Book #24 of 2024. I’m playing catch up from all the books I’ve read the past few months. Amid the long list of thrillers, this historical fiction book is in my top five of best books I’ve read this year. The characters were compelling, the setting was glamorous, and the story was important to tell.… Continue reading Fashion, Mystery, and Legacy: The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard Novel
Stacy Willingham is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I started this book today…and finished this book today. Willingham expertly wove the past and the present together in this page turner, telling a spine chilling story about fiercely primal maternal instinct, the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood, and the things we do when we think the… Continue reading Book Review: All The Dangerous Things
Book #3 of 2024. My goal is to mix in more nonfiction this year, and this one has been on my TBR for a while. As a true crime buff, I’m familiar with the notoriety behind this case. However, Vincent Bugliosi’s book “Helter Skelter” is what you’re going to want to read if you’re looking… Continue reading Book Review: The Manson Women and Me
Book #2 of 2024 might end up being my favorite book of 2024. Easily the best historical fiction novel I’ve read since The Nightingale. This book made my heart ache and my mind daydream, all at once. As the haunting memories of WWII still linger in France, it tells the story of Jacqueline Bouvier’s adventures… Continue reading Book Review: Jacqueline in Paris
Locust Lane grasped my attention on the first page and didn’t let up until the end. The book does a wonderful job showing the relationship between parents and children, and the secrets they keep to protect each other. Stephen Amidon portrayed social classes through each of the families, as well as the challenges they face.… Continue reading Book Review: Locust Lane
I’m glad I read The September House….in October! This genre-bending horror story was the perfect book to kick off this month. It’s the haunted house story you didn’t know you needed. As an admirer of any haunted house tale, this one revamped the classic trope and turned it on its head. To kick things off,… Continue reading Book Review: The September House
Even though I knew it was going to keep me up at night, this creepy book was SO worth it. Greene artfully wove children’s ghost stories with horrific events in a small town. There’s something about nursery rhymes to keep the monsters away that will always be ominous to me. The atmosphere in this book… Continue reading Book Review: The Woods Are Waiting
Ruth Ware, Riley Sager, Simone St. James: three authors who I will happily give my money to. I have yet to read a book by St. James where I haven’t been deeply unsettled and completely infatuated at the same time. She has an uncanny ability to tell an unnerving story and I have FLOWN through… Continue reading Book Review: Silence for the Dead
On a 5-star roll! I’m obsessed with this book, just published in July. It’s “dark academia” meets And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It reminded me of my professional writing classes in my college days, with much less murder, of course. There is also one POV, and two different timelines, so it’s easy… Continue reading Book Review: The Bones of the Story
Give me ALL the wine in the French countryside…with a side of murder 🔪🍷. The first aspect of any book that hooks me is the atmosphere. I don’t need a crazy plot twist or murder right away (although it always makes things more interesting), but give me vivid atmosphere and I’m sold. All of the… Continue reading Book Review: The Chateau
If there were one word to describe this book, it would be “unsettling.” And if I could give this more stars, I would! I loved the atmosphere and the incredibly slow burn of the book. It kept me on the edge of my seat with its creepy twists. To describe the book, think The Blair… Continue reading Book Review: The Lost Village
Finishing off the summer list with A Likeable Woman! Without giving too much away, the book has me until the very end…then it lost me. I loved the “mean girls turned housewives” storyline, with all the characters having secrets. However, the ending didn’t do it for me. I don’t know if it wasn’t believable for… Continue reading Book Review: A Likeable Woman
This book immediately transported me to the glamorous, fabulous opening weekend at Island Home. The setting was vivid, the atmosphere was tense, and I was hooked from the first page. The characters were slightly difficult to follow. I’m used to each chapter being in different POVs, but in this book, there were several POVs in… Continue reading Book Review: The Club
The unwavering bond between the sisters made this book. I loved that despite the complexity of their relationship, there was still that thread binding the two of them together. The author also exposed the toxic nature that social media has on society, particularly younger generations. Not everything is always as it seems… Summary: When the… Continue reading Book Review: Like A Sister
