Brett Novak is a young upstart chef, with real, raw talent – if only she could catch a break. After getting dumped by her married girlfriend and losing the perfect job offer, Brett accepts a temporary position as a live-in, personal chef of a reclusive, bestselling author, Carson Smart, who resides in a mansion on a secluded beach in Cape Cod.

Carson immediately seduces her, but things get complicated when Carson’s wife, Vera, arrives home from her trip, and the love/hate relationship between the two spouses erupts, leaving Brett caught in the middle. Brett, starved for attention, craves Carson’s affection and yet is oddly drawn to Vera’s seductive and destructive charms.

As Brett becomes an unwitting pawn and weapon, she questions how far husband and wife will go to wound the other. With nowhere else to turn, she has no choice but to stay – even as her hold on reality begins to slip. Can she survive her employers’ dark appetites?

My Thoughts:

It is about a woman who becomes a live In chef for a married couple. When her boss seduces her she feels drawn to the wife too but not everything is as it seems. Should she of taken the job in the first place or not. It sounded like a great thriller story line but for me it didn’t live up to the case, I felt it was slow and didn’t captivate me enough to want to keep reading it though I did in case it got better but it did not.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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It’s been five hundred and ninety days since Grace Algar was left stranded at the altar on her wedding day; nineteen months and eleven days since she last laid eyes on her ex-fiancé, Logan. Now, she spends her days nursing her broken heart in a tiny Dublin flat, while attempting to resurrect her career as a wedding-dress designer, helping to create happily-ever-afters for other brides.

When her best friend, Mia, announces that her brother – Grace’s runaway groom – is flying in from New York and will be attending her divorce party, Grace’s heartbreak feels fresher than ever and she knows she needs a plan. Preferably one involving a date who will show Logan what he’s missing. Enter Donal: a slightly chaotic Irishman who is definitely not Grace’s type. But he’s kind and keeps turning up exactly when she needs him most.

As Grace juggles her (only) bridal commission with old wounds, heartbreak and a very unexpected spark, she will learn that sometimes the wrong man can be just right – and that the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

My Thoughts:

Grace has been left stranded. With no wedding on the horizon she goes into a big slump. But when her ex fiance is returning she decides she needs to show him what is missing and her friend Mia finds her a date. He is not like anyone Grace would ever date but he is kind and funny but who will be the one to get hurt in this situation? I can understand why Grace did it but I thought she was going to hurt her dates feelings when he found out it was just to upset her ex. But what evolves is pure genius and I loved the way the story ended. A brilliant read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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It was the small things that weighed Sarah down. The dirty dishes abandoned in the sink. The empty bottle of milk put back inside the fridge. The clothes left crumpled on the floor. A life of never-ending mental load and constant demands. Somewhere along the way, Sarah had become a caretaker for everyone around her, both at home and at work.
 
Then came the lie. One harmless white lie, she thought. Just a little shift in the narrative.
 
And for a while everything became better. But one lie wasn’t enough. It was soon followed by another. And another. Until the truth became something unrecognizable, a distant memory swallowed by fiction.
 
She never intended for it to spiral this way. It was just one little white lie. But the truth would inevitably threaten everything she held dear…

My Thoughts:

I feel as though a lot of women are going to be able to relate to this story. Sarah’s life has become stuck in a rut, she does everything for everyone else but no one does anything for her. No one treats her with respect and everyone takes her for granted, but what happens if she was not there anymore. What about if she told one little lie, would that make her a bad person? she deserves to do this right? all until it gets too much out of control can she ever get back to normality? I liked how the story flowed, it was an interesting take on what happens day to day in real life. I found it a dark and compelling read and one that makes you think about what the consequences could be. This would be good for a book club discussion to see what other people think.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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When Harriet Carmichael leaves her husband, she is determined to begin again: new home, new life, a chance to live on her own terms.

A life drawing class seems harmless enough, until she finds herself drawn to Mac, the charming but elusive model.

Her adult children disapprove of her every move, and when Mac―significantly younger and apparently homeless―moves in with her, their suspicions reach fever pitch. Yet there is an undeniable spark between Harriet and Mac, one that makes Harriet question what she truly wants from this new chapter.

While her family is convinced she’s being manipulated by a conman, Harriet longs to believe in his genuine affection. But she has secrets of her own, shaped by experiences she has never dared to share.

