June, Reimagined by Rebekah Crane - 5 Stars

 "June Merriweather is on the run—from her own life. Her brother is dead, her parents are liars, and her college major is a joke. Apart from her best friend, Matt, June is desperate for reinvention. And a one-way ticket out of Cincinnati to the Scottish Highlands is a good place to start.

With a backpack, an urn, and a secret, June begins again. She snags a job at a café and finds lodging at a quaint inn with a quirky cast of housemates. The only problem: the inn’s infuriatingly perceptive (and sexy) owner, Lennox. He’s suspicious of June. After all, no one comes to Scotland in the winter unless they’re running from something. From rocky start to sizzling temptation, June’s new world is exhilarating…and one detour away from disaster.

With her past and her future both vying for attention, June can’t begin to picture where her reimagined life is headed next. And falling in love with the last person she expected is only the beginning."

I really enjoyed this one. Normally I don't really care for romance type books, but this one didn't overdo it and the romance parts had humor thrown in with them.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin - 4 Stars

 "Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville’s elite. More recently, her husband made a fortune selling his tech business, and their adored son has been accepted to Princeton. Yet sometimes the middle-class small-town girl in Nina wonders if she’s strayed from the person she once was.

Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his headstrong daughter, Lyla. His road has been lonely, long, and hard, but he finally starts to relax after Lyla earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school.

Amid so much wealth and privilege, Lyla doesn’t always fit in—and her overprotective father doesn’t help—but in most ways, she’s a typical teenage girl, happy and thriving.

Then, one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. As the image spreads like wildfire, the Windsor community is instantly polarized, buzzing with controversy and assigning blame.

At the heart of the lies and scandal, Tom, Nina, and Lyla are forced together—all questioning their closest relationships, asking themselves who they really are, and searching for the courage to live a life of true meaning."

This was a fast paced read. I was expecting a twist, though, and was a bit disappointed at the ending. This is the first book of hers I've read.

Christmas Chocolates and Crimes by Cindy Bell - 4 Stars

 Christmas is approaching and "Charlotte's Chocolate Heaven" has never been busier. Ally and Charlotte are working like crazy to fill all of the orders.

But then a resident at Charlotte's retirement community ends of dead and Charlotte is the chief's prime suspect. Charlotte and Ally race to find the true killer before Charlotte spends Christmas in handcuffs.

This was a cute, quick read. It was perfect for the holidays. I think I'll check out the beginning of the series and maybe one of the author's other cozy mystery series. 

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier - 4 Stars

 "When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.

Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all."

This book pulled me in right from the beginning. It did take me a few days to finish it, but that's because we're in the middle of moving and I was on the road for 2 days and busy doing other stuff in there. But when I was able to settle down and get some reading time, I plowed through it. 

I enjoyed how the story wrapped everything up, but wasn't too surprised by the bit of plot twist that it had. I had kind of predicted that earlier on. I think the only negative I have is that sometimes it would go back and forth in time and I'd forget where the chapter was originally at. But overall it was a really good book.

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

 "April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear."

I really enjoyed this one. It was a pretty fast read and I was anxious to see what was going to happen next. There was a small plot twist at the end, but to me it wasn't major. 

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin - 4 Stars

 When Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi, she has no idea how she got there. She's dropped off at here apartment, only to find a stranger answering the door. Her phone and wallet are missing and she has a strange message written on her hand: Stay Awake!

Liv has no idea what is going on and why she can't remember the last 2 years of her life. Liv soon finds out that there has been a murder in the city and the same strange message was written on the window in the victims blood.

Liv must figure out what is going on and how she plays into it before it's too late. 

I enjoyed this one pretty good. I liked the concept, but felt that the ending was a little bit of a let down. I was expecting a larger twist. 

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich - 5 Stars

 In the 19th book of this series, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is up to her usual shenanigans. She's on the hunt for several skipped bounties. One, a homeless man who has a wooden tiki for collateral. Another one had his appendix removed and suddenly disappeared from the hospital without a trace, and the third embezzled over 5 million dollars from the local senior citizen's home.

