Review: Dollface: A Novel

Dollface: A Novel by Lindy Ryan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

1.5 Stars because I made it past 25% of the book.

Trigger Warnings that I wish I had known about:

Suicide

Animal abuse

Nut job neighbor

Gore

Helicopter parenting

Wimpy Main Character (a horror writer for goodness sakes!)

 I made it through 25% of this book before I gave up. I applaud all the readers who made it to the end, and I also applaud the ones who didn't even make it as far as I did.

Like others, I was excited to read this book. It sounded perfect for me, but I didn't get what I expected.

When I came upon a description of a wedding cake that tasted like: "The aftertaste of raspberry filling clings to her soft palate, as thick and heady and floral as menstrual blood.", I read a couple of more chapters and then just called it a day.

Perhaps I'm getting to the age that this sort of descriptive writing doesn't affect me the way the author thought it should. I didn't understand all the references, and let's not even discuss my not knowing what all the acronyms are. So I'm an Olde Pharte, sue me!

The two characters we meet early on (excluding Jill's son Tanner, who is whiny and overindulged) are nutcases. Darla...I can imagine her going off the deep end and murdering people, but I will never know because I didn't stick with it.

Jill, the main female character, is such a wimp at this point that my eyes would have fallen out of my head had I read much more about her.

Not for me.  Maybe for you, though!

*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: " Barbie meets Scream with a 90s nostalgia twist in this horror romp from Bless Your Heart author Lindy Ryan.

Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends.

But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer’s murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing.

A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time.:

Review: And the Crowd Went Wild

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This can be read as a stand-alone novel. There are mentions of characters from past books, but nothing you have to fret about.

Whew...I got lucky with this book. I had forgotten how much I like Ms. Phillips' style of writing; incorporating well-drawn characters, with a great story, excellent descriptions, but not so many that you get bored. She has a fantastic way of bringing an enemy-to-lovers tale to a conclusion without making you doubt that these are real people. Yes, I know they are not real in the physical sense, but her writing makes them real to me. I can see myself becoming friends with all of these people, were they actually real people LOL!

If you are wondering, there are steamy parts; after all, a romance is nothing without some steam, but there are no overly descriptive romantic scenes - no smut.

This book had me laughing, cringing and eventually crying. It is the embodiment of all good things that a great romance novel should have. This would be a perfect book for a book club read. There is a lot to discuss with other readers in this novel.

The book summary gives you an excellent idea of what you will be reading, but what it fails to mention is that there will also be two other storylines (one very minor) that are very interesting.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Avon/HarperCollins, the author, and NetGalley.

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Summary: "#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips is back with the latest novel in her beloved Chicago Stars series, featuring a romance between a star quarterback and one of the country’s most beautiful—and misunderstood—actresses.

After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?

But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.

Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions.

As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other?

Tropes include:

• second-chance romance
• enemies to lovers
• forced proximity
• childhood sweethearts"

Review: The Right to Remain: A Jack Swyteck Novel

The Right to Remain: A Jack Swyteck Novel by James Grippando
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the 20th novel in this series, but it can be read very easily without reading the others.

I have never really had an interest in legal thrillers. They tend to be too political. I have firm thoughts about authors who bring their political beliefs into their writing.

This book was perfect! This is my first Jack Swyteck novel, but it won't be my last! Thank goodness I have 19 past books to read.

Jack Swyteck is a Defence lawyer. He has just gotten one of the most frustrating cases of his life. He needs to defend someone accused of murder. His client won't talk...at all. Not to protect himself, explain what happened, talk about his past, nada! This person takes the 5th Amendment, and they take it very literally.

The courtroom scenes were gripping, intense, and sometimes frustrating.

Meanwhile, we also have two different issues that may result in arrest: one involving Jack's friend and co-worker, Theo, and another involving a very rich Political Fanatic named C.J.

I do believe that I will be reading this entire series.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Harper/Harper Collins, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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Summary: "In this thrilling novel from bestselling author James Grippando—the twentieth in his revered series—legendary criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck takes on a twisty, difficult case that becomes one of the most complex in his illustrious career.

Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck must contend with a unique problem. His client, Elliott Stafford, indicted for murder, has gone silent. Not just silent in asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination—Elliott refuses to speak. He won’t talk to the judge, his girlfriend, or even the attorney fighting for his life. There seems to be no medical or psychological reason for his silence. He has, as Jack puts it, “chosen to become his own worst enemy.”

