REVIEW: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Title: If I Never Met You
Author: Mhairi McFarlane
Narrator: Sara Novak
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: March 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

My Thoughts: Although I completely understood and empathized with Laurie’s situation, I’m not a fan of the fake-dating trope. When a relationship is built on a lie, it sets a troubling precedent, no matter how justified the participants may feel.

I’m also wary of workplace romances—not because dating a boss or coworker is inherently wrong, but because private lives can quickly become office gossip. Laurie and Jamie face intense scrutiny from their colleagues, even after their relationship becomes genuine. If the relationship ends, the workplace can become a battleground, creating awkwardness, discomfort, and an unwelcome loss of privacy.

What makes the story compelling is how convincingly the fake relationship develops, even though the eventual outcome is easy to anticipate. I enjoyed Laurie and Jamie’s chemistry, the ease with which they connect, and the support they offer each other when painful events from their pasts come to light.

McFarlane also blends romantic comedy with sensitive subjects and emotional upheaval remarkably well. This is only the second book I’ve read by her, but it left me eager to explore more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Despite my reservations about the fake-dating and workplace-romance tropes, If I Never Met You won me over with its engaging chemistry, emotional depth, and thoughtful balance of humor and heavier themes. The destination may be predictable, but the journey feels sincere, entertaining, and ultimately satisfying. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven contemporary romance with wit and heart.

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

REVIEW: Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase

Title: Little Girls Sleeping (Detective Katie Scott #1)
Author: Jennifer Chase
Narrator: Lisa Rost-Welling
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: May 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: He looked down at the little girl, sleeping peacefully, her arms wrapped around a teddy bear. He knew he was the only one who could save her. He could let her sleep forever.

An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memories, Katie vows she won’t rest until she discovers what happened to Chelsea.

But as Katie starts to investigate, the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly colored teddy bear.

Katie links the graves to a stack of missing-persons cases involving young girls—finding a pattern no one else has managed to see. Someone in Pine Valley has been taking the town’s daughters for years, and Katie is the only one who can stop them.

And then another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home.

Katie’s still haunted by the friend she failed to protect, and she’ll do anything to stop the killer striking again—but can she find the little girl before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in a series with fifteen published installments as of this review. The story follows Katie Scott, a police officer and Army veteran who returns to her hometown with her K9 partner, Cisco. Katie carries significant emotional trauma that is not fully explained, though I hope the series sheds more light on her past as it develops. Her uncle, the town sheriff, offers her an administrative position with the department while she decides what comes next.

Katie inadvertently discovers the graves of two little girls who disappeared several years earlier, their murders still unsolved. Determined to identify the person responsible for the abductions and killings, she makes the case a personal priority—even if pursuing it means stepping on the assigned detective’s toes.

I adore stories in which dogs and cats play prominent roles, and this book was no exception. I loved Cisco and hope he appears throughout the series.

Overall, the story was good, but I am still trying to understand what Katie endured in her youth, later as an adult, and while serving overseas. The book offers vague hints about her trauma without providing concrete answers, which can be frustrating for a reader like me who prefers loose threads to be tied up.

Even so, I enjoyed the story enough to continue the series and see what Katie and Cisco get into next.

My Final Verdict: Little Girls Sleeping is an engaging start to the Detective Katie Scott series, pairing a compelling mystery with a likable K9 partner in Cisco. Although Katie’s unresolved backstory left me wanting more clarity, the investigation held my interest and the characters have enough promise to bring me back for the next book.

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

REVIEW: The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag

Title: The Bitter Season (Kovac and Liska #5)
Author: Tami Hoag
Narrator: David Colacci
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: January 2016
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: EVERY FAMILY HAS A SECRET. THEIRS WILL CHILL YOU TO THE CORE.

A murder from the past. A murder from the present. And a life that was never meant to be... As the dreary, bitter weather of late fall descends on Minneapolis, Detective Nikki Liska is restless. After moving to the cold case squad in order to spend more time with her sons, she misses the rush of pulling an all-nighter, the sense of urgency of hunting a murderer on the loose. Most of all she misses her old partner, Sam Kovac.

Sam is having an even harder time adjusting to Nikki's absence, saddled with a green new partner younger than pieces of Sam's wardrobe. Sam is distracted from his troubles by an especially brutal double homicide: a middle-aged husband and wife bludgeoned and hacked to death in their home with a ceremonial Japanese samurai sword. Nikki's case, the unsolved murder of a family man, community leader, and decorated sex crimes detective for the Minneapolis PD, is less of a distraction: Twenty years later, there is little hope for finding the killer who got away.

On the other end of the spectrum, Minneapolis resident Evi Burke has a life she only dreamed of as a kid in and out of foster homes: a beautiful home, a family, people who love her, a fulfilling job. Little does she know that a danger from her past is stalking her perfect present. A danger powerful enough to pull in both Kovac and Liska and destroy the perfect life she was never meant to have.

My Thoughts: Because The Bitter Season was published in 2016 and, as of 2026, no additional books have featured Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska, it seems reasonable to view this as the likely final installment in the series. That gives the story a bittersweet quality, especially after the events of the previous book.

Nikki and Sam are no longer partners in this book, and that shift is felt throughout the story. Nikki misses working with Sam, but her move to the cold case unit gives her more time with her sons and keeps her away from the immediate danger of chasing active killers. I was glad to see that they still cross paths, and their scenes together continue to deliver the camaraderie and banter I enjoy so much.