Coming in hot with more book reviews. I finished Just Like The Other Girls by Claire Douglas and am finally getting around to processing the book. I have very mixed feelings about it and need to vent about them, so spoilers ahead! The aspect of the book I loved most was the entire vibe. It… Continue reading Book Review: Just Like The Other Girls
The first book review of the year! Find Me by Alafair Burke exceeded all expectations. Having hit the shelves on January 11, this thriller kept me guessing until the very last page—and when I say last page, I mean it. There is an epic plot twist at the end. Arguably my favorite part of this… Continue reading Book Review: Find Me
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor was…beautiful. Look for it on the shelves on January 4, 2022! My all time favorite book is The Great Gatsby, and this placed me right back into the glitz and glamor of 1920s New York. I can’t tell you how much I loved this story. However, this classic story… Continue reading Book Review: Beautiful Little Fools
I’ve been a huge Lisa Jewell fan ever since I read Watching You, The Girls in the Garden, Then She Was Gone, and The Family Upstairs. While I will say, those four are easily remain my favorites, Jewell’s newest book The Night She Disappeared still gave me the thrilling entertainment I know I’ll receive any… Continue reading Book Review: The Night She Disappeared
Another day, another review! I picked up this one when my mom and I went to Barnes & Noble to “browse but not buy.” Naturally, we walked out with five books in tow. This was one of them! Think Gossip Girl but at a boarding school and lots of dead bodies. Good Girls Lie was… Continue reading Book Review: Good Girls Lie
I spent the long weekend catching up on my massive “To Be Read” pile, so prepare for a couple of reviews this week! The first up on my list (and also a past BOTM selection) was “Too Good To Be True” by Carola Lovering. This story was your classic domestic thriller: wife is blissfully unaware… Continue reading Book Review: Too Good To Be True
The August pick for Reese’s Book Club: We Were Never Here. First of all, the cover was SO fun. Though the plot was dark and twisty, the cover was bright and uplifting—the two completely oppose each other, but I’m a fan of contradictions. I had never read an Andrea Bartz book either, so I was… Continue reading Book Review: We Were Never Here
56 Days was the first COVID-19 related book I’ve read since the pandemic hit. To be perfectly honest with you, the only reason I ordered it was because it was a Book of the Month pick. I had my doubts because I, and presumably the rest of you, am SO sick of hearing, reading, talking,… Continue reading Book Review: 56 Days
I’ve got two books in this review, and if I could give this author ten stars, I would. The Whisper Man = one of the best mystery books I’ve ever read. The Shadows = arguably even better. Alex North has the same suspense/horror storytelling abilities as Stephen King, but without all of the “wordiness” -… Continue reading Author Review: Alex North
This month’s Reese’s Book Club Pick! I go back and forth with how I feel about this book. Miranda Cowley Heller is a beautiful writer and this book is the perfect summer read. The narrative is complex and intriguing, that presents dark, real life issues and confusing matters of the heart. It is a perfect… Continue reading Book Review: The Paper Palace
New book, same mountain. The last time I cried while reading a book was when the Harry Potter series ended…until I read The Nightingale. Kristin Hannah triggered ALL the emotions in this unbelievably beautiful story. With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate… Continue reading Book Review: The Nightingale
Surprise: I’m back with more reviews! The last month has been beyond hectic but I’m finally getting back into my routine. Don’t worry, though…I read ten books while I was away 😉 I am a HUGE Megan Miranda fan and pre-ordered this when I found out it was being released. The premise was so intriguing… Continue reading Book Review: Such A Quiet Place
If you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight recipe with lots of flavor, this is for you! In recent months, I've tried to cut out the amount of red meat I'm eating. Now, that's not to say I don't enjoy a filet or cheeseburger every now and then. I simply wanted to cut back… Continue reading Meatless Korean Beef Bowls
Happy Friday everyone! After a few shipping delays, a cancelled order, and a reordered copy, I finally got my hands on this new release by Mary Kubica. In the past, I've read several Mary Kubica books and have loved every single one of them. This was no different. Local Woman Missing was worth the (long)… Continue reading Book Review: Local Woman Missing
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb gives "girls just want to have fun" a whole new meaning! Imagine Mean Girls grew up, and you have The Hunting Wives. All of the editorial reviews for this book say that it is Mean Girls mixed with Big Little Lies with hints of The Stepford Wives and twists… Continue reading Book Review: The Hunting Wives