To some, it’s an act of protest against a broken criminal justice system. Jack doesn’t buy it. Undeterred by the hoopla and calls to walk away, he keeps his client and tries his best to save Elliott from himself. As he digs for facts, Jack discovers a much more disturbing reason for Elliott’s silence. Virtually everything Elliott told Jack before the indictment is proving false, including Elliot’s criminal history, family turmoil, and secret past. As Jack plunges deeper, he comes to believe that Elliott isn’t trying to hide his own guilt. He may be protecting someone else—and the stakes could not be higher.

With plenty of courtroom action, scenes in which “Grippando’s years of experience shine brightest” (New York Times), The Right to Remain is one of the most thrilling entries yet in this hugely popular series that keeps going strong."

Review: Such Sheltered Lives

Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Wow, just wow. This is my first book of the new year, and I felt that it had so much promise. I was very let down.  <spoiler>I dislike multiple timelines, especially when you don't find out about it until the end</spoiler>

I hope my next book by an unknown (to me) author keeps my interest more and has a clearer story. Yes, the twist was somewhat interesting, but to me, the twist was just another trope.  

I feel like my book must have been missing pages, or at least some pertinent information, to get the ending that we have here.

It was bad enough to sit through the constant whining of these three—poor little rich kids with issues that led up to their destructive behavior. They have nobody to blame for this but themselves.

 We have :

An anorexic who self-harms.

Someone with anger/drug issues ( and is totally misunderstood, of course)

And yet another with drinking and drug problems.

The multiple points of view just reinforced the 'poor me' attitude, and adding 'relationships' to the mix was over the top for a place like this.

It may have been a luxurious recovery center for the rich and has-beens, with only 3 patients at a time. Still, it was run more like a prison with the "caregivers" sleeping in the same bungalows as the people in recovery, and not being as observant as you would think doctors would be in such a high-priced place. It was so sloppily run that they never realized that one of the patients had smuggled in drugs.

I can't believe this book was only 288 pages; it read like it was over 500.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books/Simon & Schuster, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "

Rush’s Recovery promises its wealthy guests the utmost discretion. But when a body is discovered, how long can the center’s secrets stay buried?

Tucked among the pristine beaches and lavish manors of the Hamptons sits Rush’s Recovery, a rehabilitation center where ultra-high net worth clients can seek treatment away from prying eyes and paparazzi. The center’s latest guests have just Lord Edward of Essex, a British aristocrat fighting his black-sheep status and a painful addiction; Amelia Blue Harris, the daughter of a 90s rock legend struggling with an eating disorder; and Florence Bloom, a pop star trying to lay low after her latest tabloid scandal. Each has been promised the highest standard of care, from daily therapy and a live-in chef to acupuncture sessions and a personal care manager, available 24/7. Just so long as they stay in their private cottages and never interact with the center’s other guests.

But these three self-destructive B-listers have no intention of playing by the rules. No amount of cold plunges and talk-therapy can prevent Florence’s illicit flirtation with a staff member, or keep Amelia Blue and Lord Edward from sneaking out to wander the snow-covered grounds at night. Celebrities check in to Rush’s Recovery to protect their privacy, but the darkest secrets may lie in the center’s own history—and not every guest will be checking out alive."

Review: The Society

The Society by Karen Winn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Annoying and naive characters, ultra-creepy men, sex, drugs, but no rock and roll, too many tropes to keep straight, and the only reason why I kept reading was to see what eventually happened with Vivian.

What would have made this an excellent book was if the author kept it under 480 pages. If it were not so dragged out with minutiae, it would have been more thrilling. Had she made Taylor a little less obsessed and made Vivian a little less obvious? I mean, come on, to have Taylor break into Vivian's house while she was in the 'hospitol'and to try on all of Vivian's clothes? Is this not psychotic behavior or what?

Having the house 'talk' to use creeped me out; however, this is a thriller, so I guess I should have expected something like a talking house. When I say "talking," I mean the house (the Knox) had its own chapters. Silly, but there you go, I suppose it adds more creep factor for those who like it. Personally, I was more interested in what happened to Vivian after her little accident.

The ending pretends to close out a lot of threads, but I have to say it was anticlimactic. I would have liked to have seen Taylor and Vivian getting together, and someone finding out what happened to Xavier.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Dutton/Penguin Books, the author, and NetGalley.


