The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson

The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

I will update to a 'true' review just as soon as I read Danger, Sweetheart and then re-read The Love Scam. You really don't need to read Danger, Sweetheart first but I want to see if that will change my opinion of this book.

I have to say though, that this book is full of cliches and tropes and it has been done on purpose---please read the author's notes at the beginning of the book. It was a bit of a mess at first until I got into the rhythm and remembered about the trope/cliche issue of the book but it ended up being an excellent mystery with (what was to me) a shocking conclusion. I really hope that this is turned into a small series.

Oh, wait I don't have to write a "real" review LOL! Oh, wait-I already did -but I reserved the right to add to this if my re-read change anything!!!

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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"A sweet and sassy romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem...except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…
Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Rake is not the kind of man Claire hangs around with. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun. But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she's playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn't willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet."

Barbarians at the PTA: A Novel by Stephanie Newman

Barbarians at the PTA: A Novel by Stephanie Newman

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Actually 2.5 stars since I did manage to finish this book without tossing it. It would be good for a particular segment of society, but I personally didn't like it. Bullying and cyberstalking are such important subjects and not only happens with teens and pre-teens-it also happens to adults.

I also thought it presumptuous of Victoria (the main protagonist) that upon having her first cup of coffee with a single man she begins dreaming of uhm... sexual activities -not really natural action based on the fact of how she got ditched (sort of) at the alter only a couple of months ago or less.

This is a quote from the book's synopsis and it really needs to be changed: "A hilarious, sharp, and hope-filled debut, Barbarians at the PTA will have you cheering for badass moms everywhere who go to the ends of the earth for their children—and will leave you wanting more from Dr. Stephanie Newman."

There is absolutely nothing funny, hilarious or sharp with this book. The voice of the Dr. (Mom) was just that, a Doctor's voice, instead of a loving, caring Mom; like she was talking to a patient when she was talking to her broken-hearted daughter. It really set my teeth on edge to hear these stilted conversations. Victoria was by no means a "badass" and doesn't do much to help her daughter although she does go far in helping her own sex life.

This book really shows that it was written by a Doctor as it has the stilted dialogue and 'self-help' cliches that might come out of a doctor's mouth.

The characters may have grown as far as a Dr. is concerned but I didn't see it as far as a reader is concerned. This was a totally frustrating read that I just couldn't stop reading -I had to see if things worked out. Well, not to my satisfaction they didn't. *sigh*

The premiss was a good one but I think that the editor should have told the author to tone down the shrink talk and bring on the Mom.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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"Desperate Housewives Meets Mean Girls in this Heartfelt and Hilarious Debut Novel about a Mother-Daughter Duo Facing Cliques, Cyberbullying, and Snobs in a Wealthy NYC Suburb
Victoria Bryant is starting over. After a rage-inducing scandal and the realization that her dreamy fiancé is faker than a faux Fendi purse, she moves her psychology practice and 10-year-old daughter, Rachel, to Mayfair Close, an idyllic Westchester, NY, suburb known for its manicured lawns and excellent schools.
The transition is initially seamless; several PTA moms befriend Victoria, her already busy practice booms, and Rachel finds a group of friends. But before anyone can say “helicopter mom,” in walks Lee DeVry. Wealthy, glamorous and perfectly toned, the PTA president is everything Victoria is not.
Vic tries to fit in with Lee and the other SUV driving, athleisure-wearing mothers. At first, she manages to balance the demands of her practice, single parenthood, and her budding romance with Jim, a handsome school administrator. All seems well until Rachel is suddenly targeted, first by the girls at school, and then by an anonymous cyberbully. As Rachel spirals, becoming isolated, playing hooky, and exhibiting signs of depression and disordered eating, Victoria vows to find out who has been messing with her daughter. 
After she learns a secret that will help her rescue her child, Vic faces the ultimate dilemma: should she expose the bully publicly, despite the potential consequences to her professional reputation and relationships with Rachel and Jim?
A hilarious, sharp, and hope-filled debut, Barbarians at the PTA will have you cheering for badass moms everywhere who go to the ends of the earth for their children—and will leave you wanting more from Dr. Stephanie Newman."

Thin Girls by Diana Clarke

Thin Girls by Diana Clarke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5

This book will most likely become one of the most important books of this summer. This is an adult novel that wants to be a teen or YA novel -and if I had a teen who wanted to read this book, I would definitely want to read this along with her so I could answer any questions she had.

So why then did I rate it so low? Because it pulled too many triggers for me -eating disorders, lesbianism, dysfunctional families, foul language (although in context), bullies, and abusive relationships. It was deep, dark, and tried, in my opinion, too hard to be literary and clever.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.



