REVIEW: Bring Her Home by S.A. Dunphy

Title: Bring Her Home (Boyle and Keneally #1)
Author: S.A. Dunphy
Narrator: Shelley Atkinson
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Blonde hair so bright it almost glows. Eyes wide – green, like her father’s. She thought she had her whole life ahead of her. Will she ever see her family again?

When bright, beautiful Penny O’Dwyer disappears from Cahirsiveen, a small town in the west of Ireland, the local police scour the narrow streets and muddy hills but find no leads.

Jessie Boyle swore she’d never return to Ireland. But grieving the death of her partner, and the premature end of her London Met career, she can’t say no to the case that holds her homeland in its grip. And it’s not long before Jessie uncovers something everyone else has missed: Penny isn’t the first girl to go missing.

Going back decades, women have been taken from Cahirsiveen, their bodies found on ancient burial mounds. A reference to a little-known Celtic myth buried in her messages convinces Jessie that Penny is the latest victim of the same killer. Folklore can do funny things to a small community in the misty mountains, and Jessie suspects she’s dealing with the most twisted mind of her career.

The eyes of Ireland are on Jessie and her new team, and as the boss turns up the heat, they learn to live and breathe the case. But Jessie is haunted by her own demons, and the cracks are beginning to show.

Time is running out. And just when Jessie thinks she’s found a vital clue linking the victims to a remote farm, she realizes she could be next. Can she piece together the face of evil and save Penny’s life, or will he get to Jessie first?

An absolutely unputdownable mystery thriller with a detective who will stop at nothing to find justice. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Lisa Gardner and Robert Dugoni.

Previously titled Dancing with the Dead.

My Thoughts: Bring Her Home by new to me author S.A. Dunphy is the first book in an intriguing series featuring a criminal behaviorist who returns home to Ireland to assist with a missing persons case. I liked that Jessie wasn’t a detective or investigator, as a lot of police procedurals seem to slot the main character into this role. Instead, Jessie has to delve further into the mind of the killer to figure out the clues to save the victim.

The author does a good job of providing some backstory on not just Jessie but also the victim. It didn’t give me any more empathy for the victim, but it gave me a better understanding of who she is involved with and whether that made any difference to why she was taken. I thought Jessie was a likable character and the introduction of Jessie’s team, Seamus and Terrie brought additional characters I found likable and easy to relate to.

This story includes a lot of detail in Celtic myths and folklore. If you are a fan of that, this book will hold great interest. I found a lot of it confusing, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. There are plenty of suspects to choose from but it took me most of the story to hazard a guess at the identity.

I went with the audio format of this story and the narration was performed wonderfully by Shelley Atkinson. Her Irish dialects and Celtic language were delivered quite well and helped me to visualize the characters better. I would be willing to read more from this author as I am curious to know what Jessie and Seamus encounter next.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very enjoyable story that I recommend to fans of thrillers, mysteries and police procedurals.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture Audio, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Evie's Year of Taking Chances by Christie Barlow

Title: Evie’s Year of Taking Chances
Author: Christie Barlow
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: It’s Evie’s birthday and the start of a year she’ll never forget. An emotional story of love, friendship and grabbing life by the horns.

Evie’s job has always been her safe haven. As a librarian in the little town of Becton she loses herself in books - after all it’s far easier to read about other people’s problems than set about solving her own.

Then, one birthday, everything is turned upside down. A mysterious parcel containing a beautiful book with a poignant inscription arrives for Evie. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Evie and she’s inspired to try and find her real mother.

Evie’s search leads her to meet handsome author Noah Jones. Charming and intelligent, Noah seems the perfect catch but what Evie doesn’t realize is that he is hiding something – a key to Evie’s past.

As Evie gets closer to Noah and discovering her mother, she must take a giant leap of faith. Can she embrace the new and make this her year of taking chances? And if she does, will she get her heart broken?