Nikki’s twenty-five-year-old murder investigation eventually connects to the new case Kovac and his inexperienced partner are working, though not in the way I expected. That connection added tension and kept me invested as the two storylines began to overlap.

Because this series is so character driven, I recommend reading the books in order. Doing so makes it easier to understand the characters’ personalities, appreciate their growth, and notice the nuances in their relationships. This installment is also intense and violent at times, so readers may want to check content warnings before diving in.

Several jaw-dropping twists genuinely surprised me and heightened my apprehension as the story unfolded. David Colacci’s excellent audio narration added to that tension and made the suspense feel even sharper. My only real disappointment was the lack of closure around Sam and Nikki’s personal lives, especially if this is the final book in the series. The author may have left that door open intentionally in case she wants to revisit these characters, but I also do not want to hold on to false hope.

My Final Verdict: The Bitter Season is a gripping, character-driven thriller that blends a chilling cold case with a brutal present-day investigation. While I wish the ending had offered more personal closure for Sam and Nikki, the suspense, twists, and emotional weight make this a strong and bittersweet installment in the Kovac and Liska series. Recommended for readers who enjoy dark police procedurals with layered relationships and tense, unsettling mysteries.

REVIEW: A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

Title: A Witch in Time
Author: Constance Sayers
Narrator: Courtney Patterson, Claire Christie, Brittany Wilkerson, Stephanie Willis
Publisher: Redhook Books
Publication Date: February 2020
Genre: Fantasy / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A young witch is cursed to relive a doomed love affair through many lifetimes, as both troubled muse and frustrated artist, in this haunting debut novel.

In 1895, sixteen-year-old Juliet LaCompte has a passionate, doomed romance with the married Parisian painter Auguste Marchant. When her mother -- a witch -- attempts to cast a curse on Marchant, she unwittingly summons a demon, binding her daughter to both the artist and this supernatural being for all time. Juliet is fated to re-live her affair and die tragically young lifetime after lifetime as the star-crossed lovers reincarnate through history.

The demon -- who appears to Juliet in all her reincarnations as a mysterious, handsome, and worldly benefactor -- has been helplessly in love with her since 19th century France, even though she forgets him each time she dies. He falls for her in 1930s Hollywood, in 1970s Los Angeles, and finally in present-day Washington D.C. -- where she begins to develop powers of her own.

In this life, she starts to remember her tragic past lives. But this time, she might have the power to break the cycle...

My Thoughts: A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers is spectacular: heartbreaking, atmospheric, and ultimately hopeful. The story introduces a woman bound by a witch’s curse to live many lives across more than a century, repeatedly drawn toward the wrong man while the love that may truly be meant for her remains just out of reach.

What makes the novel even more remarkable is that it is Sayers’s debut. The plotting and pacing are so assured that the book reads like the work of a seasoned author with several titles already to her credit. Her attention to historical detail gives each time period a vivid sense of place, making it easy to feel fully immersed in the world of the story.

Following Helen as she begins to remember her past lives as Juliet, Nora, and Sandra took me through a wide range of emotions. While a few moments were somewhat triggering for me, they never disrupted the story’s flow or diminished my overall enjoyment of the book.

My Final Verdict: Overall, A Witch in Time is a beautifully written and emotionally rich debut that blends romance, history, and fantasy into a haunting, memorable story. Constance Sayers creates an immersive reading experience through vivid historical settings, a layered curse, and characters whose choices echo across lifetimes. The novel’s mix of heartbreak, longing, and quiet hope makes it especially compelling for readers who enjoy atmospheric, character-driven stories with a touch of magic.

I highly recommend this book to anyone drawn to reincarnation, doomed love, historical fiction, and emotional fantasy with strong storytelling at its center.

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

REVIEW: The Date by Louise Jensen

Title: The Date
Author: Louise Jensen
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 2018
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One night can change everything.

‘I know it as soon as I wake up and open my eyes... Something is wrong.’

Her Saturday night started normally. Recently separated from her husband, Ali has been persuaded by her friends to go on a date with a new man. She is ready, she is nervous, she is excited. She is about to take a step into her new future. By Sunday morning, Ali’s life is unrecognizable. She wakes, and she knows that something is wrong. She is home, she is alone, she is hurt and she has no memory of what happened to her.

Worse still, when she looks in the mirror, Ali doesn’t recognize the face staring back at her…

My Thoughts: This was a true nail-biter and an excellent choice for thriller fans. Newly separated from her husband, Ali agrees to go on a date with a man she has been talking to online. When she wakes the next morning, she has no memory of the night before, but she is injured and covered in blood.

As if that were not terrifying enough, Ali no longer recognizes her own face in the mirror—or anyone else’s. That detail immediately raises the stakes and makes her situation feel even more vulnerable and unsettling. I would love to see this story adapted for the screen.

As the story unfolds, the reader learns that the person who hurt Ali is stalking her and knows about something terrible from her past. That thread made the tension especially effective because Ali’s prosopagnosia—face blindness—means the danger could be standing directly in front of her, and she still would not know who to fear.

