REVIEW:

I just finished the new book by Lauren Lee titled Murder in the Moms’ Club. I have to say that I have only read the books in her Detective Dahlia series which I really enjoyed and couldn’t wait to jump into this new series. If I am reading correctly, this may only be a duet of two books. It was so good that I am looking forward to the next book.

There are six moms in this group and the newest member, Caroline, hasn’t even met Taylor yet. Why? Taylor is missing! There is also Marisol, Alexis, Sydney, Hayley. The introduction to the characters in her emails shows us that these are not your typical moms. They are all drop dead gorgeous. I did forget to tell you this story takes place at an affluent beach community. Maybe that is why these ladies don’t look like the mothers did when I grew up! I will have to say that the development of her characters was spot on. It was not hard to keep the six women separate in my mind. I don’t like it when I can’t keep characters clear in my mind and have to refer back in the book to figure it out. I am happy to say that did not happen.

Carolyn and her family are new to town and school started the week before they moved in. She meets the Mom’s Club in the morning when she is dropping off her son at school. She works from home and was able to accept a coffee invitation where she finds out that nobody knows where Taylor is. This is the beginning of figuring out what may have happened to Taylor. 

The book has a major twist at the end. That is all I can really say because I don’t want to ruin it for you. The next book will have some bombshell revelations for us that I surely don’t want to miss. So much happened in this book and the next one is sure to keep us glued to our chairs until we know how this all works out.

If you love good mystery, psychological suspense and domestic thriller thrown in, then Lauren Lee’s Murder in the Moms’ Club should be on your radar. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

Motherhood can be murder . . .

In an affluent city by the beach, the seemingly idyllic world of a moms club shatters when one of its members vanishes without a trace. As suspicion ripples through the close-knit community, a new family moves to town, ready to embrace a fresh start.

Eager to find her tribe, the new mom on the block, Caroline, quickly becomes caught in an intricate web of friendship and secrets. But beneath the surface of perfect smiles and lavish lifestyles lies a darkness Caroline can’t avoid. Haunted by the unexplained disappearance of a fellow mom, Caroline starts to unravel a delicately constructed house of cards.

Murder in the Moms’ Club is a gripping domestic thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final, heart-stopping twist. Prepare to be captivated by a story of secrets, lies, and the deadly consequences of joining the wrong group of friends.

REVIEW:

Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Does anyone know what a broken record is anymore? So, ok let’s just say I feel like I repeat myself a lot when I review books by Kiersten Modglin. Bitter House is another one of her books that I have to say is my new favorite of hers. The twists and turns and the gasps out loud never end. I’ll get those out of the way now and we can explore what is different about this book.

The Dream Job was my first book by Kiersten and it was released on May 12, 2020. I guess that means I’m entering my fifth year of being a true fan. I’ve read a lot of her books. One day I will catch up and have read them all. I can’t say that for sure because this woman can write. Her mind is pretty twisted and she just keeps cranking those stories out to her devoted fans.

One thing I will have to say for this unique author is she never writes the same book twice. She does a wonderful job of mixing up the genres. I love that I never know quite what to expect when I crack open the cover of a new book. I love that she does not seem to have a formula like a lot of successful authors you find out in the mainstream.

This book is a romance of sorts with themes of abuse. Not between the two main characters and it is not in your face. I think the way it was handled it will not be a trigger for the readers. The Bitter house has many secrets hidden within its walls and on the grounds. It was fun coming across the secrets one at a time. I think it was the hidden gems that kept me reading.

Oh! You all know I like stories about diaries and small towns. This book just happens to have a diary within its pages. Oh my, I’m in heaven. It also takes place in Nashville. Once a small town but not so now. I live just outside of Nashville and it is always interesting to read about your surroundings and what it might have been like years ago.

If you like Historical and Domestic Thrillers or just a good mystery, you will probably enjoy this novel. It will keep you turning the pages until you are turning the last one. Then you will wish for more. This book was totally delicious and yummy. Until next time…Happy reading.

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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SYNOPSIS:

Vera Bitter is dead, but her secrets have yet to be buried.

After the tragic death of Bridget’s parents, her grandmother took her in. Vera Bitter raised her from behind a closed door—cold and uncaring from the moment she arrived at Bitter House. After Bridget’s high school graduation, Vera kicked her out without so much as a goodbye, and Bridget never heard from her again. Which is why, when she receives word of Vera’s passing and discovers she’s inherited the family manor, she’s immediately filled with dread.

Those worries are amplified when she arrives at Bitter House after years away to find an enigmatic piece of her past waiting for her. Growing up, there was only one person Bridget distrusted more than her grandmother, and that was Cole Warner—the son of Vera’s house manager and the bane of her childhood existence. Now, he’s her new housemate.