My Thoughts: This was a fantastically heartwarming story about a woman who decides to begin searching for her birth mother after years of struggling to fit in. The wonderful thing about Evie is that you don’t pity her or feel sorry for her in the sense that she’s a train wreck of a character. No, instead, she had a horrible start in life, being abandoned as a baby and going through numerous foster care homes, never feeling like she belonged anywhere and never learning how to read. She is taken in by her last foster mother, Irene, who not only teaches her how to read but instills in her a love of reading and helps her get a job in the same library she works at. Evie changes her last name to Irene’s and considers her more of a mother than she has ever known and their relationship is solid and magical to watch.

On her birthday, after years of always wondering why she was given up and with Irene’s support and encouragement, Evie decides to begin the search to track down her birth mother to hopefully get answers to the questions she has had her entire life. Along the way, she begins building other relationships that also thrive and blossom and opens herself to the possibility that she could also find and receive the love of her life.

I adored Evie. I felt an immediate connection to her and loved that she works in a library and despite the rocky start to her life she has come out very well grounded and balanced. She cares about others and is a good friend and daughter. She is someone I could easily work well with and be friends with. I loved the side story of not only her search for her birth mother, but also the side story of her crush on aspiring author, Noah, and the gift of her favorite author’s newest book by an anonymous benefactor.

All of the supporting characters added so much depth and dimension to the story and I felt connections to them as well. I really loved Irene and the care she gives to Evie is so genuinely displayed, I got misty eyed several times. Evie’s workmate and flatmate, Clara, was a hoot and I would love to see a story for her.

This story moves at a wonderful pace and though I figured out somethings pretty quick, there were still quite a few surprises that I wasn’t expecting and absolutely loved. I really enjoy this author’s work and voice and look forward to reading much more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a wonderful read that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy the chick-lit, contemporary romance and women’s fictions genres. Readers who also enjoy stories of friendship, forgiveness and taking steps forward with courage and bravery will also enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Pillow Stalk by Diane Vallere

Title: Pillow Stalk (Mad for Mod Mystery #1)
Author: Diane Vallere
Narrator: Susie Berneis
Publisher: Henery Press
Publication Date: March 2014
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Interior Decorator Madison Night has modeled her life after Doris Day's character in Pillow Talk, but when a killer targets women dressed like the bubbly actress, Madison's signature sixties style places her in the middle of a homicide investigation.

The local detective connects the new crimes to a twenty-year old cold case, and Madison's long-trusted contractor emerges as the leading suspect. As the body count piles up like a stack of plush pillows, Madison uncovers a Soviet spy, a campaign to destroy all Doris Day movies, and six minutes of film that will change her life forever.

My Thoughts: First time reading this author and found the premise of this story absolutely adorable. As a fan of Doris Day, I loved the numerous references to Doris, her movies and the mod style of interior design and fashion.

I liked Madison and found her to be an interesting character. She and Doris Day share a birthday and I would go so far to say she’s Doris’s biggest fan. She is such a loyal fan that she named her puppy ”Rocky” in acknowledgement of one of Doris’s co-stars, Rock Hudson. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan and Madison discovers that the villain will murder to get what they want. Unfortunately, the victims, like Madison, were all dressed in the Doris Day style. I quickly began to wonder if Madison were the actual target.

This story is well crafted and the visualization I received at the author’s precise and detailed description of the mod style of décor and fashion gave me the feeling I was standing in the room with Madison. The plot moves at a good pace without feeling rushed and I struggled to the end of the story without ever figuring out who the killer was.

I went with the audiobook format for this story and enjoyed the narration performed by Susie Berneis. Her portrayal of each character brought out their personalities flawlessly. I was easily able to connect and relate to Madison and had a lot of empathy for her situation. Madison is like a lot of other cozy heroines who, through chance or fate, finds herself in the killer’s sights, thus needing to be rescued, as it seemed the killer was always two steps of her.

The supporting characters were great, as well. They balanced the story wonderfully. I’m not sure if there is a relationship in store for Madison in the future, but I really enjoyed that the focus was on the murders instead of romance.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a really good story that will appeal to cozy mystery fans and if you love Doris Day too, then all the better. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Henery Press, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce

Title: It Ends at Midnight
Author: Harriet Tyce
Narrator: George Weightman; Lucy Paterson; Samara MacLaren
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Publication Date: February 2023
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: It's New Year's Eve, and the stage is set for a lavish party in one of Edinburgh's best postcodes. It's a moment for old friends to set the past to rights - and move on. And yet, the celebration fails to materialize.