The structure and pacing are excellent. I was invested in Ali’s situation from the beginning and stayed on edge, eager to see how everything would play out. The finale and big reveal were genuinely shocking and took me through a wide range of emotions.

The supporting characters also added to the suspense. Many of them felt unreliable, which kept suspicion shifting and made Ali’s fear more convincing. I felt tremendous empathy for her and, like Ali, was never sure who could be trusted.

My Final Verdict: The Date is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that kept me turning the pages from start to finish. Louise Jensen builds tension beautifully, using Ali’s fear, confusion, and vulnerability to create a story that feels both unsettling and impossible to put down. With its fast pacing, unreliable characters, and shocking reveal, this is a strong recommendation for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with emotional impact and plenty of suspense.

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

REVIEW: The Lion's Den by Katherine St. John

Title: The Lion’s Den
Author: Katherine St. John
Narrator: Christine Lakin
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: June 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Belle likes to think herself immune to the dizzying effects of fabulous wealth. But when her best friend, Summer, invites her on a glamorous getaway to the Mediterranean aboard her billionaire boyfriend's yacht, the only sensible answer is yes. Belle hopes the trip will be a much-needed break from her stalled acting career and uniquely humiliating waitressing job, but once she's aboard the luxurious Lion's Den, it soon becomes clear this jet-setting holiday is not as advertised.

Belle's dream vacation quickly devolves into a nightmare as she and the handful of other girls Summer invited are treated more like prisoners than guests by their controlling host-and in one terrifying moment, Belle comes to see Summer for who she truly is: a vicious gold digger who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Belle realizes she's going to have to keep her wits about her -- and her own big secret closely hidden -- if she wants to make it off the yacht alive.

My Thoughts: The Lion’s Den blends thriller elements with women’s fiction, pulling the reader into a world of extreme wealth, luxury, and excess. It is a world filled with lavish, materialistic temptations, but beneath the glamour is a darker current of corruption, manipulation, and desperation.

The story is a very slow burn, moving between Belle and Summer’s past and present in a way that made me question how they ever became friends in the first place. I liked Belle, even though she often comes across as naïve and gullible. I kept hoping she would find her backbone and finally tell Summer where to go.

At first, being invited to cruise around the Mediterranean on a super-yacht for Summer’s birthday sounds exciting. But after seeing so clearly how selfish Summer has been—and continues to be—I struggled to understand why Belle would accept the invitation at all.

The final quarter of the book takes a dramatic turn, pulling the story together in a way that gave me the answers I had been looking for. At the same time, the shift was so sharp that I briefly wondered whether I was reading two different books. Somehow, though, the approach works. By the end, I was completely invested—hands fisted and white-knuckled—waiting to see how everything would play out.

Readers who are not fans of slow-burn plots should be prepared to exercise patience. The payoff is there, but getting to it felt tedious at times. Most of the characters are deeply unlikable, yet they are written well enough that it was easy to form strong impressions and assumptions about who they really were.

I do wish the ending had been more fleshed out after the major plot twist. I finished the book wanting a little more closure—perhaps even an epilogue—to show what ultimately happens to all the players.

My Final Verdict: The Lion’s Den is a slow-burn, character-driven thriller wrapped in sun-soaked luxury and simmering tension. While the pacing requires patience and the ending could have offered more closure, the final twists are compelling enough to make the journey worthwhile. Readers who enjoy messy friendships, glamorous settings, and secrets that unravel piece by piece will likely find this an entertaining and suspenseful read.

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

REVIEW: Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Title: Don’t You Forget About Me
Author: Mhairi McFarlane
Narrator: Madeline Gould
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: September 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: You always remember your first love... don’t you?

If there’s anything worse than being fired from the lousiest restaurant in town, it’s coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the humiliation of a double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way—bartender in a newly opened pub. There’s only one problem: it’s run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And—make that two problems—he doesn’t remember her. At all. But she has fabulous friends and her signature hot pink fur coat... what more could a girl really need?

Lucas McCarthy has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but he’s also turned into an actual grown-up, with a thriving business and a dog along the way. Crossing paths with him again throws Georgina’s rocky present into sharp relief—and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she’s allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it’s not too late for the truth... or a second chance with the one that got away?

My Thoughts: This book had far more depth than the description suggests. At first, the premise sounds like an engaging second-chance romance: Georgina crosses paths with Lucas, her first love, after twelve years, only to discover that he does not seem to remember her. That question alone creates instant tension—does he truly not remember, or is he pretending? And if he is pretending, why?

The story took me in directions I did not see coming, and those unexpected turns made it even more captivating. I wanted to understand both Georgina and Lucas, and McFarlane does an excellent job of filling in the gaps by revisiting their teenage years. Learning why they did not end up together back then was heartbreaking, and the way McFarlane slowly revealed the truth drew out real emotion.

McFarlane blends humor and romance beautifully with more serious subject matter, including infidelity, toxic relationships, death, and other sensitive topics. Readers may want to be mindful of potential triggers. Even when the story moved in directions I did not expect, those choices ultimately brought everything full circle, and I absolutely loved how it all came together.

Georgina was easy to like right away, and her warmth, humor, and vulnerability made her immediately relatable. I also enjoyed the energy and support of her friends, who helped round out her world, as well as Lucas’s brother, Devlin, who was instantly likable.