Owning the house she was once forced to leave with a man she’s always despised forces Bridget to confront feelings and questions she’s been running from since the day she was driven away from Bitter House.

Then the first letter arrives.

And with it, a world of secrets, darkness, and deception is unlocked. Years ago, Bridget tried and failed to find sanctuary inside the shadowy halls of Bitter House, and as she struggles to imagine a future there now, she discovers a terrifying truth: behind the iron gate and stone walls of the old estate, nothing is quite what it seems. Bitter House has secrets and, if she can’t decide whom to trust, danger lies in wait.

From million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin comes a bone-chilling, compulsively page-turning, and achingly addictive thriller set within the walls of a mysterious old manor with a sinister secret.

BROKEN STRINGS REVIEW:

WooHoo! I’ve read a brand new series. A new author to some but, I have reviewed this author for a while. Because she is writing in a new genre she has adopted a new pen name. I’m not going to spoil it because I think if you really want to know you might be able to do a little research and find out for yourself. The author’s name is S. J. Sullivan.

This is a  three book series called The On and Off Relationship of Audrey and Nicky. This first book is titled Broken Strings. Audrey is a Ballerina and Nicky is a Rockstar. I really have to be upfront with you and tell you I had my doubts about this series right from the git go. At my age I am not really into rock music anymore and I have never followed ballet. I do have to admit that I took an interest in these two characters and can’t wait to finish their story. This three book series is being released all at once on May 28th. I am making myself write the review for each book as I read them so I can keep them separate.

Audrey is young and innocent because she has poured all of her energy into her dance and has not had a lot of dating experience. Her mother was a single mom and it was just the two of them her whole life. Nicky on the other hand has had an absentee father and a mother who didn’t take time for him growing up. He was pretty much on his own most of his life. He does what he wants when he wants. That is the reason Audrey and Nicky have an on and off relationship. They care for one another but their careers come first.

The character development seems great for the two main characters. The lesser of the characters isn’t there as much. That is ok. I think you’ll find that you really only care about what is going on with Audrey and Nicky anyway.

Well, I really want to get to the next book in the series. In the meantime, please check out the pre-order price on this series. You can’t go wrong if you think you might have some interest in them. I was shocked when I saw how much these books were going for. Until next time…Happy Reading.

SYNOPSIS:

Audrey Thomas and Nicky Levin were the “it” couple of the eighties. The paparazzi followed every move of their glamourous jet-setting lives… until their break-up sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Thirty years later, the rockstar and the prima ballerina have been spotted together again… yet few know what truly happened.

Audrey was summering in the tiny town of Meadow Springs to contemplate her future in ballet. The last thing she needed to complicate things was a budding rockstar. But fate had other plans. Nicky Levin sauntered into her life with bad boy energy, dripping with talent, and undeniably drop-dead gorgeous.

Audrey never meant to fall for him. Still, the more time she spent with Nicky, the more she found her head and heart filled with thoughts of him. With both of their careers on the brink of stardom, they agreed to meet and make time for each other whenever they can. Then, tragedy struck and sent their epic romance into a tailspin.

Do the recent spotting by the media indicate their love story is getting a long-awaited sequel? Or has too much time passed for their second chance?

DAMAGED STRINGS REVIEW:

Damaged Strings is book two in the series by S. J. Sullivan titled The On and Off Relationship of Audrey and Nicky. Audrey being a Ballerina and Nicky a Rockstar. As you can imagine, these are two very different worlds in the entertainment industry. Nicky and Audrey are about as different as their careers.

I am really enjoying this series. Damaged Strings was a difficult book to read. It is hard to understand how someone becomes a drug addict and how difficult the fight is to break the addiction. You also know how some of us women always try to fix things. I think it is in our dna. We also want to be there for the ones we love and care about.

Nicky hits what I would think is bottom. He is hiding deep and dark secrets from Audrey. I feel for her and what Nicky puts her through. I also feel her pain and want to see them get their happily ever after. Do they? I don’t know. I have to get back to reading and get started on book 3. You know I’m not going to tell you how it ends. Right? You’ll have to find out for yourself. Until next time…Happy Reading!

SYNOPSIS:

Audrey can’t stop thinking about Nicky.

Haunted by what could be, she takes the plunge and travels to L.A to reunite with him. Sparks reignited between them, prompting Nicky to ask Audrey to move in with him.

They seem on their way to the happily ever after that evaded them… when Audrey discovers Nicky is keeping a dark and deadly secret from her.

