Verity by Colleen Hoover - 4 Stars

 "Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents could devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her."

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Man, this was one crazy book! I knew it was a controversial book, but wanted to give it a shot anyways. It did not disappoint. I will say that this was a book that is not for the faint of heart. There were a lot of parts that had my jaw dropping. It also contained a lot of sex scenes, which is why I gave it just 4 stars. I felt that the sex part was overdone and the story would have been just as good with it scaled back some. The end really leaves you going, what did I just read.

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White - 5 Stars

 "Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. She’s the “invisible girl,” compelled to poke into her wealthy clients’ closely guarded lives. It’s a harmless hobby until Kit sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. In turn, it makes the couple—who might kill to keep their secret—dangerous to Kit.

When homicide cop Mallory Van Alst is called to a scene at a luxury waterfront home known as the Glass House, she’s confronted with evidence of a violent attack so bloody it’s improbable the victim is alive. But there’s no body. The homeowners are gone. And their maid is missing. The only witness is the elderly woman next door, who woke to screams in the night. The neighbor was also the last person to see Kit Darling alive.

As Mal begins to uncover the secret that has sent the lives of everyone involved on a devious and inescapable collision course, she realizes that nothing is quite as it seems. And no one escapes their past."

Boy, this book had more twists and turns than a ball of yarn. It had me hooked from the beginning. It constantly had me turning the page wanting to know who did what and what was going to happen next. And just when I'd think I had figured out the storyline, the author went and changed directions again. It was crazy, but in a good way! 

Words on Candy Hearts by Augusta Reilly - 4 Stars

 "“There are two kinds of men,” Mom said. “Rich bastards and poor bastards. Neither will give a crap about your brains or personality, so go for the one with the money.”

Beautiful PhD student Clara Zapata has never subscribed to the theory that the only thing men care about is looks, but after getting dumped by her fiancé for gaining weight, she’s starting to think her gold-digging mother is on to something. If men are going to treat her like a trophy, why shouldn’t she treat them like a credit card?

“There are two kinds of women,” Dad said. “Pretty bitches and ugly bitches. They’ll both be more interested in the divorce settlement than the marriage, so go for the hottie.”

All heir-in-waiting Ian Dunning has ever wanted was the love of a good woman. But after being seduced and abandoned by yet another gold digger, he’s beginning to lose hope of ever finding real love. If all women will ever want him for is his money, why shouldn’t he just chase after the ones with the biggest boobs and the fewest brain cells?

What happens when this cynical son of a billionaire gets stuck on a disastrous road trip with the jaded daughter of a gold digger? Will Ian and Clara follow in their parents’ footsteps, or will they find true love?"

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This was the first book I've read since my dad passed away. It was the perfect book to start off with, even if it did take me nearly 6 weeks to read it. It was literally laugh out loud funny. There were times I almost had tears running down my face.

There was an emotional part about 3/4 of the way through that I had to push myself through, but managed ok. The comedy at the end kind of tapered off (which is why I bumped it down to 4 stars), but over all I really enjoyed the book.