Lucas took longer for me to warm up to, largely because I knew he had broken Georgina’s heart. That made me cautious about him at first, but as the story unfolded, McFarlane gave him enough depth and context for me to see him differently.

My Final Verdict: Don’t You Forget About Me is a witty, emotional, and ultimately satisfying read that delivers much more than a simple second-chance romance. With relatable characters, heartfelt revelations, and McFarlane’s sharp blend of humor and vulnerability, this is a story that lingers after the final page. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary romance with emotional depth, complicated pasts, and a strong sense of hope.

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

REVIEW: She's Bad News by Elle Spellman

Title: She’s Bad News
Author: Elle Spellman
Publisher: Elle Spellman
Publication Date: November 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: What would you do if you woke up with super powers?

For Bella Brown, life hasn't gone according to plan. She's almost thirty, still living in her uneventful hometown, and her dreams of becoming an investigative reporter have fallen by the wayside.

That is, until she wakes up one morning to find she's been gifted with some amazing new abilities. What’s a girl to do with heightened senses, super speed and the ability to lift a truck one-handed? Bella quickly discovers that her new powers can easily help her land front-page leads at local newspaper, The Hartleybourne Gazette.

Soon Bella's out every night chasing down local criminals for stories, while keeping her powers a secret from everyone besides flatmate Chloe. But when a burglary-gone-wrong accidentally turns her into the mysterious Hartleybourne Heroine, Bella finds herself on the front page for the wrong reasons. Her secret becomes harder to keep as she tries to track down the source of her powers, and especially when crime reporter Matt Gilmore is intent on unmasking the town's new vigilante...

Suddenly, having an extraordinary life is far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts: She’s Bad News by Elle Spellman is campy and over the top, but a lot of fun.

Bella Brown is a features writer at a local newspaper who dreams of becoming a major investigative journalist in London. Instead, her awful boss assigns her dull, menial stories that drain her creativity. Assigned to cover an up-and-coming diet pill, Bella is disgusted by the body-shaming trend behind it. After defiantly taking one, she wakes up with heightened speed, vision, strength, and hearing—like Supergirl without the cape or flying.

Bella becomes an anonymous vigilante, but her actions draw attention from the people behind the pill, who want to keep its effects hidden.

I enjoyed Bella and her escapades. The plot moves well, and the characters are easy to know. The ending feels implausible, especially Bella’s confrontation with the villains, but it fits the story’s over-the-top tone.

Overall, She’s Bad News is an entertaining, fast-paced story with a playful superhero twist and an easy-to-root-for main character. While the ending stretches believability, the book’s humor, energy, and campy charm make it an enjoyable read.

REVIEW: The Bestseller by Jenny Knightsby

Title: The Bestseller
Author: Jenny Knightsby
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: September 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: YOU TOLD HER YOUR DARKEST SECRETS. NOW MILLIONS WILL READ THEM . . .

Therapist Helena Salve knows that client confidentiality is the number one unbreakable rule of her job. But the constant stories of coercive control and threat she hears from her client Belle about her dangerous husband have been wearing her down. One night over too many glasses of wine, she tells her best friend Tala everything that Belle has told her.

The problem is, Tala is a down-on-her-luck novelist who is looking for an idea for her new thriller.

Months later, Tala is excitedly telling Helena that her publisher is saying this is going to be her biggest book ever. The story is Belle's story. Not only is Helena's job on the line, but if Belle's husband is as dangerous as she says, her life is too...

Why would Tala do this to Helena? She knows what's at stake.

Your friends are meant to protect you... aren't they?

My Thoughts: Jenny Knightsby does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story with intensity, tension, and genuine shock. I was surprised more than once, especially because the direction and heart of the story were nothing like I expected. Although The Bestseller is Knightsby’s debut novel, it reads with the confidence and polish of an author with many published books behind her.

From the beginning, Knightsby pulled me in without revealing the full impact the story would eventually deliver. Like many readers, I quickly made assumptions about the characters and where the plot was headed, only to discover that I was completely off the mark.

I struggled to understand how Tala could betray Helena by writing the book, and I felt a great deal of anger toward her for doing so. At the same time, I was shocked that Helena had broken client confidentiality in the first place. That moral tension made the story even more compelling, because there was blame, fear, and uncertainty on more than one side.

I also found myself trying to understand the complicated dynamic between Tala, Helena, and Helena’s husband, Dylan. The shifting timeline—moving between the present and their university years—helped fill in important gaps while making the story even more intriguing.

I had suspicions about Helena’s client, Belle, and Belle’s husband, Julius. My mind kept returning to the possibility that the entire situation was a setup designed to discredit Helena, but I could not figure out who would do such a thing—or why. As the story unfolded, every character began to feel unreliable. Not knowing who I could trust, or even who I should empathize with, made the reading experience far more thrilling.

The character development is excellent, and I enjoyed getting to know Tala, Helena, and Dylan both in the present and through the events of the past. The story delivers several jaw-dropping twists, and what I initially thought might be just an okay read ended up completely blowing me away.

My Final Verdict: The Bestseller is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that kept me questioning everyone’s motives until the very end. With strong character development, layered tension, and surprises that genuinely caught me off guard, Jenny Knightsby delivers an impressive debut that I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers built on secrets, betrayal, and unreliable loyalties.

