REVIEW: The Three Mrs. Wrights by Linda Keir

Title: The Three Mrs. Wrights
Author: Linda Keir
Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: September 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Mr. Wright has everything. All that’s left to give him is what he deserves.

Lark has good things coming: a career as a board-game designer and a whirlwind romance with a handsome investor. Trip is so compassionate and supportive, he’s almost too good to be true.

Jessica has always been cautious, but she can’t resist Jonathan. The brilliant TED-talking visionary has big plans for his inspiring medical start-up. Now Jessica is invited to be part of the team—and to partner with the founder outside the office.

Holly has settled into a comfortable life with Jack, her husband of nearly twenty years. They’ve raised three children, they own a beautiful home, and they’ve founded a worthy charity. She’s proud of building a marriage that has endured—she just doesn’t want to look too closely at the cracks.

Lark, Jessica, and Holly are three strangers with so much in common it hurts. Their one and only is one and the same.

The charming Mr. Wright’s serial lies are about to catch up with him…

My Thoughts: My first time reading this author and I loved this story. Let me begin by saying my least favorite plot device is adultery and this book is full of it as well as bigamy, fraud, lying, gaslighting and Mr. Wright is guilty of it all. I really wanted to see him suffer for his crimes and I felt so much empathy for each of these women. Usually society wants to blame the other woman for getting involved with a married man, but this story clearly shows how the heart can be deceived, especially when the man is presenting himself to be someone other than who he really is. This guy is a real piece of work, even going so far as using a different name, lying about already being divorced and slandering his first wife Holly by depicting her as mentally unstable.

This story flowed so well with the chapters rotating points of view between Lark, Jessica and Holly. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook narrated by Teri Schnaubelt, which was also exceptional. Her performance brought the characters to life and drew me more fully into the story. I had no idea what to expect or what the outcome would be after my initial thought before starting was that these women discover the truth at Mr. Wright’s funeral, but death would have been too easy and he needed to suffer so much more for his actions. I honestly can’t understand how he managed to juggle three different women at the same time while keeping all of his lies and stories straight. I am looking forward to reading more of Linda Keir’s work.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of how these women would be vindicated and I wasn’t disappointed, though I really wanted to take a baseball bat to his kneecaps myself! I highly recommend this story to fans of women fiction as well as stories where the karma bus delivers justice in the most well played out way.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: In Sickness and in Death by Alana Ling

Title: In Sickness and in Death (Murder, She Tasted #1)
Author: Alana Ling
Publisher: Alana Ling
Publication Date: May 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: I didn't know I had a taste for murder until I was thrown into the middle of one.

Joanna Christie is trying to make it as a party planner in her hometown of Haven-on-Sea, on the south coast of England. She's procured a big gig planning Poppy Guildford's wedding, one of the town's many elite.

When she thinks she has everything under control, Joanna finds Poppy murdered at her wedding rehearsal.

With her business at risk, an eager and secretive assistant, and her ex-brother-in-law, Detective Anderson, on her case, Joanna has no choice but to find out who killed her client, before the murderer sets their eyes on her and her prying tongue.

My Thoughts: This book is the first title in a (so far) three title series featuring a party planner who finds herself neck deep in a murder investigation when her client is found dead at her wedding rehearsal. I didn’t shed any tears for the victim because she was the epitome of a bridezilla. Unfortunately for Joanna, the murder has cast a shadow on her business with clients cancelling left, right and center, leaving her no option but to figure out who the killer is so her business doesn’t go under.

One of the interesting aspects of this story is that Joanna has a condition called visual-gustatory synesthesia which means she can taste people, or rather, people give off a taste just as they give off a scent and Joanna can taste it as if the item is in her mouth even if the taste isn’t real.

Joanna also has a creep of an ex-husband that keeps showing up who is unable to grasp the fact they are divorced. The story leaves a lot of loose threads regarding this so I expect more will be revealed in future stories, especially since her ex-husband’s brother is the lead detective on the case.

My Final Verdict: Though the story flows well and kept me engaged, it doesn’t pack any walloping surprises. I enjoyed it and recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries as well as readers who like their murder and mayhem drenched in flowers and icing.