Because someone at this party is going to die.

Midnight approaches and the countdown begins…and it seems one of the guests doesn't want a resolution.

They want revenge.

But there are many present at the party who might have reasons for seeking revenge, and just as many who have spent their lives trying to outrun it. So who is the killer, and who is the victim?

Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn and Lucy Foley, It Ends at Midnight will haunt readers long after its stunning finale as it questions what we are willing to say – and believe – to ensure our own peace of mind.

My Thoughts: There is a lot to unpack with this story and when the characters are not likeable, it puts the reader in a precarious position of trying to decide whether anyone is redeemable or should the author just kill them all off. The characters I was prepared to not like turned out to be redeemable after all. This book is an excellent example of how lies can destroy everything around us and we are responsible for not blindly accepting what we are told as truth without verifying it for ourselves.

Sylvie and Tess have been friends since they were schoolgirls. Through Sylvie, Tess met her husband Marcus. Nearly twenty years after their wedding and many years of not speaking to each other, Sylvie and Tess reconnect where Sylvie learns that Tess may have a brain tumor and Marcus has left her. Tess also wants Sylvie’s assistance in putting the past right. There are secrets galore both of these women are keeping and Sylvie, especially, stands to lose everything if the past is revealed.

This story packs quite a punch as it begins with two people falling to their death at a New Year’s Eve party in Edinburgh. The reader knows almost immediately that it’s a man and a woman, but the identity is not revealed until the last twenty minutes of the story. This story requires a lot of patience on the part of the reader as there are many twists and turns, both past and present, leading up to these deaths.

I was able to figure out fairly quickly the intentions of one of the characters but I couldn’t figure out if Tess or Sylvie or both of them were lying and shouldn’t be trusted. I was not able to figure out who died until it was revealed and it left me not only surprised but sad at the waste of life and the damage that secrets can cause.

The plotting was tight and kept me engaged in the story. As more of the past was revealed, the actions of both Tess and Sylvie shocked me. There are some quite graphic and gruesome scenes so reader be warned, if you go with the audiobook format, you might be in for a shock. The narration was performed exceptionally well and illustrated the personalities and emotions of the characters flawlessly. This was my first Harriet Tyce book and I will be looking for more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this to be a fantastic story that gives the reader a very edgy and twisty plot, with characters that are multi-layered and not easy to relate to. Readers who don’t mind the absence of a happy ending will find this story riveting.

Thank you to the publisher, HighBridge Audio who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Abby Page by P.A. Laver

Title: Abby Page
Author: P.A. Laver
Publisher: P.A. Laver
Publication Date: August 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description: Those we love will guide us long after they have gone…

Abby Page, a married mid-30s Gen Y has just had her world turned upside down. Her husband of twelve years has unexpectedly left her for another man – and she has just been made redundant from her ten year position as a senior bookkeeper.

Could it get any worse?

Unfortunately, yes, but help is on its way. Barbara, her mother, has turned up to provide maternal advice in her hour of need. Just one small problem, Barbara passed away two years ago – but now she’s back and talking to Abby from the hall mirror.

Abby would be the first to admit that she was never the perfect daughter. She’s always been too mouthy, too honest, too tall, and has a bump on her nose. And lately she’s developed a really shitty attitude.

But Abby’s bubble of ignorant bliss has burst. The world is not as she thought. From complacency and conformity she is now experiencing the cruel realities of being on her own and unemployed.

Abby Page is willing to tell you her story, warts and all. There could just be a lesson or two in here on how to survive and even thrive in a world of deceit and treachery – and all with a little help from dead people. And then there’s that other thing. Fancy discovering the joys of sex at 35!