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

REVIEW: The Honeymooner by Melanie Summers

Title: The Honeymooner (Paradise Bay #1)
Author: Melanie Summers
Narrator: Matthew Lloyd Davies, Esther Wane
Publisher: Indigo Group
Publication Date: August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: He’s tall, dark, and built. The kind of man whose abs have abs. And I only want one thing from him—to forget the last twenty-four hours. Forever.

It was supposed to be the best day of my life. The sun was shining. The church was packed. I was dressed in white and ready to marry my steady-as-a-rock fiancé.

There was just one big, fat problem—he didn’t show up.

So I did the only thing a girl can do under the circumstances—escape to the Caribbean for our honeymoon.

Alone.

Enter Harrison Banks.

Somehow he brings out a side of me I didn’t know existed—a carefree adrenaline junkie. After a few days together, Harrison’s got me wondering if the life I always wanted was meant for some other girl.

I should go back to my safe, comfortable life, right?

That would be the sensible thing to do.

I can’t risk everything to live out some tropical fantasy with a guy I’ve just met, even if he is the only man who’s ever made me feel truly alive…

The Honeymooner is a laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about a heroine who’s used to staying inside her comfort zone and a hero who knows exactly how hard to push. It’ll have you laughing, swooning, and sipping fruity blender drinks.

My Thoughts: The Honeymooner, my first book by Melanie Summers, caught my attention because it is the first installment in a series—and since I already have the third book waiting on my to-be-read mountain, I knew I needed to start at the beginning. Yes, I am absolutely one of those readers who has to read a series in order. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint.

This interconnected series is centered around a Caribbean resort, which immediately intrigued me. I love the warm, fuzzy atmosphere that often comes with vacation romances, and Paradise Bay provides the perfect backdrop. The secondary characters also added plenty of fun, and I hope many of them continue to appear throughout the series.

Being jilted practically at the altar is never easy, but I appreciated how the author used that moment as a catalyst for Libby to reclaim her confidence. Instead of sinking into despair, Libby takes the honeymoon trip anyway. The trip also doubles as a working vacation, since her employer is interested in buying Paradise Bay and has tasked her with evaluating the resort’s viability.

Harrison, the resort’s owner, is struggling to keep Paradise Bay afloat. He does not want to sell, but he is running out of time and options. I liked both Libby and Harrison, and their connection felt immediate. Their chemistry gave the story energy, and their dynamic made the romance easy to root for.

My Final Verdict: The Honeymooner is a fun, lighthearted contemporary romance with a dreamy Caribbean setting, likable characters, and plenty of chemistry. Libby and Harrison’s story is sweet, humorous, and easy to root for, making this a great choice for readers who enjoy vacation romances, opposites-attract dynamics, and series with an inviting cast of side characters. I’m looking forward to returning to Paradise Bay and continuing the series.

REVIEW: The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

Title: The Dead Girls Club
Author: Damien Angelica Walters
Narrator: Devon Sorvari
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: December 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face... 

In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real—and she could prove it. 

That belief got Becca killed. 

It's been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night—that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She's done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn't seen since the night Becca died. 

The night Heather killed her. 

Now, someone else knows what she did . . . and they're determined to make Heather pay.

My Thoughts: From the opening chapters, this book reminded me of the eerie slumber-party games many of us played at that age—Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, Bloody Mary, and other rituals meant to scare us just enough to be fun. In this story, however, that childhood fascination with fear takes a much darker turn. Becca becomes consumed by the legend of the Red Lady and convinced that the rituals will prove the spirit is real, setting the stage for a tragedy that leaves one friend dead and the other carrying the weight of what happened. 

That part is revealed early, so the real question is not simply what happened, but how two best friends reached such a devastating point. I was especially interested in the emotional fallout: Becca’s death, Heather’s silence, and the scars and trauma Heather continues to carry nearly thirty years later. 

The story becomes even more compelling when someone reveals they know Heather’s secret and begins stalking her. As Heather scrambles to discover who is behind it and why, the author effectively portrays her as a woman on the edge of a breakdown, desperate to appear in control while steadily unraveling. Her panic leads to rash choices that are not only reckless but also deeply unethical. 

The shifting timeline also works well. By moving between the past and present, the narrative gives readers a close look at Heather and Becca’s friendship and the events leading up to Becca’s death. Walters adds several effective red herrings, keeping the mystery of Heather’s stalker uncertain for much of the book. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story, though the slow burn felt a little too slow in places. I also did not feel the finale fully fit with the rest of the book’s buildup.

 

My Final Verdict: The Dead Girls Club is an atmospheric, unsettling thriller with a strong sense of childhood fear, guilt, and long-buried secrets. While the pacing occasionally drags and the ending did not land as strongly as I hoped, the dual timeline, creepy premise, and Heather’s unraveling kept me invested. Readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological thrillers with a supernatural edge may find this one worth picking up. 

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: If I Don't Kill Them...Who Will? by Beck Lewis

Title: If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will?
Author: Beck Lewis
Publisher: Goody and Grant Narrative Works, Ltd.
Publication Date: May 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: I thought a corporate weekend away in Wales was going to involve too much wine, awkward nostalgia and listening to Daniel Bartlesham talk about himself.

I didn’t expect to discover that most of my friends are apparently fine with revenge porn, suicide and corporate cover-ups – just as long as nobody’s bonus is affected.