As usual, this one had me laughing out loud. I love all the hijinks that Stephanie gets into. 

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez - 4 Stars

 "Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.

But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children—just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits, that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.

Because history repeats what we don’t remember."

I really enjoyed this story and even though it is historical fiction (loosely based on true events), I feel it still has a relevant meaning today. It's almost as history is, in a way, repeating itself.

Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

 It's New Year's Eve 1982 and Oona Lockhart's 19th birthday is the next day. She is about to turn 19 and has her whole life ahead of her. Oona has a big decision to make. Travel to London and study or stay in New York and pursue music and the band that she is in. But all that changes when Oona passes out at midnight. She wakes up 32 years in the future, in a 51 year old body. Thus starts Oona, out of order. She jumps from year to year every New Year's Eve, not knowing which year she will end up in next. Partying in the 90's? Traveling in the 2000's? Oona never knows what the next year will hold.

I absolutely loved this book! I didn't want it to end and really wanted to experience some more years with Oona. It was so fun to see Oona jump into the future and learn about all the new technology, only to jump back to the past and have everyone look strangely at her newly learned references.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman - 5 Stars

 Nina Hill feels she has the perfect life for her. She has a cat named Phil, a job at a bookstore (which is perfect since she loves to read), and is part of an awesome trivia team. Nina is an introvert and tries to stick to her schedule as much as possible. She doesn't like surprises. 

But Nina is thrown for a loop when she discovers that the father she never knew has passed away and now finds herself with all these family members she has to deal with. Throw Tom, a member of an opposing trivia team, into the mix and Nina's world is turned upside down and she is forced to come out of her comfort zone.

I loved this book! It was so fun! Nina, while on the quirky side, is so lovable and you want nothing but the best for her. I loved how she was shy, yet could be snarky when she wanted to. I'm going to read the next one, which I'm not sure is really a true "sequel", but looks like it'll be good, too.

Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries by Tonya Kappes - 4 Stars

 "Welcome to Normal, Kentucky, where nothing is normal"

When Mae West's "ex" (as she will surely let you know) husband is busted for a Ponzi scheme, she is left with next to nothing. Mae, who is used to the finer things in life, finds herself left as the owner of a rundown campground and a tiny RV. Mae has no choice but to move into the RV and try to turn the campground into the one on the brochure she has seen. 

But when Paul, Mae's ex, shows up dead at the campground, she soon learns that his scheme touched many people in the town of Normal. With several people who had motive to kill Paul, she sets out to find out what really happened. 

This was a very quick, cute read. It was a nice break from the heavier stuff I've been reading. The author has written over 180 southern cozy mysteries. I think I'll check out some of the other ones as well as those in this series. 

The Long Walk by Stephen King - 3 Stars

 Set in the future, every May 1st, one hundred boys gather to go on the Long Walk. The rules are simple. Keep a pace of four miles per hour or pay the consequences. Contestants soon learn the consequences after receiving 3 warnings before they buy their ticket. The winner of the walk gets what ever he wants for the rest of his life. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of Ray Garraty, a 16 year old boy who has joined the walk. 

I started out liking this one, but then felt that it was just drawn out way too much. I found myself skimming through some of the paragraphs towards the end of the book. 

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison - 5 Stars

 The Gardener likes to keep "butterflies". His "butterflies" are young women that he has kidnapped and tattooed wings on. They are kept isolated in his garden where he does as he pleases with them. 

The FBI discovers the garden and interviews Maya. Maya tells the story of the garden and what has gone on. The book flips through the past events at the garden and the present, in which Maya is telling her story.

I really enjoyed this one. It's pretty creepy, but kept me on the edge. Last night it reached a point where I COULD NOT STOP READING! I was fighting sleep trying to finish it. 

Run Away by Harlan Coben - 5 Stars

 "You've lost your daughter. She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found.

Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble.

You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home.

She runs. And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on."