Can she save him from himself? Or will she be forced to choose between the man she loves and his dangerous vices?

BEAUTIFUL STRINGS REVIEW:

Beautiful Strings is the third and final book in The On and Off Relationship of Audrey and Nicky. I am thrilled to be able to introduce you to this series. This author has always written Psychological Thrillers which I love. I had reservations about the Rock and Roll aspects of this book but it was so well written that I didn’t mind at all. There was some of the behind the scenes workings of being a Rockstar and being a Ballerina while the main theme of the book was the love story between these two unlikely people who fall madly in love with each other.

The on and off relationship is no joke. They break up, get back together, and generally because of touring spend many months apart. Be ready for your heart to be torn into pieces many times while reading these books. It is worth reading these books for general information about the two different careers and the perils people are subject to while performing their jobs. I love to learn new things and these books taught me things I haven’t thought of before.

I have to tell you that these books are fabulous and although they are a change of genre for this author, she did a wonderful job bringing the characters and the books to life. I felt like I was watching a movie while reading Audrey and Nicky’s story. I started Broken Strings and flew through that book and hopped right into Damaged Strings and jetted right on to Beautiful Strings. I couldn’t read fast enough. I think S. J. Sullivan made a very wise decision to release these books all on the same day. They are well worth every penny!

If you love slightly different characters and backgrounds, learning something new, and have an interest in the arts, then these books are for you. I think you will enjoy them. Let me know what you think. I’m anxious to hear. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received complimentary copies of these books from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

Two years ago, Audrey broke up with Nicky.

Moving on from her famous ex has proved harder than anticipated. People still ask questions, and the tabloids continuously drag her name into stories—more than anything, Audrey wants to put Nicky behind her.

But fate has other plans.

Nicky is determined to win her back and make amends for how he hurt her. He knows Audrey is too leery to trust him, but somehow, he hopes to regain her trust.

Can Audrey put the past behind her and forgive Nicky? Or has the curtain fallen on their happily ever after?

REVIEW:

I have to admit that when author Nancy Klann-Moren sent me a request to review her new novel Love and Protest my interest peaked but I wasn’t crazy about revisiting the protests of the Vietnam era. I was a high school student during that time and I remember it well. It was a difficult time. There were other aspects of the book that sounded pretty good so I said I would read it and review for her. I am so glad I did!

This book takes place in two different time periods. One during Vietnam and one in more recent times with Black Lives Matter. Libby Carlson is the main character who protests during the Anti-Vietnam War Movement 52 years ago and 17 year old Harper Warner comes across her diary in a nightstand drawer in a thrift store. Her mother is recently deceased. The diary helps her through her time of mourning and inspires her to get involved with something bigger than herself.

If you have followed me for very long you know that I love small towns where Harper is from and I love books written about diaries. Right there are two things I love in a book and I somehow knew I was going to fall in love with this book. How could I not?

This author has such a way of developing characters. You learn a lot about Libby Carlson through her diary entries. You are right there with her as she meets a young man that gets her interested in a movement that she can’t help but become active in. Then we have Harper who has recently lost her mother and desperately needs something to become involved in and there is nothing much bigger in our time than the Black Lives Matter Movement. We learn from her thoughts while reading Libby’s diary what Harper is all about. These are just two of the wonderful characters you will meet when you read this book.

Oh! Another thing I love about a book is one that can teach me something while I am enjoying a good story. I learned more than my young mind absorbed about the Anti-Vietnam Movement 52 years ago and I learned more about the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Her research was thorough. 

So, if you are like me and love small towns, wonderful characters, learning something new and getting a peak in someone’s diary, then you will love this book as much as I did. I literally gobbled it up. It was a book I could not put down. Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

POIGNANT AND HEARTFELT
THE IDEAL NOVEL FOR A BOOK CLUB

While wandering through the Second Chance Thrift Shop, 17-year-old Harper Warner comes across a diary tucked in a nightstand drawer. The original owner, Libby Carlson, had chronicled her “Summer of Love” in San Francisco and her involvement in the Anti-Vietnam War Movement 52 years earlier.
Harper is certain her recently deceased mother arranged this discovery, and she gives the find special import. The diary entries help Harper cope with her loss and motivate her to become involved in something larger than herself.
After deciding her cause would be the Black Lives Matter movement, COVID-19 unexpectedly upends her plans. Her media-fueled fears and obsession with the growing death count drive her into isolation, until the George Floyd murder. Separated by generations, Harper and Liberty’s heartbreaks and missteps are intertwined as they come of age and find their individual paths toward activism.

Interview:

Where did the inspiration for Love and Protest come from?