My friend Eve is dead because Daniel uploaded that video of her.

And everyone at Bartlesham wants to call the whole thing an unfortunate misunderstanding and move on with their lives.

I’m not having that.

Which is probably why I’m currently locked in the boot of a car. Daniel’s mate in the driving seat is going to murder me when we stop.

But now that I’ve realized how many terrible men are protected by money, power and people willing to look the other way… I’m starting to think killing them all might be the only reasonable response.

I mean, if I don’t kill them… who will?

My Thoughts: If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will by Beck Lewis is over-the-top, intense, surprising, a little scary, and a lot of fun. The story comes with plenty of trigger warnings as the bodies begin to pile up, but I was completely invested in Nicole’s pursuit of justice—not only for Eve, but for anyone harmed by the rich, the powerful, and the bullies who expect to get away with it.

The book opens with Nicole trapped in the trunk of her coworker’s car, convinced she will be murdered as soon as the car stops. That explosive opening immediately pulled me in, and Lewis does a strong job weaving in the backstory that explains how Nicole ended up there while keeping the suspense moving forward. The tension was riveting from the start.

Nicole faces several jaw-dropping twists, and I found myself reacting right along with her. She is an easy character to root for, but her grandmother was an absolute standout. Every young woman deserves a grandmother like hers.

I highly recommend If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will to readers who enjoy dark, twisty thrillers with sharp edges, fierce characters, and a revenge plot that does not hold back. It is intense, chaotic, and unexpectedly entertaining, with enough suspense and surprises to keep the pages turning.

Thank you to the author, Beck Lewis, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

REVIEW: The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington

Title: The Missing Wife
Author: Sam Carrington
Narrator: Kristin Atherton
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Thriller

Description: You think you know those closest to you. You are wrong…

A sleep-deprived new mother approaching her fortieth birthday, the very last thing Louisa wants to do is celebrate.

But when her friend Tiff organizes a surprise party, inviting the entire list of Louisa’s Facebook friends, Louisa is faced with a room full of people she hasn’t spoken to in years – including someone she never expected to see again: her ex-boyfriend, Oliver Dunmore.

When Oliver’s wife Melissa goes missing after the party, everyone remembers the night differently. Someone knows what happened to Melissa, and Louisa is determined to find them. But the truth could be closer, and the deception more devastating, than she’d ever imagined…

My Thoughts: As a fan of twisty psychological thrillers, I found The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington to be an okay read. I was interested enough to see how the story would unfold, but it never delivered the edge-of-your-seat suspense or satisfying payoff I usually look for in this genre.

None of the main characters were especially likable, which can sometimes make a thriller more compelling. Here, however, the story felt unfocused. Despite the title, the missing wife did not always feel like the central focus, and the number of secondary plot points made the direction of the story confusing at times.

I also never fully understood the connection between the events in Louisa’s past and her present-day time lapses. I wish that thread had been explored more deeply, as it could have added stronger emotional weight and clarity to the overall mystery.

My Final Verdict: The Missing Wife had an intriguing premise and enough mystery to keep me curious, but the uneven focus and underdeveloped plot threads kept it from becoming the gripping psychological thriller I hoped for. While it may appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn domestic suspense, it ultimately fell short of delivering the tension and payoff I expected.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for providing an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Deception by Jack Jordan

Title: Deception
Author: Jack Jordan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Publication Date: June 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: Emma and Miles are out of options. Their son needs life-saving transplant surgery, but in a world of privatized healthcare and impossible costs, they can’t afford it.

Then comes the offer: a shadowy syndicate known only as The Levels promises them the exact amount of money they need. All they must do is complete a series of tasks.

The catch? Each task is a crime. With every level the stakes rise, the payout grows and the line between right and wrong blurs.

But Emma and Miles aren’t the only ones playing this deadly game. As the competition intensifies and they struggle under the weight of their choices, they’re faced with the ultimate question:

How far would you go to save the one you love?

My Thoughts: Deception is the second book I have read by Jack Jordan, and once again, I was blown away by his ability to craft a story that pulls me completely into the lives of its characters. His writing evokes empathy, compassion, shock, and dismay in equal measure.

Emma and Miles are facing a parent’s worst nightmare: their young son needs a heart and lung transplant, and without it, he will die. When their insurance company drops them, they are left with no realistic way to raise the millions required for the surgery. That alone is heartbreaking, and the tragic unfairness of their situation had me near tears.

When Emma and Miles are offered the chance to earn not only the money for the transplant, but also enough to get out of debt and bring their overdue bills current, it seems like a miracle. The offer is simple on the surface: complete a series of tasks within a set amount of time, win money for each level, and advance to the next.

The problem is clear from the beginning: every task is illegal and failing even one level means being disqualified entirely. This forces Emma and Miles to confront the central question of the novel: how far are they willing to go to save their son?

With each task, the risks grow higher and the danger becomes more immediate. The suspense was intense as I followed along, wondering how far the game would go, what it would cost Emma and Miles, and whether they would lose sight of their goal before they lost too much of themselves.

My Final Verdict: Deception is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that kept me fully invested from beginning to end. Jack Jordan takes an impossible moral dilemma and turns it into a tense, fast-moving story filled with danger, desperation, and heartbreaking choices.