Thank you to the author, Alana Ling, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: To Hatch a Thief by Zara Keane

Title: To Hatch a Thief (Movie Club Mysteries #1.5)
Author: Zara Keane
Publisher: Beaverstone Press
Publication Date: July 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: An Irish cozy mystery featuring mystery, mayhem, and…chickens?

When a valuable diamond necklace is stolen, former American cop and classic movie buff, Maggie Doyle's, peaceful vacation on a remote Irish island comes to an abrupt end.

An island lawyer hires Maggie to find the necklace before its owner realizes it's missing. With a ticking clock and ten fractious hens to look after, Maggie and her UFO-enthusiast friend go in search of the thief before they strike again.

My Thoughts: A very short and fast installment that takes place approximately two weeks after the events of the first book. I recommend reading this series in order to understand how Maggie went from being a police officer in San Francisco to moving to Whisper Island, Ireland, where her father is from.

The interesting thing about this story is that there are no dead bodies, no murderous shadows stalking the innocent, no blood or bludgeoning, just good old fashioned larceny.

It was nice to catch up with Maggie, Liam and the rest of the residents on the very delightful Whisper Island. This story provided some fun moments involving dancing chickens as well. I am looking forward to spending more time with Maggie and I am hoping that the camaraderie she shares with Liam evolves into something meaningful.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good installment to this series, but I would rather there be more murder and mayhem, which I am sure this series will provide. Zara Keane is a fantastic author who also writes romance novels for those seeking less murder and more warm fuzzies. I recommend this story to fans of cozy mysteries and charming Irish locales.

Thank you to the author, Zara Keane, for the invitation to read and review this book.

REVIEW: At the Wedding by Matt Dunn

Title: At the Wedding
Author: Matt Dunn
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK / Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: September 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Livia’s been planning her wedding to Jed for ages. Now, at the venue in beautiful Barcelona, with her dress pressed and the guests all on their way, she’s only left one tiny detail until the last letting the groom know he’s about to get hitched.

But as far as Jed’s concerned, they’ve been bumping along just fine for ten years and even have a baby on the way, so why spoil things with an ‘I do’? Especially when he’d really rather not.

Meanwhile the guests are arriving with plenty of baggage of their own. Fading reality star Liam’s still on the lookout for a plus-one; Rachel’s has refused to come—and dumped her into the bargain; and divorcee Patrick’s date is more of the ‘mid-life crisis’ variety.

But as the ceremony approaches, and with no sign of Jed, there’s only one thing on all of their will there be a bride and groom at the wedding?

My Thoughts: In At the Wedding by Matt Dunn, the reader is introduced to Jed and Livia who are in Barcelona on their tenth anniversary and a few months away from the birth of their first child. They are there for a wedding, their wedding. Sounds lovely, except Jed isn’t aware that a wedding is on the horizon until Livia proposes to him on the morning of the planned nuptials. Unbeknownst to Jed, Livia has made all of the arrangements and have even roped all their best friends and Jed’s wayward brother into the scheme. To be honest, I really expected Jed to do a runner and the whole thing blow up in Livia’s face and I honestly wouldn’t have blamed him.

Yes, they’ve been together for ten years and have a baby on the way, which they planned, so why now, is there a rush to get married? Jed has never proposed before now and when he finds out that the marriage won’t be legal once they return to England, I found myself asking why the big deal? Saying the vows and cutting the cake does not guarantee a lifetime commitment so I struggled to wrap my head around Livia’s reasons more than Jed’s reaction. Additionally, he doesn’t like wearing jewelry so the whole wedding ring exchange is going to be a bit tricky.

In addition to Jed and Livia’s relationship, the reader gets to meet Patrick and his girlfriend, Izzy. Patrick is coming off of a twenty year marriage himself that ended when his wife was unfaithful. He isn’t sure he will ever feel that way about someone again and certainly not enough to get married again. He’s also old enough to be Izzy’s father and I thought she was a complete bubble head only using him for his money.

Then there’s Livia’s best friend, Rachel, who finds herself attending the wedding suddenly single because her boyfriend, Rich, would rather watch football and get drunk.