As my first novel, The Clock Of Life, did, Love and Protest gives a nod to social activism.

I’ve always liked the concept of ordinary people getting involved to make a difference for the greater good. As this story says, activists are the shining lights of our democracy. They expose the dark corners of government and power. 

Coming of age in a time of political unrest is complex, and I hope this book encourages the reader to think about the strength of involvement and the belief in something worth fighting for.

What part of writing this book surprised you? 

At first, I thought the story was about a young girl who found a diary and how it affected her life. Once I realized the diary was simply the vehicle for exploring both girls’ stories, I saw it as more compelling and more complete.

What is your favorite chapter or part of the book, and why?

Chapter five. It’s short—only two pages. It’s the graduation scene, where the valedictorian gives a unique commencement speech that reminds Harper of sweet times spent with her mother. I named the boy Tommy Newsome in honor of my diseased brother.

What are some of your hopes or goals for your novel Love and Protest?

1) Number one best-seller at the top of the charts for two years straight.

2) A meeting with George Clooney at the villa on Lake Come because he wants to produce the movie and would like me to write the screenplay

3) Holding the Oscar at the awards ceremony.

How do you come up with the ideas that become the storyline for your books?

I like to write about working-class, blue-collar relationships, and quirky characters. In my short stories, my initial intension is to explore a characters struggle with something. Then, I insert a friendship, real or imagined, and the characters guide me to the end. My last novel, The Clock Of Life, started out as a short story.

What inspires you to write?

Inspiration is elusive. I never know where it will come from next. Sometimes it comes from a place or a smell. Sometimes from a song or a feeling. I like being in a creative environment, around true artists of all kinds. I think creative people are a real turn-on.

Do you have any favorite times or places to write?

I don’t write in coffee shops or public places, and I don’t have a musical playlist when I write because I prefer silence. I “see” the scenes in my head and “hear” the voices during the conversations. For me, outside noise gets in the way of the process.

I write on the computer, in my office. The first and most difficult step is sitting my butt in the chair and giving my writing a higher priority than, oh, everything else. 

As an artist and a writer, do you look to different means of inspiration for each, or does one complement the other?

I suppose they both tell a story. Art is more playful and inspired by objects, and writing takes a lot, lot, lot longer.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes. Readers hold the key to any writer’s heart. Readers are our raison d’etre, and I am particularly grateful to everyone who has expressed appreciation for my efforts.

One more thing for fun.  Here’s the diary I found quite a few years ago. 

REVIEW:

I finished Bleed II about a week ago and have been letting it brew in my mind for a while. There are two things I have to come clean on. The first one is that I am getting old. I had a hard time at first putting the names to the characters and how they relate to each other from the first book. For example who were the original friends from the first book and who are their boyfriends. I will blame that on my age but will advise that you may want to read the first book in the Bleed series first. They don’t do well as stand alone novels.

The second admission is that I am really far behind. I’m trying to catch up while staying caught up if you know what I mean. So, actually I blame that on having a hard time with the characters in the beginning of Bleed II. Life has been getting in my way the last couple of years. 

Here is the good news! I really enjoyed this book and think it is an awesome new addition to the Bleed series. I know there is one more book coming in October. These books are my first foray into the Slasher genre. I’ve always steered clear of those books and movies. I don’t like blood and gore or violence but, I will always make an exception for any of Emerald’s books.

Emerald O’Brien has a way of making you care so much about her characters and what they are going through that I didn’t mind the slasher parts so much. I wanted to make sure they all came out safe and unharmed. I will tell you that you are going to have to read the books to see what happens because I certainly am not going to ruin it for you.

I also want you to know that her story lines are not far fetched or something that she just makes happen. When you read these books you are positive that these things really could happen and that some people will go to extremes to do what they do. I hear of horrific events every day on the news. So, I know these things can happen.

Ok! You have until October to read Bleed I and II. Get yourself ready for Bleed III. You are not going to want to miss it. Take my word that you don’t have to be a slasher fan to love these books. If you love this genre and you haven’t read them, what are you waiting for?  Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

From bestselling author Emerald O’Brien comes Book #2 of The Skull Serial Killer Thriller series readers are calling “a sinister, completely cinematic story brought to life by a powerhouse author who is at the top of her game.” and “… my favorite read of 2023!”- Kiersten Modglin, bestselling author of The Arrangement

Last Halloween, they paid his toll.
This November, The Skull returns.

Written by a student of the slasher genre, lover of horror, and bestselling author of over twenty psychological thriller novels, Emerald O’Brien’s twisted new series in the vein of Riley Sager and Taylor Adams is sure to bring readers heart-pounding suspense.