What makes this book so powerful is not only the suspense, but the way it forces the reader to question what they might do when love, survival, and morality collide. It is disturbing, thought-provoking, and impossible to look away from.

I highly recommend Deception to readers who enjoy dark, high-stakes thrillers with strong emotional depth and moral complexity. It is the kind of story that lingers long after the final page.

REVIEW: Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

Title: Dear Wife
Author: Kimberly Belle
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Pete Simonelli
Publisher: Harlequin – Trade Publishing
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From the bestselling author of The Marriage Lie comes a riveting new novel of suspense about a woman who must decide just how far she’ll go to escape the person she once loved.

Beth Murphy is on the run…

For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for her escape. She's thought through everything -- a new look, new name and new city -- because one small slip and her husband will find her.

Sabine Hardison is missing…

A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she’s taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play.

As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine’s carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home, and a husband who would be better off with her gone. But are things really as clear cut as they seem? Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that’s certain is that someone is lying and the truth won’t stay buried for long.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this twisty thriller, which unfolds through multiple points of view and carefully layered plotlines. One storyline follows Beth, a woman on the run from her abusive husband. The other centers on Sabine, a woman who has vanished under suspicious circumstances. At first, the connection between the two is unclear, leaving the reader to wonder whether Beth and Sabine might somehow be the same woman.

The story is told through the perspectives of Beth, Sabine’s husband Jeffrey, and Marcus, the police detective assigned to Sabine’s case. This shifting structure keeps the tension high while gradually revealing how each character fits into the larger mystery.

Beth’s chapters offer a compelling look at the planning and caution required to escape an abusive relationship. Every detail of her flight feels deliberate, from preparing a new identity to taking steps to stay hidden once she is on the run. I had a strong sense of her fear: the feeling that her husband might be close behind, and that one wrong move could put her in danger again.

Sabine’s storyline brings a different kind of suspense. She is presented as a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, having an affair, and possibly pregnant. Jeffrey, her husband, quickly becomes a suspect in her disappearance, and his behavior makes him seem increasingly suspicious as the investigation unfolds.

When the two plotlines finally converge, the reveal left me shocked and breathless. The story exposes just how far Beth’s husband is willing to go to protect his image and punish his wife. Although the book moves at a very fast pace, I was able to keep up with every twist, and the final 20% was especially gripping as Beth is forced into the confrontation the story has been building toward.

My Final Verdict: Dear Wife is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller filled with tension, misdirection, and shocking reveals. I loved the way the multiple perspectives kept me guessing, and the final stretch delivered the kind of gripping payoff I hope for in a twisty domestic thriller. Readers who enjoy stories about secrets, survival, and carefully constructed deception will want to add this one to their list.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin – Trade Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The House Guest by Mark Edwards

Title: The House Guest
Author: Mark Edwards
Narrator: Will M. Watt, Stina Nielsen
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: June 2020
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…

My Thoughts: The Hitchcock-style creepy vibes are strong here, and readers should check trigger warnings for cults and trafficking. While the story ultimately becomes intense, it took me a while to get invested because the early narrative felt flat and distant.

The setup asks for a lot of suspension of disbelief: Adam and Ruth are housesitting for Jack and Mona, a couple they barely know, and then they quickly welcome Eden into the home without being able to verify who she is. At first, that made Adam and Ruth seem naïve and kept me from connecting with the characters. Once Ruth disappears, Eden vanishes, and Jack and Mona return with no idea who Eden is, the mystery finally becomes compelling.

From there, the slow burn shifts into high gear as Adam realizes he does not know whom he can trust, even among the people closest to him.

After the intensity of Adam’s discoveries and the danger surrounding him, the ending fizzled for me. The lack of closure left a lingering sense of dread, but not in a satisfying way. Readers who enjoy terrifying thrill rides and do not mind cliffhangers may appreciate this more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas and Mercer, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose

Title: Dirty Secrets (Romantic Suspense #4.5)
Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: January 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: Secrets
For months Emma Townsend has avoided her old house, haunted by its memories of her dead husband. Finding the courage to sort through their possessions, she's astonished to find an old love letter from friend Chris Walker and determines to make amends for the past.

That we all must
Chris, now a college professor, is trying to deal with the tragic death of a graduate student. Seeing Emma again brings back a flood of memories, re-kindling a long-lost passion. But with police investigating the student's death, Chris cannot act on his desires.

Fear
But is it too late? Because now someone's watching Emma and Chris. Someone who's nursing revenge. And they are about to be plunged into a nightmare where no one can be trusted and every dirty little secret is sealed with a kiss.

My Thoughts: Dirty Secrets fills in some of Emma Townsend’s backstory, which makes it an interesting stop for readers who like seeing how even minor characters fit into Karen Rose’s larger world. That said, this novella felt more like a bonus story than a truly essential installment.

Where It Fits in the Series:
If you’re the kind of reader who likes to go through a series in order, this one is probably worth picking up. But if you’re mainly here for the books that really move the bigger story forward, this is an easy one to treat as optional. As book #4.5 in a 37-book series, it definitely reads more like a side story than a major chapter in the overall saga.

What Worked and What Didn’t:
For me, this one landed somewhere in the middle. I didn’t dislike it, but I also kept waiting for it to feel more meaningful to the larger series. Since I haven’t made it all the way through the Baltimore books yet, I also felt a little disconnected from the characters and their place in the bigger picture.

