Nanny Needed, By Georgina Cross ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Coping With Loss and Grief, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness, Mystery

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 5th, 2021

368 Pages

Synopsis: A young woman takes a job as a nanny for an impossibly wealthy family, thinking she’s found her entry into a better life–only to discover instead she’s walked into a world of deception and dark secrets.

Nanny needed. Discretion is of the utmost importance. Special conditions apply.

When Sarah Larsen finds the notice, posted on creamy card stock in her building’s lobby, one glance at the exclusive address tells her she’s found her ticket out of a dead-end job–and life.

At the interview, the job seems like a dream come true: a glamorous penthouse apartment on the Upper West Side of NYC; a salary that adds several zeroes to her current income; the beautiful, worldly mother of her charge, who feels more like a friend than a potential boss. She’s overjoyed when they offer her the position and signs the NDA without a second thought.

In retrospect, the notice in her lobby was less an engraved invitation than a waving red flag. For there is something very strange about the Bird family. Why does the beautiful Mrs. Bird never leave the apartment alone? And what happened to the nanny before her? It soon becomes clear that the Birds’ odd behaviors are more than the eccentricities of the wealthy.

But by then it’s too late for Sarah to seek help. After all, discretion is of the utmost importance. (Goodreads)

Nanny Needed is one of those books that you need to be willing to suspend disbelief, but if you can do that, it’s an eminently fun and addictive read that you’ll find difficult to put down once you begin reading.

Sarah is a relatable protagonist that you can’t help but connect with. While she makes some poor decisions regarding this too-good-to-be-true nanny position, given the financial circumstances she and her supportive fiancé Jonathan are in, you can understand why she doesn’t run as fast as she can once she starts learning about the mysterious Bird family and the secrets they’re keeping. 

As for the Bird family, well to say they’re a train wreck is putting it mildly. They’re a perfect example of how you can be fabulously wealthy, but not have a clue about the correct way to handle personal affairs. 

The plot is completely crackers (in a good way) and I could easily see this being adapted for tv as a movie or miniseries. I did guess what the big twist was going to be fairly early in the book, but it was still entertaining seeing the events unfold up to the climax. The ending perfectly wrapped everything up, but I have to admit I was saddened over the death of one character. You can’t have perfectly happily-ever-afters all of the time though.

Nanny Needed is the first book I’ve read by Georgina Cross, and it’s made me want to go read her two previous books: The Missing Woman and The Stepdaughter. It’s completely over-the-top entertainment which I guarantee you’ll find unputdownable!

Just One Look, By Lindsey Cameron ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alcoholism, Mental Illness, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 27th, 2021

304 Pages

Synopsis: The eyes aren’t the windows to the soul. Emails are.

Cassie Woodson is adrift. After suffering an epic tumble down the corporate ladder, Cassie finds the only way she can pay her bills is to take a thankless temp job reviewing correspondence for a large-scale fraud suit. The daily drudgery amplifies all that her life is lacking—love, friends, stability—and leaves her with too much time on her hands, which she spends fixating on the mistakes that brought her to this point.

While sorting through a relentless deluge of emails, something catches her eye: the tender (and totally private) exchanges between a partner at the firm, Forest Watts, and his enchanting wife, Annabelle. Cassie knows she shouldn’t read them. But it’s just one look. And once that door opens, she finds she can’t look away.

Every day, twenty floors below Forest’s office, Cassie dissects their emails from her dingy workstation. A few clicks of her mouse and she can see every adoring word they write to each other. By peeking into their apparently perfect life, Cassie finds renewed purpose and happiness, reveling in their penchant for vintage wines, morning juice presses, and lavish dinner parties thrown in their stately Westchester home. There are no secrets from her. Or so she thinks.

Her admiration quickly escalates into all-out mimicry, because she wants this life more than anything. Maybe if she plays make-believe long enough, it will become real for her. But when Cassie orchestrates a “chance” meeting with Forest in the real world and sees something that throws the state of his marriage into question, the fantasy she’s been carefully cultivating shatters. Suddenly she doesn’t simply admire Annabelle—she wants to take her place. And she’s armed with the tools to make that happen. (Goodreads)

Just One Look is a completely over-the-top, unbelievable read, that’s so much fun that I challenge anyone not to feel compelled to read it in one or two sittings!