Lastly, Jed’s playboy brother, Liam who has been riding his star status for too long after appearing on a season of Big Brother a while back. He has no interest in settling down and he’s finding it more difficult to charm the ladies as easily as he used to.

I really enjoyed this story and the perspective of a male author made it highly entertaining. I was so curious as to whether Jed would show up for his own wedding and the extra drama from the gathered friends made the entire situation very interesting. I was also quite surprised at the Izzy and Liam characters. Throughout the book, I was not impressed by either of them but by the end of the book, I realized I had misjudged them as they turned out not as bad as I originally assumed.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very good story that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy stories where a wedding is the main focus. I think it better that both the bride and groom are aware what is happening and are in full agreement, but it was wonderful to see this play out.

Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Publishing UK / Lake Union Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens

Title: This Time Next Year
Author: Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Hannah Arterton
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone
Publication Date: August 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn't be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they're about to meet again...

Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year's birthday is unlucky, and that it's all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she's never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year's Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990--and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it's no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.

When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year's party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all--while Minnie's on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?

A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect--no matter what the odds.

My Thoughts: All her life, Minnie Cooper’s mother (yes, her parents really named their daughter after a car) has told her that her birthday brings her bad luck because she was supposed to be named Quinn but the woman she was helping get through her labor anxiety took the name and the cash prize for having her baby born first on New Year’s Day. I have to admit that Quinn Cooper does sound a lot better but I was never quite convinced that Minnie’s birthday bad luck was all down to that.

So on this New Year’s Eve, Minnie is attending a party with her boyfriend, Greg, and gets locked in the woman’s bathroom when the door handle comes off. Her phone has died so she can’t call anyone to help her. The next morning, Minnie is finally rescued by none other than the Quinn she has heard about her entire life but has never met in person. In addition to Minnie’s abject surprise and utter horror, she begins to see that Quinn is a nice person and someone she could see herself being friends with.

I really enjoyed this story and was rooting for Minnie and Quinn to find each other. I thought Minnie was a little biased about Quinn, for obvious reasons, and even after getting to know him she seemed to be looking for reasons to resent him. Thankfully, this doesn’t last too long as Minnie realizes she enjoys spending time with him.

Quinn hasn’t had the cushy, easy life Minnie assumes he has had. His father took off when he was little and he has been more of a caretaker for his mother who suffers from a crippling anxiety and agoraphobia. Unfortunately for Quinn, this has affected most of his relationships and he doesn’t feel he has what it takes to be in a committed relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Minnie’s journey of self-discovery and Quinn’s journey of learning to trust and lower his walls was fantastic to watch. I paired the reading of this book with the audio format narrated by Hannah Arterton and loved her performance of bringing these characters to life.

My Final Verdict: If you are new to the writing of Sophie Cousens, I highly recommend this story. If you have never read anything by this author, you are missing out on several hours of entertainment.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House, UK, Cornerstone, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Title: The Golden Couple
Author: Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
Narrator: Karissa Vacker, Marin Ireland
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: March 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.

Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.

When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.

My Thoughts: The Golden Couple is an intense roller coaster ride of a book that left me shocked and blown away by all the twists and turns that I never saw coming. On the surface, this story centers on therapist Avery Chambers and her clients Matthew and Marissa Bishop who come to Avery to help them fix their marriage after Marissa has been unfaithful. Avery’s technique is very unorthodox and caused her to lose her professional license. She is very up front with her clients…if she thinks her ten session system won’t work, she will not take them on as clients. She expects her clients to take the sessions seriously and put in the work she expects of them. She will not tolerate tardiness, absenteeism or dishonesty. I honestly did not know what to make of Avery upon first meeting her.

Avery’s impression of the Bishop’s upon first meeting them is that they are a golden couple. Shiny, bright and beautiful on the outside and to all appearances living a perfect life. Avery knows it’s all a façade and is determined to get below the surface layers to discover the truth.

As the story progressed, I struggled with figuring out who I could trust. All of the characters seemed to be playing their cards close to their chest and keeping secrets. The writing team of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have woven an intriguing tale with so many layers that I had absolutely no idea how it would all turn out. Every projection or suspicion I had proved false and when all of the secrets began to unravel and the truth was finally revealed, it knocked my fuzzy little socks right off.