My goodness, Reese's Book Club picks NEVER disappoint! The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave gripped my attention from the mysterious beginning to the heartbreaking ending. This is the perfect summer read that I promise you'll fly through. When Owen Michaels vanishes without a trace, other than simple instructions for his wife Hannah… Continue reading Book Review: The Last Thing He Told Me
Rules of Civility = The (new) Great Gatsby. Those of you who know me are aware of the fact that The Great Gatsby is by far my favorite novel ever written. Though I'm not typically a consumer of literature, I adore the dreamy, glamorous, tragic tale of Jay Gatsby. Rules of Civility allowed me to… Continue reading Book Review: Rules of Civility
While my most recent read, People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd, was in the suspense wheelhouse, it was a very different change of pace from anything I have read. Sometimes, I find that with so many thriller novels being published, the plots start to look similar. This novel was completely different! Emmy Jackson, or more… Continue reading Book Review: People Like Her
Let me premise this book review by saying this: major Brothers Grimm fairytale vibes! Carole Johnstone did a phenomenal job of combining childhood fantasies with adult horrors in her new novel Mirrorland, that was released two weeks ago. With witches, pirates, clowns, and princesses, this story pays tribute to the wild imaginations of children. However,… Continue reading Book Review: Mirrorland
In yet another book club I'm in, we've decided to work our way through book series, then compare them to the television or movie series. Having just finished the television series of Outlander (and LOVED it), I am giving the books a go. I finished Book One a week ago and am eager to continue… Continue reading Outlander: Book One vs. Season One
Recipe: 5 oz. diced pancetta2 finely diced carrots2 finely diced celery stalks1 tsp. anchovy paste5 garlic cloves1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced1.5 lb. lean ground beef1 lb. Italian pork sausage1 lb. ground veal1.5 tsp. salt3/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper28 oz. peeled tomatoes8 oz. tomato sauce (no salt added)6 oz. tomato paste (no salt added)1/2… Continue reading Authentic Homemade Bolognese Sauce
The Girls Are All So Nice Here was the first novel I have read by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, and it was recommended to me based on other books I have enjoyed. The story itself definitely fell into the thriller and suspense genres, with some dark twists and surprises along the way. After finishing the book,… Continue reading Book Review: The Girls Are All So Nice Here
Let me start by saying this: Joshilyn Jackson does an excellent job of getting the reader's attention right out of the gate. The very first sentence of the book was our protagonist discovering she was being watched by a witch through her bedroom window. From there, Jackson goes on to tell a twisted tale of… Continue reading Book Review: Mother May I
While this book was a past Reese's Book Club pick, The Guest List by Lucy Foley was the selected book for one of my personal book clubs. One of our members chose this novel, and it was also on my "To Be Read" list, so two birds one stone! Foley's writing style is gripping and… Continue reading Book Review: The Guest List
Yet another Reese's Book Club pick that I flew through! This month, the book club was assigned to read Northern Spy by Flynn Berry. As a thriller, this was definitely more my speed. However, I haven't read an espionage, spy thriller in quite some time, so I was excited for the change of pace. Not… Continue reading Book Review: Northern Spy
Growing up, I was an avid Agatha Christie reader. And Then There Were None was the first book that got me hooked on suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. Undoubtedly, Christie broke barriers in the literary world and invented clever plot twists that had never been done before. Peter Swanson's Eight Perfect Murders cleverly pays homage to… Continue reading Book Review – Eight Perfect Murders
In all honesty, Riley Sager has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time. Riley Sager, the pseudonym for a former journalist, editor, and author, grips my attention from the beginning of the story until the end, for a variety of reasons. Not only does Sager have an incredible talent for storytelling, but… Continue reading Book Review: The Last Time I Lied
Recipe: Two Servings 2 ounces Banza Cavatappi Chickpea Pasta1/4 firm tofu block1 1/2 tablespoon dairy free pesto (I prefer the Trader Joe's Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto)1/4 cup corn12 cherry tomatoes1 head of romaine lettuceOptional: red onion The past few months, I made a promise to myself that I would start putting my health… Continue reading Spring Pesto Pasta Salad
This past month, I decided to start following Reese's Book Club (as if I needed more books to read). I wanted to broaden my horizons by reading books outside of my typical thriller/suspense preferences. Previously, I had read some of the bookclub's picks, such as The Sanatorium, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Lying Game.… Continue reading Book Review: Infinite Country
Books and Bites with Brooke 