Cassie, the anti heroine in this twisted tale, is a wee little bit unhinged. Something happened that derailed her once promising career in corporate law, and now the only job she can get is as a temp. Part of the mystery is what exactly happened in the past, and Cameron tantalizingly leaves clues throughout the book. Without giving away any spoilers, once Cassie’s transgression that precipitated her fall from grace was revealed, I actually felt more sympathy toward her than I did in the beginning. In the present, Cassie’s instability is made worse by her drinking and she begins spiraling out of control. Like Joe Goldberg in Caroline Kepnes’ You series, you can’t help reluctantly wanting Cassie to have a happy ending, hopefully which will also get her some much needed psychological help.

Diametrically opposed to the hot mess that Cassie and her life have become, is the seemingly perfect couple of Forest Watts and his lovely wife Annabelle. Or are they? As we all know, appearances can be deceiving, and in this case all is definitely not as it seems. I humbly admit that I did not see the twists that upended this story until right before they occurred. While the first half of the book is a slow burn set up, the second half is more like a runaway train, and the ending had me laughing and doing a facepalm at the same time.

Just One Look is an exciting debut from Lindsay Cameron, and another book that I’ll be shocked if it’s not adapted for film. I guarantee it will be one of the more buzz-worthy reads of the summer and I highly recommend it for fans of authors like Caroline Kepnes, Liv Constantine, Paula Hawkins, and Gillian Flynn.

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep (Jane Anonymous #2), By Laurie Faria Stolarz ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Death of Parents, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Movie Nostalgia, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 16th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: Four days…

Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls, trying to find a way out. Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.

Six months…

Since my escape. Since no on believed I was taken to begin with—from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.

One month…

Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgement, provide advice, and console each other when needed. A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m looking for.

Three days…

Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep has a few issues, but somehow still wound up a winner for me. The problems included: underdeveloped secondary characters, police being portrayed in a negative light (which happens far too often in YA novels), certain character’s actions not making sense, and a few predictable elements. However, what saved this for me was Terra, who I really connected with despite some of her appalling decision making. She’s an unreliable narrator who tells her story from the past when she was taken, as well as the present. To say my heart broke for her, doesn’t quite describe my feelings. I was infuriated by the callous and unfeeling way she was treated by her aunt, the police, former friends, and even her therapist, all who decided she made up this story about being taken to cope with an earlier trauma. Terra finds comfort in the online chat rooms of Jane Anonymous which was created as a safe space for victims of similar crimes. I felt the dialogue between the girls in the forum did slow things down a little, but there was also a direct tie-in from the previous book, so this is a minor complaint. Terra is so lost and confused for the majority of the story that it was a relief when a love interest named Garrett was introduced, who actually supported her and was determined to discover what actually happened. This poor girl desperately needed someone in her corner and Garrett filled that purpose. The ending took a truly bizarre twist, which I both liked and disliked. It came out of nowhere, yet was creative and memorable. Overall, while I don’t think The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep is as tightly written as Jane Anonymous, thanks to a strongly written and sympathetic main character, I was engrossed from the first chapter. I believe fans of the previous book will enjoy this, and you needn’t have read Jane Anonymous, to read this as the characters are new here.

You Love Me (You #3), By Caroline Kepnes ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dark Comedy, Mental Illness, Mystery, Romance, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 6th, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: Joe Goldberg is back. And he’s going to start a family—even if it kills him.

Joe Goldberg is done with cities, done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now he’s saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe.

He gets a job at the local library—he does know a thing or two about books—and that’s where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco, Librarian. Joe won’t meddle, he will not obsess. He’ll win her the old-fashioned way…by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they’ll both heal their wounds and begin living their happily ever after in this sleepy town.

The trouble is…Mary Kay already has a life. She’s a mother. She’s a friend. She’s…busy.

True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He’s ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him.