My Thoughts: If you are the type of reader that wants to know absolutely nothing about a book before reading, this book will provide some moments of laughter, surprise, tears and a really good story about a woman recovering from divorce and starting over at 35. If you are like me, however, and want to know a little bit about the book and depend on the back cover blurbs, you may go into this book expecting something that the book does not provide. It’s not always a bad thing as unexpected surprises can often turn into blessings. I went into this book expecting a chick-lit story about a woman who after her husband leaves her for another man begins talking to her dead mother in the mirror. I thought that Abby’s dead mother would talk her into all sorts of exciting adventures to get her out of her shell and back into her life. I expected fun and frivolity which is what I come to expect with chick-lit. The dead mother in the mirror is there and though I enjoyed the conversations she and Abby have, it wasn’t central to the story at all.

Instead, Abby is an introverted woman who has spent the last dozen years living the life of a wife and worker. Her dreams haven’t quite turned out the way she expected. She thought that she and her boyfriend, Rodney, would marry and she would have children and life would just flow down the happy tranquil river. Instead, a dozen years later, Rodney dumps her for another man and leaves her high and dry trying to work out how she will be able to afford the mortgage and make ends meet. To add insult to injury, she is terminated by her employer and bookkeeping jobs are harder to find than she expects.

I admired Abby’s strength of will and determination. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she gets busy trying to sort out her finances and secure another position. Even when it appears that there are forces at work to ensure Abby fails, she doesn’t cower, run or admit defeat. She eventually secures a job with a small company that appears to employ just her and her boss. Abby is so busy learning her new job and trying to survive there isn’t much time left at the end of the day for conversations with her deceased mother or adventures.

This author is new to me so I was also taken by surprise at the deft twists and turns this plot unfolds. Just when I start to get comfortable with Abby’s surroundings and situations, the author tosses in an unexpected event that had me wondering how it all would play out. Fortunately, the conclusion was satisfying, without unnecessary cliffhangers.

The author did a fantastic job creating characters that change and grow in realistic situations and life events. The story is well structured and told completely from Abby’s perspective. Though this story was not what I was expecting, I found it to be easy to read and understand. The supporting characters added depth to the story and were interesting.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I enjoyed this story immensely and felt a range of many emotions while reading. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction as well as readers who like stories that surprise you with characters who find strength and survive what life throws at them.

Thank you to the author, P.A. Laver, for the invitation to read and review.

REVIEW: The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Title: The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet #1)
Author: Sarah Adams
Narrator: Renee Dorian, Teddy Hamilton
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: December 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?

Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.

Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)

Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with...oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!

Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.

How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?

Send help.
XO Bree

My Thoughts: I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book as I have never been interested in sports romance. I don’t know why but the idea of one or both of the main characters being athletes have never appealed to me. However, upon learning that Teddy Hamilton was one of the narrators of the story, I didn’t seem to care as much because he is a brilliant narrator that brings the characters and the story to life in vivid display.

Secondly, it doesn’t take long for the reader to fall for both Bree and Nathan. These two characters are too adorable and the only annoying thing about them is that it took them this long to figure out they are crazy for one another and belong together. Really, how wonderful is it to be in love with your best friend and they feel the same? Of course, you need to communicate that with each other and they communicate it loud and clear to their inner monologues, but it takes them a while to get with the program. However, I forgave them because they are adorable.

This is the first book in a series and I’m still on the fence about whether I want to commit to another series. If you saw how many titles I have sitting on my Kindle and iPod, you would totally understand my hesitation. This book is my first by author Sarah Adams. I don’t understand why I haven’t picked up anything by her before as she has a fresh voice and humor that comes through so eloquently.

I also loved meeting all the secondary characters and Nathan’s teammates were hysterical. Let’s just say that when I think of pedicures and football players in the same sentence in the future, I will burst out laughing all over again. Additionally, I liked that this story had depth and substance between the characters outside of the bedroom. When done well, the heightened anticipation of what is simmering between the main characters can be much better than just tossing everything out and jumping between the sheets.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a great story to choose if you are looking for something that will increase your heart rate and tickle your funny bone. I highly recommend it to all readers of the contemporary romance and romantic comedy genres because it gives the reader all the warm fuzzies we look for in this genre.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.