This book had more twists than a ball of yarn...and I loved it! So unexpected throughout the whole storyline. Nothing like I thought it would be, and I mean that in a good way. I've enjoyed almost all the books that I've read by him. Great author!

Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry - 3 1/2 Stars

 Emily and Elizabeth spend their childhood locked in a bedroom and terrorized by a mother who drinks too much and disappears for days. The identical twins are rescued by a family determined to be their saviors.

But there’s some horrors love can’t erase…

Elizabeth wakes in a hospital, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak. The last thing she remembers is finding Emily’s body in their bathroom. Days before, she was falling in love and starting college. Now, she’s surrounded by men who talk to themselves and women who pull out their eyebrows.

As she delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Emily’s death, she discovers shocking secrets and holes in her memory that force her to remember what she’s worked so hard to forget—the beatings, the blood, the special friends. Her life spins out of control at a terrifying speed as she desperately tries to unravel the psychological puzzle of her past before it’s too late.

~~~~~~~~~~~

So, the last couple of chapters saved this one from being a really low rating. It started out so slow and didn't really pick up like I thought it would. I honestly almost gave up, but after one of the plot twists I wanted to see what was going to happen. The major twist helped me give it the extra 1/2 star (to be rounded up on GR). This is my 3rd book by her. 

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Sutanto - 5 Stars

 "When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It's the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—"Don't leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!"—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?"

This was such a fun read! It had me laughing through most of the book. A little over half way it really picked up and I was zooming through it, dying to see how it was going to turn out. I can't wait to read the next one that she's got out. 

#Murderfunding by Gretchen McNeil - 4 Stars

 In the sequel to #Murdertrending, there's a new reality game show being launched call Who Wants to be a Paniac? But this time, no one is going to die. Or are they?

Becca is recovering from the death of her mother when a strange girl shows up and tells her that her mother was the notorious Paniac, Molly Mauler. Soon Becca finds herself caught up in the drama of Who Wants to be a Paniac trying to discover who her mom really was. 

I enjoyed this sequel. It was fast paced and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. There's one more book in the series, but not sure if I want to read that one or not. 

If I Had Your Face by Francis Cha - 3 Stars

 "Kyuri is an achingly beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a Seoul “room salon,” an exclusive underground bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach to life, an impulsive mistake threatens her livelihood.

Kyuri’s roommate, Miho, is a talented artist who grew up in an orphanage but won a scholarship to study art in New York. Returning to Korea after college, she finds herself in a precarious relationship with the heir to one of the country’s biggest conglomerates.

Down the hall in their building lives Ara, a hairstylist whose two preoccupations sustain her: an obsession with a boy-band pop star, and a best friend who is saving up for the extreme plastic surgery that she hopes will change her life.

And Wonna, one floor below, is a newlywed trying to have a baby that she and her husband have no idea how they can afford to raise in Korea’s brutal economy.

Together, their stories tell a gripping tale at once unfamiliar and unmistakably universal, in which their tentative friendships may turn out to be the thing that ultimately saves them."

I had high hopes for this one, but was let down. The story is told from 4 different perspectives and took a while to figure out who was who and how they played into the story. But I really didn't see an outright plot. To me it was just following a few months out of the character's lives. I didn't see a point to the story. 

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner-3 Stars

 "One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive."

I was really wanting some type of major plot twist that didn't happen. It was a good book, but just didn't meet my expectations.

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris - 4 Stars

 Book 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series

The vamps have been outed for some time and now the weres and shapeshifters have decided to reveal themselves as well. But when someone close to Sookie is murdered in a violent way, she fears it's backlash. She also finds herself in danger when she becomes a pawn in the battle between yet another non-human race.

I enjoyed this book in the series, but then I've enjoyed all of them. LOL! It was fun and quick to read (if I hadn't been trying to move in the middle of reading I could have finished it faster. LOL)

The Secrets of Us by Lucinda Berry-4 Stars (rounded up)

 "Foster sisters Krystal and Nichole have always been there for each other, so when Nichole is committed to a psychiatric hospital after trying to kill her husband, Krystal drops everything to defend her.