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"Purdue MFA and University of Utah PhD candidate Diana Clarke's THIN GIRLS, an exploration of toxic diet culture as well as the power of sisterhood, love, and lifelong friendship, in which twin sisters with a compulsive need to balance one another out are pushed to their limits when one sister, who's stuck in an anorexia rehabilitation center, is inspired to recover when her twin falls prey to bizarre dieting cult run by a faux-feminist dictator, to Terry Karten at Harper, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2020."

How Lulu Lost Her Mind by Rachel Gibson

How Lulu Lost Her Mind by Rachel Gibson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This book is true 'women's' fiction. There was some mild romance going on, but the plot truly revolved around Lou Anne and her mother Patricia. Many of us of a certain age are really going to relate to the theme of the book, which is handling a parent that is in an elder care facility then put on our doorsteps due to a problem at said home.

With the parent, in this case, having Alzheimer's I found it a little difficult to believe that the facility would dump the patient - but dump Patricia they did. And Patricia is lucid enough to remember her childhood home and to want to live her last bit of life there.

Lou Anne (Lulu) is a very busy, wealthy businesswoman. she doesn't have time for her mother and learning about Lulu's childhood, I too would have been less than thrilled to have this happen to me.

To make a long synopsis short - they move down south and the mother gets worse but Lulu learns and really grows as a woman and a daughter.

What I found unbelievable was the ridiculous amount of cash Lulu spent (and kept spending) on everything without us ever knowing anything about her finances -this was a plot point that should have been explored more thoroughly to make the story believable.

This was a thoughtful well-written novel about something important and unpleasant. There is enough mild humor in this book though that will make up for the darkness.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.





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"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson comes the story of a mother-daughter journey to rediscover the past before it disappears forever.
Lou Ann Hunter’s mother, Patricia, has always had a passionate nature, which explains why she’s been married and divorced five times and spooned enough male patients to be ousted from three elderly care facilities. She also has Alzheimer’s, which is why she wants to spend her remaining months or years surrounded by memories at her family’s decrepit old plantation in Louisiana with her only daughter.
Lou Ann, a.k.a. Lulu the Love Guru, has built an empire preaching sex, love, and relationship advice to the women of America—mostly by defying the example her mother has set for her. But with her mother suddenly in need of a fulltime caretaker, Lou Ann reluctantly agrees to step out of the spotlight and indulge her mother’s wishes, even if it means trading in her Louboutins and Chanel No. 5 for boots and mosquito repellant.
Upon arrival at Sutton Hall, Lou Ann discovers that very little functions at it should, least of all her mother’s mind. She is haunted not only by creaky floorboards and things that go bump in the night, but also by the living ghost sleeping downstairs. Every good day Patricia and Lou Ann have treasure hunting in the attic seems to be followed by two days of meltdowns and cold shoulders. And as Lou Ann adjusts to this new and inevitably temporary dynamic, she is forced to confront the fact that her mother’s fate is completely out of her hands—and the end may be coming quicker than she even thought possible.
Heartrending at times and laugh-out-loud funny at others, How Lulu Lost Her Mind is the book for anyone whose mom has ever made them cry—whether tears of joy, regret, frustration, love, or all of the above. Fans of Emily Giffin, Kristan Higgins, and Jill Shalvis won’t be able to forget it."

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read by Emily Henry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


If you love depressing, funny, angsty read's with a semi HEA (or a Happy for Now) ending, then this book is really going to be for you. Do NOT let the cover and description fool you. This book is not the light fiction one brings to the beach for entertainment. This book is the type of book that takes some concentration and patience to finish... well unless you love reading about the misery of others.

This novel was a very well written book that sometimes overdid the darker emotions--at least for me.

Both of our protagonists have come from 'difficult' homes (one more so than the other). They knew each other in college and, after nearly ten years, meet up again by the coincidence of living next to each other (meet-cute). One writes women's fiction/romance the other writes 'important' books...they agree to switch genres and a sort of romance blossoms. Meanwhile, there is a secondary plot of January's deceased father and what appears to be his lifelong lover, who happens to live in the same town as January recently moved to, who is taking care of her late father's estate.

January's life had horrible ups and downs, and the down is what brought her to the start of this novel. Gus's life was just one long down until he met up with January again and learned to be happy in the NOW.

Satisfying but dark.

*ARC Supplied By the Publisher.


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"A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.
Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.
They're polar opposites.
In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.
Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really."

Hideaway by Nora Roberts

Hideaway by Nora Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars rounded up.


I went into this book with high hopes and I was happy and I stayed that way for maybe the first 1/4 of the book. The crime itself was clever and the reason's for it, well, cliched but they are cliches for a good reason sometimes!

