🟣 :::READING THREAD::: Week of July 14

Great reading week for me.  



THE NEXT MRS PARRISH (‘24 - 4 STARS) BY LIV CONSTANTINE
DESCRIPTION : Amber Patterson Parrish has come a long way from being an invisible wallflower. Her hard work and immaculate planning have paid off now that she’s a prominent socialite, but that doesn’t mean she’s had it easy along the way. Less than a year since her husband Jackson’s tax evasion scandal, Amber is still at the top of the Bishops Harbor community pecking order, free to do as she wishes while Jackson sits in prison. But that freedom is quickly coming to an end. With Jackson getting released from prison, Amber’s time—and money—is vanishing. Meanwhile, Daphne Parrish left Bishops Harbor after her divorce from Jackson Parrish, swearing she would never go back. But when her daughter, Tallulah, runs away from home, desperate to see her father, Daphne agrees to return for the summer to allow him supervised visits. Once out of prison, Jackson swears he’s a changed man but Daphne knows all too well that Jackson can’t be trusted. When a ghost from Amber’s past emerges looking for revenge, the three of them find unlikely allies in one another, but who is playing who? When all is said and done, they’ll have to fight tooth and nail for everything they have left in this zero-sum game.

REVIEW :

Very consistent author. Previous books by this author (really two sisters!) were The Senator’s Wife (‘23 - 3.5 Stars), Stranger in the Mirror (‘21 - 5 Stars), The Wife Stalker ('20 - 4 Stars), The Last Time I Saw you ('19 - 3 Stars) and The Last Mrs. Parrish ('17 - Read '18 - 5 Stars).
Tearisci enjoyed this book.

Early indications make me think this will be a merry-go-round of who is trying to get revenge on who. Oh well, hop on for the ride ! Lots of suspense and kept me guessing. Good ending. Even though its been 7 years since the first book, I feel it could definitely be read as a standalone since the authors do a good job at covering the past histories.



THE FAMILY TRIP (MAY ‘24 - 260 PGS/ENDS AT 90% ON KINDLE - 4 STARS) BY DANIEL HURST
DESCRIPTION : How can a whole family go missing? Everybody wants to be like the Conways – beautiful and rich with an enviable lifestyle. Rosalind and Donovan have everything most people dream of. But on a family trip to Ireland – the place where they fell in love – the secrets of their complicated past begin to unravel. Nothing about the Conways is as it seems. Then Rosalind, Donovan and their eight-year-old son Barnaby all go missing. No-one will guess the truth. And no-one knows where they are. Except me…

REVIEW :

First books by this author were The Wife’s Baby (‘24 - 268 Pgs - 3 Stars), The Colleagues (‘24 - 4 Stars), The Couple’s Revenge (‘24 - 258 Pgs - 4 Stars), Her Husband’s Mistake (‘23 - Only 217 Pgs - 4 Stars) and The Intruder (‘22 - 270 Pgs - 3 Stars).

The one good things about shorter books is that the plot starts very quickly. Good abrupt beginning. Loved trying to figure-out the “why” in this book. Kept me guessing. The ending felt a little rushed, but I still stuck with 4 stars.



THE HATERS (‘24 - 5 STARS) BY ROBYN HARDING
DESCRIPTION : Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender. Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her? As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted. 

REVIEW :

Previous books by this author for me were The Drowning Woman (‘23 - 4 Stars), The Perfect Family (‘21 - 4 Stars), The Swap (‘20 - 3 Stars), The Arrangement (‘19 - 4 Stars), Her Pretty Face (‘18 - 5 Stars) and The Party (‘17 - 4 Stars).

Robyn Harding’s writing just wraps me up and I can’t stop reading. One of those authors that I keep saying “one more chapter before bed” too many times before lights-out. She kept the tension high in this tale about trolls trying to ruin the reputation of a new author. Sad to see social media used to ruin someone’s life. Loved watching the main character never giving up and pushing on.



Hoping everyone keeps cool this week and picks a 5-star read !

Two books for me this week, both super quick reads.

1. The Locked Door by Freida: Freida is always fun. This book has a few spots where you definitely roll your eyes b/c the plot is so implausible. 4/5 stars.

