makes you think. What would you do in this situation?  Would you risk it all by going through law enforcement, or would you break the law and do whatever you could to get your child back safely?

I had a really tough time putting this book down last night, but I finally succumbed to exhaustion around 1 am.  Even after thinking about it all night, I still don’t know what I would have done in this situation. The emotional roller coaster that this made me go through is indescribable. You’ll have to read it for yourself. 

I have to rate this book as 5 stars. A definite must read. If you’ve read it, what did you think?  What would you do?

Release date: July 9th 2019

Making Up by Helena Hunting 4 Stars

Making Up is a standalone novel in the Shacking Up series.  Cosy Felton is a 22 year old free spirited college student, who works in a sex toy shop in Las Vegas while finishing her degree in hotel management.  She meets Griffin Mills while he is perusing the merchandise at her shop for a bachelor party. 

Griffin, the eldest Mills brother at age 33, is in Vegas on a business trip to escape an awful breakup, and while he is uncomfortably shopping for sex toys and lube he finds himself undeniably attracted to the quirky Cosy.  No matter the age difference, Griffin is convinced that Cosy is the only one for him...now if only he could persuade her to believe it too.

Helena Hunting is always on my 1-click list when it comes to new books, and Making Up was no different.  The story is filled with heat, angst, and the extremely humorous writing style that Hunting is known for in her bestselling novels.

I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, but I'll say that I laughed a lot while reading this book.  Cosy and Griffin were really well written, difficult not to fall in love with.  Making Up is a great addition to the Shacking Up world.  I look forward to the next Helena Hunting 1-click!

4 Star read!

Released 7/16/19

Beneath the Attic by V.C. Andrews 3.75 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC to read and review!

When I first found out that there was a new prequel to the Flowers in the Attic series, I was really excited!  I immediately called my mom to discuss.  See, it was her copy of Flowers in the Attic that I originally read so many years ago and while she probably didn't know that I borrowed it, she never censored my reading materials.

This is the story of Garland and Corinne Foxworth, Malcolm's parents.  It's set two generations before the second Corinne locked her own children in the attic at Foxworth Hall.  Corinne Dixon is a young, coquettish girl from a good family.  She meets Garland at an anniversary party of her parents friends, and is immediately struck by his charm.

Corinne is very manipulative, but also far too naive for a man of Garland's age and reputation.  After her pregnancy is discovered, Garland does the reputable thing and asks for her hand in marriage  Quickly she is moved into Foxworth Hall and rushed into matrimony and an omnious environment.  Even that many years ago, the Hall is full of mystery, sinister secrets, and obsessions.


My thoughts:
Obviously this was written by a ghostwriter, as V.C. Andrews passed many years ago.  It's a very familiar plot line, especially if you've read a lot of V.C. Andrews books.  I did enjoy the story though.  For years I've wondered about the early generations of Foxworth's, and some of my questions were answered.
The only inconsistency I noticed was a mention of Scarlett O'Hara.  This book was set in 1890.  Gone With the Wind (an AMAZING book) was written in 1936.  I look forward to the next book in this series.  If you liked the original series, you should read this book.
I give this 3.75 stars.

Release date: 8/27/19

The Silence by Tim Lebbon 4 Stars

The Silence is a novel written by Tim Lebbon.  Lebbon is a New York Times bestselling author who resides in the UK, and generally writes horror/dark fantasy.  Many of his novels have been produced into movies, including The Silence.

The Silence is an apocalyptic thriller that follows a teenaged girl named Ally, who was left deaf as a child due to an accident, and her family's survival in a world forced into silence.  Ally, her parents Hue and Kelly, her brother Jude, and grandmother Lynne have an advantage in this new world because they know sign language.

Like many horror stories, it begins with people going into a place that they should never enter. In this case, it’s a self contained ecosystem in an enclosed set of caves.  Within those caves is a ravenous creature that they call vesps.  The vesps are a weird bat like creature that are blind and hunt by sound alone. The creatures breed and multiply horrifically fast, and mature to adults in mere days, and have a gluttonous appetite and attack in swarms reducing humans and animals to bones.  Within weeks of their escape, entire countries have been destroyed and humanity is facing extinction.

Ally and her family leave their home and flee across the country to try and reach safety at a remote estate in Scotland.   I had a really tough time putting this book down so that I could go to sleep.  The story was engrossing, and there were so many threats to their lives other than the vesps.

I know that this has been made into a Netflix movie, but I haven’t seen it yet. Not only because I have to read the book first, but mainly because I cannot watch horror movies. Have you read the book and seen the movie?  What do you think?  Leave me a comment or send me a message!

I give this novel 4 stars!

Release date: 4/14/15