As buried memories rise to the surface―along with a friend she thought lost forever―Harriet must weigh her heart against her judgement. Is she finally ready to reveal who she really is, or is she making the biggest mistake of her life?

My Thoughts:

This story is about Harriet and how she navigates life after leaving her husband. She is determined to do more for herself this time round. She moves in to her own cosy home and can do what she likes when she wants. When one of her friends brings her along to a life drawing class she meets Mac. He charms her from the start and Harriet feels this could be a good thing for her. But her family don’t see eye to eye with Mac and feel as though he is taking advantage of their mum. Harriet must prove to herself and her family that Mac is the real deal even though things are moving very fast and she is not use to it. I felt as though Harriet was a bit underappreciated. I felt as though Mac saw an opportunity and went for it, but you need to read the whole story to find out. I really enjoyed reading this story however the ending really let it down and I felt extremely disappointed. The last chapter was a year later and it did not give much away and I felt as though it ended abruptly and did not really tell the reader anything. Was such a shame.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Every morning, Sophie boards the same train.

Every morning, she spots him – tall, unreadable, always with a novel in hand…often the same one she is reading.

Soon, their commute becomes a silent exchange of titles, a game only they seem to be playing. But how long can a love story stay between the lines before someone dares to take it off the page…

My Thoughts:

This is a story all about Sophie and Max, when their eyes meet across a packed train each day, they both are curious as to what the other one is reading. Without even speaking Max starts reading the same books as Sophie. But when a chance encounter between the two of them, will they have much in common? is this a blossoming love story played out over books? I liked the first half of the book, it is a very easy read with not too many characters, I liked hearing about Sophie’s friend Anna who helps her set up her book Instagram that was interesting to read about, but after half way I felt as though it slowed right down and just went a little stale and predictable. It is a shame as it had every premonition to be a great read.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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She helped him disappear. She’ll wish she hadn’t . . .

There is a chilling phenomenon in Japan known as Johatsu – people who vanish voluntarily from their lives. It’s said 100,000 people per year are Johatsu, and an entire industry has sprung up to support those who choose to.

Life is hard. For some people, it’s just too much.

That’s what I thought when I brought the concept to England. People will disappear anyway. What if I could help them? So I pack their belongings discreetly, create new identities, forge documents, give directions to the cities and towns where the ‘night-mover’ can live anonymously.

It’s just a business. I never saw it as a shameful act. I’ve helped people flee from abusive relationships, from work pressure, from debt, from unfulfilled lives. People in need.

I consider what I do to be honourable.
Until now that is.

Because I’ve just learned that I’m not absent of responsibility. That I am capable of doing a terrible thing.
That it’s not just a business.

I helped somebody flee from a crime. From the police.

I evaporated a murderer.

And if I don’t find him, I can’t live with what he might do next.

My Thoughts:

When you help people disappear, you must know it is a risky business but what happens when things get more dicey and now you cannot find this person that you helped because they have done a very bad thing and you may be pulled into it all. You have to find that person as quickly as possible but it is harder than it seems. I flew through this thriller, I read it in two hours and my eyes didn’t leave the page, I felt as though I was in the story and found it overwhelming good. It was a great storyline, one I had never read before which I liked. It really did pack a punch, but did she find him? you will just need to read it to find out. I haven’t read many of Jo’s books before but I will be going back to read her previous ones now.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Welcome to paradise on the island of St Lucia.

Erin Howard has just joined The Palms Hotel as guest relations manager. She is determined to make her mark, and a deal with Daniel MacKenzie, the enigmatic CEO of the hottest new ecotourist agency, could be just the way to do that.

Meanwhile, events coordinator Lily Carter, is drawn to Shay Brady, a heartbroken groom seeking solace in the island’s tranquillity after his fiancée leaves him. As their bond deepens, Lily starts to question her own desires for the life she’s built.

Naomi Sparks, a vibrant social media influencer, has just arrived to celebrate her milestone birthday with family and friends. As she begins to see the cracks in her relationship with her boyfriend Greg, new and unexpected connections form, leading her to question what true love really means.