2. Consent by Ciment: This is fascinating. First, 30 years ago, she wrote a previous memoir about her marriage at age 17 to her teacher, a man, age 47. This book is that memoir revisited and her new thoughts. In book 1, she initiated their relationship. In book 2, she calls that perspective into question. But she leaves some things very open-ended. I personally think she could not consent and that he was 100% wrong. 4/5 stars.

Currently reading Exiles by Jane Harper. Up next, which I am really, really excited about: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. This one has a 4.56 review on GR. Super impressive.

Lisa

Last week I finished reading Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth. Told from 3 points-of-view over 2 timelines it was a pretty good read with a twist that left me with some questions. 4/5 stars

Now I'm reading A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks. Is it my imagination or is there a big uptick in books with the word Lie in the title??

 

Yeah... 

I'm so glad you posted this! I've had this book on my TBR list for a while and I didn't realize it was released last week. I'll start it after I finish my current read.


I guess I'm a bit behind; I have three to post this week.

After reading Night Road by Kristin Hannah (which I liked and rated 4 stars) I chose another of her books, Home Front.
A female soldier returns from war and faces a battle with her marriage and family.
I didn't love this one and it's my least favorite of all Hannah's books I've read. 3.5 stars

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit.

I found this to be a fascinating look on what can happen to a person who is incarcerated in our prison system. One life is stagnant and they feel everything outside is just as they left it. The other life lives in a changing landscape where nothing can really stay the same. For me, this was a very thought-provoking book although it went on a bit too long. 4 stars

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin
In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together.

Emily Giffin's latest release. I LOVE Emily, as an author and a person. I usually rate her books 5 or 4 stars. This was a miss for me. I didn't like any of the characters; they were immature, whiny, or annoying. She tries to hit every social issue and it ends up feeling thrown together. I'll continue to read every book Giffin puts out, but this one lands at the bottom of my stack. 3 (generous) stars

I finished one book this week, Mister Magic by Kiersten White, after it was recommended on here. I really liked it and thought it was very original. I didn't love the ending so I'm giving it a 4/5.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who—or what—the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.

Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

I finished The Covent of Water by Abraham Verghese, the same author who wrote Cutting for Stone.

It was about 3 generations of a a family in India, from 1900 to 1977. It was interesting and I learned a lot I didn’t know about the religionist make up of the country I hadn’t known before. Medical care, discoveries and leposy made up a lot of the story. It also was very wordy, 775 pages worth, with lots of characters.

I enjoyed the book, but I think I liked Cutting for Stone better.

I loved Cutting for Stone as well as Verghese's memoir that had something to do with tennis.
I've tried reading "Covenant" and haven't gotten into it, but to be fair, neither time was I in a place where I could spend a chunk of time getting into the story.  A few pages before falling asleep.  I should try again.

flanz I didn't watch it. I only read the book because I like the author and just picked out something of hers from the library. I see that it's included with Prime so I may check it out.

I liked this one too. 

I wasnt a fan of the series, but  I thought the book was amazing!

I’m also a big Alex Kava fan!  I’ve been reading her for many years.  The 8-book K9 Ryder Creed series were all great reads (4 stars) with the books 5&6&8 receiving 5 stars from me. Always great to be back with the Ryder Creed crew, like coming home! You definitely need to start with book 1 to get connected to all the characters.

I’ve also read 7 books in the Maggie O’Dell series (Stranded #11, Hotwire #9, Black Friday #7, Exposed #6, A Necessary Evil #5, At The Stroke of Madness #4 and A Perfect Evil #1). Plus a stand-a-lone novel, Whitewash ‘07.

I haven’t seen any update on Book 9 of the Ryder Creed series.  I was hoping for end-of-year, but no word so far.  

This looks really good and like you said GREAT reviews all over.  Looking forward to your review.  

Have you read anything else by this author ? 

Yes. He wrote We Begin at the End, and I just happened to find it a couple of days ago at my library, so I bought it. I read this a while ago and loved it. My library sells hardbacks for $1.00 and paperbacks for 50 cents, so well worth it. Such great deals! 

Lisa