After that Hideaway became an over-cliched mess of repetition, oh poor me's, underdeveloped characters and stuffed filled with descriptions (of land, house, clothes, etc.) that didn't help the story along one little bit -it was just filler. And did I mention the repetition in this book? I felt this was used to pad the book as I felt this book was dragged out to the nth degree. I feel like the book would have been wonderful had they cut it by about 100 pages.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

"A family ranch in Big Sur country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for Nora Roberts’ emotional new suspense novel.
Caitlyn Sullivan, a daughter of Hollywood royalty, was already a star at ten, but still loved to play hide-and-seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur. It was during one of those games that she disappeared.
Despite her glamorous background, Cate was a shrewd, scrappy survivor, and she managed to escape her abductors. Callan Cooper was shocked to find the bruised and terrified girl huddled in his ranch house kitchen—but when the teenager and his family heard her story they provided refuge and comfort, reuniting her with her loved ones.
Cate’s ordeal, though, was far from over. First came the discovery of a betrayal that would send someone she’d trusted to prison. Then there were years away in Ireland, sheltered and protected but with restlessness growing in her soul. Then, finally, she returned to Los Angeles, hoping to act again and get past the trauma that had derailed her life. What she didn’t yet know was that two seeds had been planted that long-ago night—one of a great love, and one of a terrible vengeance…"

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Lost Autumn by Mary-Rose MacColl

Lost Autumn by Mary-Rose MacColl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up.

It looks like the title of this book has changed from "The True Story of Maddie Bright
by Mary-Rose MacColl" so you might have read this already - don't be fooled.

This book has some trigger issues that may bother some readers: rape, assault, cancer.

I must agree with another reader that said that this book would have made a perfect trilogy. And I think it would have made a BETTER trilogy. I invested a lot of myself into reading this and felt a tad cheated at the end-fuller length stories, books or even novella might have given me that little something that my heart missed.

Both women deserved to have a fuller story told; a less rushed and somewhat confusing conclusion.

This book did hold my interest after the first few chapters -and the first chapter does resonate and really stay with you throughout the entire novel.

I had wished that the characters grew a little more, but I see that there really wasn't enough time for them to do so.

I do think that it was a very emotional novel and an interesting look into the early 20th-century royalty.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

"An emotional novel of love and the power of lost dreams from an internationally bestselling master of historical fiction, about a young woman's coming-of-age in 1920 and the secrets that surface more than seventy years later
Australia, 1920. Seventeen-year-old Maddie Bright embarks on the voyage of a lifetime when she's chosen to serve on the cross-continent tour of His Royal Highness, the dashing Edward, Prince of Wales. Life on the royal train is luxurious beyond her dreams, and the glamorous, good-hearted friends she makes--with their romantic histories and rivalries--crack open her world. But glamour often hides all manner of sins.
Decades later, Maddie lives in a ramshackle house in Brisbane, whiling away the days with television news and her devoted, if drunken, next door neighbor. When a London journalist struggling with her own romantic entanglements begins asking Maddie questions about her relationship to the famous and reclusive author M.A. Bright, she's taken back to the glamorous days of the royal tour--and to the secrets she's kept for all of these years"

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The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up.

I know that this is a horror novel and logic doesn't usually come into play with these types of books, but I can't help feeling like through most of this book I just wanted to scream at Carly and especially Viv to get the heck out of the Sun Down Motel. Have you ever seen a grade B horror movie? ---->
("A B movie is any film that isn't created for an art house scene, but has a low budget. But that's not all that sets this type of movie apart, particularly when it comes to the horror genre. Most B-horror movies feature bad special effects, far-fetched storylines, and lackluster performances from their stars.")

Well, that's all I thought about with this book. It was mostly a very bad grade B horror movie. I just wanted to smack the women for their idiocy in staying where it was so dangerous. However, I'm glad I kept on reading because the ending was worth the torture.

This book is going to appeal to many people if they can dismiss logic and they like historical things from the '80s (I do because I lived that era!).

What many readers may not like is the constant switching from the 1980s to 2017 - just when things get interesting the author gets clever (and I mean that in a nice way) and switches time and person.
The ending was super and really took me by surprise.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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"Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt."

The Amish Teacher's Dilemma (North Country Amish #3) by Patricia Davids

The Amish Teacher's Dilemma by Patricia Davids

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 Exactly the type of book I need when I want to snuggle up to something gentle with a HEA that doesn't involve bodily functions. (Sorry, but that needed to be said IMO)

I love this author because she doesn't over-preach yet she certainly gets her point across. This makes me respect her a lot since I am not a religious person, yet I love her stories and I find them informative, sweet and always teaches me something.