The characters are multi-layered and complex. Knowing a lot of their background, I still struggled to figure out who they really are. The supporting characters are equally mysterious. The interesting thing for me is that though I loved this story, I struggled to like or trust any of the characters.

This was my first time reading the work of this writing team and I am most anxious to read more. The audio format was narrated by Karissa Vackman and Marin Ireland and their performance was stellar, with the story being told from the points of view of Avery and Marissa. I thoroughly enjoy stories told from multiple viewpoints, which helps me get to know the characters better.

My Final Verdict: This story packed a mighty large punch that required me to pick my jaw up from the floor. I highly recommend this story to readers who love twisty thrillers that keep them guessing only to be blown away at the end.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: It Started With a Tweet by Anna Bell

Title: It Started With a Tweet
Author: Anna Bell
Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre
Publication Date: December 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Can Daisy Hobson log off for love...?

Daisy Hobson lives her whole life online. A marketing manager by day, she tweets her friends, instagrams every meal and arranges (frankly, appalling) dates on Tinder. But when her social media obsession causes her to make a catastrophic mistake at work, Daisy finds her life going into free-fall . . .

Her sister Rosie thinks she has the answer to all of Daisy's problems - a digital detox in a remote cottage in Cumbria, that she just happens to need help doing up. Soon, too, Daisy finds herself with two welcome distractions: sexy French exchange-help Alexis, and Jack, the brusque and rugged man-next-door, who keeps accidentally rescuing her.

But can Daisy, a London girl, ever really settle into life in a tiny, isolated village? And, more importantly, can she survive without her phone?

My Thoughts: Can you imagine or, worse yet, actually knowing someone who is so riveted on their electronics and social media that they make the biggest blunder when they tweet something risqué on their employer’s account instead of on their personal account? The massive embarrassment, not to mention the loss of one’s job should be enough for said person to take stock and perhaps rethink what is actually important in life outside of social media.

Meet Daisy, marketing manager of a large company who is online for everything from instagramming meals and uploading photos with friends to trolling Facebook to see what everyone is up to. On her way to meet up with a Tinder date (she had actually forgotten about it so she wasn’t thinking clearly…so I will grant her a little grace here), she decides to tweet a message about perhaps getting lucky. Unfortunately, her tweet is put on her employer’s account and it goes viral overnight. Daisy now finds herself unemployed and her roommate Erica wants to take things to the next level with her boyfriend so Daisy is about to become homeless as well.

Daisy’s sister, Rosie, invites Daisy to accompany her on a digital detox retreat in Cumbria. I suspect Daisy thought it would be meditation, yoga, clean eating, maybe some massage, realigning her chakras but what Daisy gets is a mouse infested run-down farmhouse that her sister bought and wants to fix up and turn into a holiday rental. Rosie tells Daisy that if she will stay for a few weeks and work on the house with her, Rosie will do a digital detox with her. Besides, there is no Wi-Fi signal and cell phones are practically useless. Daisy agrees and Rosie chucks their phones down a well. Yes, you read that correctly, down a well.

What I really enjoyed about this story is the lengths Daisy is willing to go to find an internet signal and she isn’t above stealing or borrowing a cell phone to do it. Even if she has to slog through a bunch of mud in her suede espadrille boots to get to the top of a very tall hill to find a signal. Along the way she meets and befriends Jack, the grouchy neighbor, who doesn’t think very much of tourists. I loved watching their relationship blossom into a friendship and was rooting for them to get together.

I really enjoyed meeting Daisy and Jack and all the supporting characters. The author’s choice of a social media obsessed character and the unwelcome consequences it brings are very relevant in today’s society. People cannot drive their vehicles without looking at their phones. Their entire day to day lives are published online for all the world to see so the events that happen to Daisy after her goof, though extreme and horrific rings true. I was completely invested in how long Daisy could last without her phone or access to the internet.

My Final Verdict: I loved watching Daisy’s transformation from a self-obsessed social media zombie to someone who begins to realize the importance of relationships and connection face to face. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction and for anyone looking to unplug and get offline for a while.

Thank you to the publisher, Bonnier Zaffre, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.