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SUMMARY: "Rumors about the Knox and its influence have swirled through Boston for centuries. While some believe the secret society is merely an elite social club, others are convinced it hides something more sinister...

Vivian Lawrence was born into old-money Boston, but when her family fortune vanishes, so does her carefully curated life. Desperate, she turns to an old family legend about ties to the Knox and its inheritance, seeking a way into the exclusive secret society. She doesn’t expect that entry to come in the form of Peter, a Knox insider with movie star good looks and just enough roughness to his charm to make Vivian truly weak in the knees for the first time in her life.

Far from Boston’s glittering elite is newcomer Taylor Adams, a young nurse eager to leave her humble past behind. When the effortlessly glamorous Vivian lands in her ER after a suspicious fall, Taylor is instantly captivated. But then Vivian abruptly disappears without a trace, sending Taylor on a search for answers that pulls her into the Knox itself—as their new employee.

The further Taylor ventures into the Knox’s world of unimaginable wealth and dark history, the more the mystery of Vivian deepens. As Taylor will soon discover, more so than wealth or status, secrets are the society's true currency."

Review: Crown of War and Shadow

Crown of War and Shadow by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Let's see:  what can Sorrel do and what can she do that she has never done before? And what can she do that she was born with?

Well, she can predict when and how someone will die. She can reanimate someone/animals who are very near death, save near-dead babies, and those are just for starters.

  Along her journey, she learns that she can control fire, ride like the wind, swim like a fish, and be saved by dragons.  She can fall in love with someone who thinks she is  whore, and, of course, Merc (yes, that is short for Mercenary)  is a tall muscular, dark, brooding man with a sort of eye problem, and long dark hair (remind you of anyone we know?) who must be waiting for the right woman to fall in love with him so he can pull out from under that dark cloud of broodiness!

Now tossed into this salad is a Dark King who has demons running amok at his beck and call. Well he isn't called the Dark King for nothing! Dollars to donuts (and just what the heck does that mean?), he might also go to look for the woman who will love him and tame his inner demons, but I really, really doubt it! You have to read it to see what I mean.

Since this is the first book in this series, we can probably guess that she is going to be able to pull other tricks out of thin air. ( I was going to say - pull out of her ass, but that wouldn't be very ladylike now, would it!)

This book is a Kindle Unlimited book, so if you have Prime, it will be free to borrow...and may I say that this is a very good thing. It gives you a chance to see if you are going to like/love it and want the rest of the series, or hate/dislike it and not be out of any hard-earned cash.

Now, as for me, my thoughts are that Ms Ward managed to blend typical tropes with a lot, and I do mean a lot of inner dialogue, pondering, wishing, whining, on Sorrell's part, we never hear from Merc and thank goodness for that. Sorrel seems misread Merc every time she turns around. 

We do have a fascinating twist in the plot that  leaves me curious as to how we are going to get 

Sorrel and Merc's collective butts out of the fire.  Then again, it's not all it seems with these two.

*ARC wassupplied by the publisher Bramble, an imprint of Tor Publishing Group, and Macmillan, the author, and NetGalley. 

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SUMMARY : "An outcast burdened with a curse and a mercenary who's out for himself collide in this star-crossed, slow-burn, high-stakes romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R. Ward.

In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall.

Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.

No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.

She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen's crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.

Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.

The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.

But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series."

Review: First Sign of Danger

First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's sad to hear, but this is the next-to-last book in this series. The last book will be released in autumn 2027. At least that is what the ARC claims!

I can see why this is the next-to-last book, since we finally have a major reveal about what is going on with their neighbors, the so-called miners.

Much of the book was spent running after trials trying to find out how a hiker died (was murdered )and what happened to the hiker's wife. It was interesting to find that there is a traitor in the 'town'. Of course, there are other dead bodies and some excitement with Lilith, although that is never discussed again during this book.

I was a little bored trying to keep all the characters straight, with all of the care the baby needed and who she was with, and the aimless running around chasing scents (the dog). But it was all worth it when you get to the last half of the book.

I liked this book, not loved it like I did past books, but I sure will be sorry to see this series end!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books/Macmillan, the author, and NetGalley.

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Summary: "Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven's Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven's Rock, they realize they're in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they're no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven's Rock. Only by tracing the hikers' movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven's Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.