What I did like was the setup: Emma and Christopher reconnect because of a long-lost love letter tucked inside her yearbook, which is such a great hook. Unfortunately, the romance itself didn’t completely work for me. After seventeen years of no contact, their chemistry flared up so fast that it felt a little hard to buy.

Still, Christopher’s preteen daughter—and her obvious unhappiness about Emma stepping into their lives—added some tension that made those scenes more interesting.

Bottom Line:
• Pick this up if you want every bit of Emma Townsend’s backstory.
• Feel free to skip it if you’re only reading the most essential books in the series.
• Overall, it’s a decent bonus read, but not one of the stronger standouts.

REVIEW: Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell

Title: Maybe This Time
Author: Jill Mansell
Narrator: Esther Wane
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Is there ever a perfect time for love?

When Mimi Huish first visits her dad's new home in the Cotswolds, she falls in love with Goosebrook and the people who live there. There's Paddy, with his electric-blue eyes and seductive charm. Friendly and funny Lois makes Mimi laugh. And seriously gorgeous Cal Mathieson is welcoming and charismatic. Though Mimi loves her city life and her career, she'd be very happy to return to Goosebrook if it means seeing more of him.

Life is about to take some unexpected and shocking twists and turns. And Mimi's path and Cal's are set to cross again and again--but will it ever be the right time for both of them?

My Thoughts: One of the most important elements of any novel is the connection a reader feels to its characters. That connection does not always require immediate affection or deep empathy, but it does need to be present. Whenever I pick up a Jill Mansell novel, I expect to find characters who feel vivid, engaging, and easy to invest in—and Maybe This Time delivers exactly that.

What makes Mansell’s writing stand out is her ability to create not only compelling main characters, but also memorable secondary ones. The supporting cast never feels ornamental or pushed to the background. Instead, these characters add warmth, depth, and texture to the story, becoming an essential part of the overall reading experience.

The characters in this novel are the kind of people readers want to spend time with. They feel familiar, approachable, and real—like the sort of people you would gladly sit down with over coffee and get to know better. Even the few characters I felt less attached to at first still managed to surprise me by the end, which made the story even more rewarding.

I also loved the setting Mansell creates in the quaint village of Goosebrook. The sense of peace and comfort Mimi experiences there comes through clearly, making it easy to understand why the place feels so meaningful to her. Goosebrook feels like home, and its residents feel like the kind of friends and family readers are happy to return to.

At its core, this is a relationship-driven story that explores both the joys and the challenges of human connection. It captures emotional highs and lows with warmth and sincerity, and it left me feeling fully immersed in the characters’ lives. This is the kind of book that makes you feel deeply, and that emotional impact is one of its greatest strengths. I highly recommend this story to readers who are seeking that connection.

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

REVIEW: Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan

Title: Beside Herself
Author: Elizabeth LaBan
Narrator: Erin Bennett
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: October 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When she finds out her husband cheated, Hannah Bent thinks her marriage is over. Isn’t that what happens after an affair? But she’s seen friends divorce, and it’s not pretty. Plus, she and Joel have kids and an otherwise happy life, and she still loves him, although begrudgingly.

Furious and feeling stuck, she suggests having her own affair to even the score. Joel, desperate for forgiveness, agrees. But does she really want to go through with it? And how exactly does a married mother of two get back in the dating pool? Many awkward dates follow until she finds a deep and unexpected connection where she was least looking for it.

Just as she thinks she’s made a decision, her journey to happiness is waylaid by storms of doubt. But the important thing is that she’s finally figuring out what she truly wants for herself, and she understands that whatever choice she makes must be hers and hers alone.

My Thoughts: Beside Herself by new‑to‑me author Elizabeth LaBan is a thought‑provoking exploration of the impossible choices a woman faces after discovering her husband’s infidelity. I usually hate the adultery trope, but what sets this story apart is the direction LaBan chooses. Instead of the predictable breakup‑to‑divorce trajectory, the author presents a marriage where the husband is immediately remorseful and desperate to repair the damage he’s caused.

One of the most compelling elements is the therapist’s blunt honesty: the marriage Hannah and Joel once had is gone. It’s over. If they want to stay together, they must build an entirely new marriage, acknowledging that they are now different people. That framing alone gives the story a fresh emotional angle.

As expected, Hannah is furious, hurt, and unsure whether she wants to salvage the relationship or walk away. Her internal struggle feels raw and believable. But when she tells Joel that before she can even consider starting over she wants to have her own affair to “even the score,” I found myself pulling back. For me, that suggestion felt like it would only compound the pain rather than heal it.

The pacing of the story was solid, and I appreciated that it didn’t get bogged down in excessive emotional drama that would have slowed the narrative. It moved steadily, giving the characters space to work through their situation without dragging the reader through unnecessary turmoil. I also paired the book with the audiobook and found Erin Bennett’s narration engaging and well matched to the tone of the story. Her performance added clarity and nuance, making the experience enjoyable.

My Final Verdict: In the end, Beside Herself offers an unusual and compelling look at what it means to rebuild trust after betrayal. While not all of Hannah’s choices resonated with me, LaBan’s willingness to explore the messy, uncomfortable parts of forgiveness makes the story stand out. It’s a thoughtful read for anyone interested in the complexities of marriage, healing, and starting over.

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