Against this stunning backdrop, the lives of staff and guests intertwine. But when a threat to The Palms emerges, it becomes clear that trusting the wrong person could put the survival of the beloved resort in jeopardy…

My Thoughts:

I have not read any of Melissa’s books before so was Intrigued. I liked the sound of the plot centering around a hotel. Different characters really brought this book to life. At every chapter I wanted to read on. You get different peoples perspectives and I really liked that. It was a really great easy read and I look forward to reading more of Melissa’s books.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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When Jenna’s husband fails to return from work one evening, she’s painfully aware what it might mean. Yet another woman.

This time, though, Jenna won’t sit and wait for Joel to come back to her. It’s the summer holidays and she wants to make sure her seven-year-old twins have fun. So, they head for the beautiful coastal village of Kelsea Sands, where her mum’s thrilled to have them stay.

At the village’s North Star inn, Sam is struggling with his reclusive father, pub landlord Seb, and is short-staffed for the summer. Jenna steps in; working evenings at the inn is the distraction she needs right now.

As the summer passes, Jenna opens up to Sam about her marriage, while he shares his own worries. With the twins gently working their magic on the grieving Seb, Jenna and Sam grow ever closer. But Joel hasn’t finished with her yet…

My Thoughts:

This is book two in the Kelsea Sands Series and after reading book one I was looking forward to catching up with all the characters. These books can be read a standalone but I would say read them all as they were just brilliant. I loved the idea of Kelsea Sands and the home that Mac and Jenna’s mum have built together, with all the animals. It sounds wonderful. It was a shame about the way Joel showed his true colours in the end. But I liked how Jenna opened up to Sam and how the story ended was predictable but satisfying. I loved it and didn’t want it to end.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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You never know what happens behind closed doors.

Rafe seems like your perfect man – intelligent, charming, attractive.

He also happens to be your boss.

You’re too swept up to care for office gossip. In Rafe, you have found the one.

You go back to his house one evening and falls asleep in his arms.

When you wake, you reach out for him. But something feels cold beside you…

Rafe is dead – murdered in bed as you lay next to him – and everyone is going to think you did it.

My Thoughts:

When I saw Mary had a new book out, I was excited to read it. The Cleaner was really well told and had a great atmosphere and this one was as good as. From the outside looking in, you would never expect anything else apart from a good looking guy who basically has everything he wants. What happens when you work for him and go to bed with him at night. When tragedy strikes and you are left holding the pieces who the hell were you going home to each night. I liked the storyline and the level of tension that each page brought, it gets better towards the middle as we uncover some things that shocked me. It was cleverly written and full of thrills and twists. I gasped when I read the ending. Such a great read. I loved it.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left her daughters behind. She has since become a famous radio talk-show host and newspaper columnist beloved for her moral advice, while her youngest daughter, Ruby, is a struggling comedian who uses her famous mother as fuel for her bitter, cynical humour.

When the tabloids unearth a scandalous secret from Nora’s past, their estrangement suddenly becomes dramatic. After Nora is injured in an accident, a glossy magazine offers Ruby a fortune to write a tell-all about her mother and Ruby returns home under the pretext of taking care of the woman she hasn’t spoken to for almost a decade.

Nora insists they retreat to Summer Island, to the lovely old house on the water where Ruby grew up; a place filled with childhood memories of love and joy and belonging. There, Ruby is also reunited with her first love and his brother. Once, the three of them had been best friends; inseparable. Until the summer that Nora left, and everyone’s hearts were broken . .

My Thoughts:

When Nora left her marriage and her kids behind many years ago, she knew in her later life there would be consequences. After a fall, Nora wants to escape her life as she is a famous radio host. A huge scandal comes out about her and she knows she needs time to recuperate but also work out what she is going to do with her life. Her daughters now older, don’t really know their mother that well, so now is the time to try to reconnect and the best way is to go back to Summer Island which use to be their place when they were younger. It brings back all sorts of memories for all three women. Some good and some bad. But how will their life change now? for the better? I think I have only read one of Kristen’s books before and I found it ok, but this one was brilliant. I am glad I decided to read it. I liked the sound of the plot and I like reading about all three women. Summer Island sounds wonderful, Kristen’s descriptions were everything, You could imagine being there alongside the women. It kept me hooked and intrigued about what would happen and I loved the ending. I am looking forward to reading more of Kristen’s books now.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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