Scarred by a hard upbringing, Nichole and Krystal managed to construct comfortable lives for themselves. Krystal became a respected lawyer, and Nichole was happily married to an architect—until Nichole starts raving that her husband isn’t her husband, believing that he’s an imposter.

Driven by fierce loyalty, Krystal starts asking questions, but she’s not sure she can bear the answers. Her investigation leads to the sisters’ dark shared past…to a horrible tragedy and a well-guarded lie that cemented their sisterly bond.

But that lie can’t kill the truth—the battered, gasping, clawing truth that’s coming for them both. Now Krystal and Nichole must both fight for the lives they’ve built before they’re consumed by the one they left behind."

The first 3/4 of this book was really good and then it started going down hill really fast. There was one twist at the end that rounded it up for me, but the last part of the book was kind of disappointing to me.

Deconstructed by Liz Talley - 4 Stars

 Cricket's life drastically changes when she finds out her husband is cheating on her. Cricket's plans are to hire a private investigator and an attorney and dish out what her husband deserves. But Cricket's plans go awry and she finds herself, along with her new assistant at work, as the PI, trying to catch her husband in the act. 

This was a cute, funny beach read (even if I didn't read it on the beach...lol). The story was fast paced and was told between the POVs of Cricket and her assistant, Ruby. I felt that Ruby's story intertwined with Cricket's well, too. 

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - 5 Stars

 "For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her.

But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens."

I surprisingly loved this book. I wasn't sure when I first started if it would be one I'd enjoy, but I did. The author keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen next. The story alternates from past to "present" until both timeframes intersect. I flew through the ending of the book, anxious to see what happened. 

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding - 4 Stars

 "Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.

A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she had hoped that the day he got accepted into the elite Forrester Academy would be the day she started living her life. Overweight, insecure, and lonely, she is desperate to fit into the Forrester world. But after a disturbing incident at the school causes the other children and their families to ostracize the Metcalfes, she feels more alone than ever before.

Until she meets Kate Randolph.

Kate is everything Frances is not: beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident. And for some reason, she’s not interested in being friends with any of the other Forrester moms—only Frances. As the two bond over their disdain of the Forrester snobs and the fierce love they have for their sons, a startling secret threatens to tear them apart—one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer."

This was a pretty fast paced read and pulled me in from the beginning. I rated it 3 1/2 stars and rounded up. Mostly because I was waiting for something explosive to happen and it didn't. The ending fell flat for me
It took a bit to put some of the characters into the places that they played in the story, but when they did fall into place it made more sense.

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum - 3 Stars

 "Suburbia. Shady, tree-lined streets, well-tended lawns and cozy homes. A nice, quiet place to grow up. Unless you are teenage Meg or her crippled sister, Susan. On a dead-end street, in the dark, damp basement of the Chandler house, Meg and Susan are left captive to the savage whims and rages of a distant aunt who is rapidly descending into madness. It is a madness that infects all three of her sons and finally the entire neighborhood. Only one troubled boy stands hesitantly between Meg and Susan and their cruel, torturous deaths. A boy with a very adult decision to make."

This was a really hard book to get through and I found myself skimming through the end just so I could finish it. It was rough to read about everything that was happening,

A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil - 3 Stars

 "Annie Beyers has everything—a beautiful house, a loving husband, and an adorable daughter. It’s a day like any other when she takes Hannah to the pediatrician…until she wakes hours later from a car accident. When she asks for her daughter, confused doctors tell Annie that Hannah never existed. In fact, nothing after waking from the crash is the same as Annie remembers. Five happy years of her life apparently never happened.

Annie’s marriage is coming to an end. Now a successful artist living in Manhattan, she’s no longer home in their beloved upstate farmhouse. Her long-estranged sister is more like a best friend, and her recently deceased dog is alive and well. With each passing day, Annie’s remembered past and unfamiliar present begin to blur. Haunted by visions of Hannah, and with knowledge of things she can’t explain, Annie wonders…is everyone lying to her?

The search for answers leads Annie down an illuminating path far from home, to reconcile the memories with reality and to discover the truth about the life she’s living."