This particular story deals with two people who are made for each other, yet have promised themselves never to marry one because they have a deep secret and the other...well no secrets just a yearning. We have a "meet cute-ish beginning, a scare, and a deep secret -so this book touches on all that makes a romance.

Well worth the few hours it will take you to read and may even become a keeper on your re-read shelf.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.



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"The teacher next door could be the mother they need…
Will she return to her old life…or risk everything to build a new one?
Taking a schoolteacher position in another district is just the change Amish spinster Eva Coblentz needs. And with her new neighbor, blacksmith Willis Gingrich, struggling to raise his three orphaned siblings, Eva is determined to help them heal. But when her relatives insist she come home, Eva must choose between the life she left…and the one she’s growing to love.
North Country Amish
USA TODAY bestselling author."

The Weekend Wedding Assistant - Rachel Gladstone

The Weekend Wedding Assistant by Rachel Gladstone
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

 A romantic comedy this book just isn't. 50% of the book (or a tad less) deals with Julia's loss of her great love Aaron just as they were going to get married. It shows Julia acting like mostly like a disillusioned child and her friends and family treating her as such (she is in her 30's). I realize that each person treats death differently, but to act out by being upset her fiance left her well off, then to go on a spending spree of this magnitude just made no sense to me. Then to add insult to injury what was up with her dead fiance's best friend and the lust? Again, different strokes for different folks.

It didn't take her very long to get to the point of getting back into life and dating and lusting again. Then again the love of my life and I have been married for 38 years so maybe I just can't see it from this particular pint of view.

The southern tropes were just too obvious for me -there was no subtlety in this book whatsoever.

As for a summer light funny read, this was just a little too dark for my taste and Julia just acted like a spoiled brat and not a grieving fiancee.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.





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A Romantic Comedy about Death and Second Chances30-year-old Nashvillian, Julia Holmes is just weeks away from becoming Mrs. Aaron DeMinthe. For as long as she can remember she's dreamed of getting married at Whitfield Chapel and now her dreams are about to be realized. Julia has meticulously planned every detail of her big day from the flowers to her gown but the one thing she didn't plan for is Aaron's announcement: he needs to tick something off his bucket list before they tie the knot and that something is to hike the last leg of the Appalachian Trail; a project several years in the making. Julia is appalled by this idea and tries to dissuade him from going but his mind is made up and so, she reluctantly gives him her blessing. Less than 48 hours later, as he summits Mt, Katahdin, the last mountain of the trek, he's struck by lightning and killed, effectively kicking the bucket while ticking something off his bucket list.
Julia is grief stricken and inconsolable and despite the fact that she's surrounded by her best gal pals, her parents and Lincoln Douglas, who was on Mt, Katahdin with Aaron when he died, she loses her grip on reality and quickly starts unravelling at the seams. Returning to Whitfield in search of closure she happens upon the Chapel's Wedding Director who offhandedly mentions that they're looking for a Weekend Wedding Assistant and before she can even think about it she takes the job. As she ushers four brides a weekend down the aisle she was supposed to walk down herself, Julia tries to understand why she said "I Do" to a job she never set out to get, in a place she'd only meant to occupy for an afternoon and wonders if she'll ever find true love again.

Alone in the Wild: A Rockton Novel - Kelley Armstrong

Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another hit in the Rockton series and actually this one was out of the ballpark! The author gives us our usual suspense, murder, intrigue, and even some light comedy.

As usual, this book was well written and it has the characters of Eric Dalton and Casey growing even more - especially with a baby involved! We don't deal as much with the townspeople as we usually do, we deal and learn more about, the outsiders and the more wild people and these groups can be a little frightening. Kelly has brought in new characters that I hope are better fleshed out and used more in later books.


*ARC supplied by the publisher.


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In #1 New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong's latest thriller, the hidden town of Rockton is about to face a challenge none of them saw coming: a baby.
Every season in Rockton seems to bring a new challenge. At least that's what Detective Casey Duncan has felt since she decided to call this place home. Between all the secretive residents, the sometimes-hostile settlers outside, and the surrounding wilderness, there's always something to worry about.
While on a much needed camping vacation with her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, Casey hears a baby crying in the woods. The sound leads them to a tragic scene: a woman buried under the snow, murdered, a baby still alive in her arms.
A town that doesn’t let anyone in under the age of eighteen, Rockton must take care of its youngest resident yet while solving another murder and finding out where the baby came from - and whether she's better off where she is.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong again delivers an engaging, tense thriller set in perhaps the most interesting town in all of contemporary crime fiction.