I thought this book started out really well and was headed in a good direction. Then a little over half way through it, it took a turn that I didn't care for at all.

Dead End Girl by LT Vargus - 4 Stars

 Special Agent Violet Darger with the FBI is called into the midwestern town of Athens, Ohio when a girl's body is found mutilated and left inside a dumpster outside of the local Burger King. 2 more mutilated corpses were found within the town, bringing shock to the local community. There's little evidence to follow and Darger feels the case is hopeless, but she must do what ever necessary to keep the killer from mutilating another young girl.

For the most part this was a nice, fast paced thriller. I did feel that there were some unnecessary parts of the story that could have been left out and made the story a little shorter. The ending was quick and there wasn't really a lot of build up to it. I may check out the next book in the series to see if I like it any better. 

The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff - 4 Stars

 "Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter—a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her—and scores of others—from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions."

I rounded this up to 4 stars, although it wasn't really a 4 star read for me. I love reading about psychology and it's history. I'm fascinated by the things that they thought would work many years ago. The first half was great, but the ending fell really flat for me. I was hoping for more of a "bang" at the end,  but it just wasn't there. 

Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre - 3 Stars

 Dr Neena Ryder and her husband Matt move into a wealthy suburb next to Cat and her husband William. Neena is William's newest employee with a goal of more than succeeding at her job. Cat has everything Neena wants, including William and Neena sets out to get what she wants. 

Most of the story is told between the points of view between Neena and Cat. For the first part it was fairly fast paced and intriguing, but then about 3/4 of the way through it started to fall apart. There was a twist towards that point, but it wasn't as good of a twist as I was expecting. Not sure if I'll read anything else by this author.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty - 4 Stars

The author is a mortician and basically it's questions that people have asked her about dead bodies. There are the more popular ones, like what happens if you eat unpopped popcorn kernels and then are cremated, and odd ones such as what happens to a body when someone dies in space. 

The book was interesting and the author made most of it humorous. There were a few chapters that didn't interest me, but over all it was a good book. 

Five Total Strangers by Natalie Richards - 2 Stars

 "When Mira flies home to spend Christmas with her mother in Pittsburgh, a record-breaking blizzard results in a cancelled layover. Desperate to get to her grief-ridden mother in the wake of a family death, Mira hitches a ride with a group of friendly college kids who were on her initial flight.

As the drive progresses and weather conditions become more treacherous, Mira realizes that the four other passengers she's stuck in the car with don't actually know one another.

Soon, they're not just dealing with heavy snowfall and ice-slick roads, but the fact that somebody will stop at nothing to ensure their trip ends in a deadly disaster."

Not starting the year out good. I only gave this one 2 stars because for the first half of the book I was actually intrigued. But starting about half way through I was just like get on with it already. The main character was really whiny and the questions she had about her trip mates just kept getting repeated and started to get really annoying. The ending wasn't really a jaw dropper, either. Everything just fell flat. 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - 4 Stars

 "Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up— she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened."

This one wasn't really what I thought it was when I chose it, but it turned out to be pretty good. It was fairly fast paced and I had several different endings in mind, but none of them were right. Not sure if I'll pick up anything else by her because I'm not a huge romance fan, but this one was good. 

2022 Alphabet Challenge

 2022 Alphabet Challenge

A-All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

B-The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

C-Christmas Chocolate and Crimes by Cindy Bell

D-Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

E- Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre

F-Five Total Strangers by Natalie Richards

G- The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

H- Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding

I-It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

J-June, Reimagined by Rebekah Crane

K-

L- The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff

M- #Murderfunding by Gretchen McNeil

N- Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

O-Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore

P- Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry

Q-

R-Run Away by Harlan Coben

S- The Secrets of Us by Lucinda Berry

T- Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

U-

V-

W- Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

X-

Y-

Z-