Anyone familiar with the two previous books in Kepnes’ You series, knows Joe Goldberg is, um, unlucky in love. His relationships tend to be full of drama and end very, very badly…as in dead bodies being left behind. But in You Love Me, Joe is determined to make a fresh start. No drama, no killing, he’s a “good guy.” Well, you can probably guess how THAT goes! If you’re at all familiar with antihero Joe Goldberg, whether through the book series or the tv/Netflix adaptation, you know he has a myriad of mental health issues which I’m guessing include an antisocial disorder or attachment disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. He perversely has a charming side, which kind of makes you root for him and his undying quest for true love. In this third installment, Joe is after sexy librarian, Mary Kay DiMarco, who like Joe’s previous loves, is a bit of a mess. Like Beck, Candace, and Love, I didn’t particularly care for Mary Kay. Joe’s types always seem to be at best, self-absorbed, and at worst, as disturbed as Joe, which makes me contrarily be more on his side. I also thought Mary Kay’s relationship with her BFF, Malanda, was a little too reminiscent of Beck and Peach in the first book. But, as usual, seeing everything play out through Joe’s eyes, gives the story a darkly comedic tone, especially as this time when bodies start to pile up, Joe is more a hapless victim himself. It took a few chapters for me to get sucked back into Joe’s world, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down. There were a couple of big twists that I didn’t see coming, and although the finale was a bit frenetic, it happily hints that there will be a 4th book. All in all, You Love Me is another implausibly bonkers yet highly entertaining entry in the You series, and I think it will leave fans quite happy.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls), By Alyssa B. Scheinmel ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, Contemporary Fiction, Mental Illness, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 2nd, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: When Moira Dreyfuss’s parents announce that they’re sending her to an all-girls boarding school deep in the Maine woods, Moira isn’t fooled. She knows her parents are punishing her; she’s been too much trouble since her best friend, Nathan, died—and for a while before that. At the Castle School, isolated from the rest of the world, Moira will be expected to pour her heart out to the odd headmaster, Dr. Prince. But she isn’t interested in getting over Nathan’s death, or befriending her fellow students.

On her first night there, Moira hears distant music. On her second, she discovers the lock on her window is broken. On her third, she and her roommate venture outside…and learn they’re not so isolated after all. There’s another, very different, Castle School nearby—this one filled with boys whose parents sent them away, too.

Moira is convinced that the Castle Schools and the doctors who run them are hiding something. But exploring the schools will force Moira to confront her overwhelming grief—and the real reasons her parents sent her away.

The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) was not what I was expecting, which was more along the lines of another boarding school mystery that’s so popular in YA fiction. Instead, it’s a thoughtful exploration of various mental health disorders in teen girls. The students of the Castle School suffer from a myriad of illnesses: cutting, selective mutism, depression, kleptomania, trichotillomania (obsessive hair pulling), and alcoholism. While most of the story is focused on Moira, each of her fellow classmates have their own chapters which briefly relate what led them to the point where they wound up at the school. This is the strongest part of the book. The so-called “mystery” of why there are two schools is superfluous and actually detracts from what the characters are going through, and I wish the author had simply stuck to the main theme of the story. Despite this, I think The Castle School (for Troubled Girls) would be a solid choice for YA book discussion groups.

The Obsession (The Obsession #1), By Jesse Q. Sutanto ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Domestic Abuse, Drug Dealing, Mental Illness, Suicide, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 2nd, 2021

304 Pages

Synopsis: 

A classic sort of love story…except somebody might wind up dead.

No one knows Delilah like Logan does. Nobody. He makes sure of it by learning everything he can through her social media and watching her through a hidden camera he has trained on her house. Some might call him a stalker. Logan prefers to be called “romantic.” 

But after Logan sees Delilah killing her abusive stepfather, he realizes there’s still more about her to discover. His sweet, perfect Delilah isn’t so perfect after all.

Delilah knows she should feel guilty, but all she feels is free. She’s so over the men in her life controlling her. Except Logan saw what she did, and he won’t let her forget it.

Delilah is done being the victim. And she refuses to be a character in Logan’s twisted fantasy. If Logan won’t let her go…she’ll make him.

Ahh, young love. Is there anything sweeter than that first teen romance? Well, not in Jesse Sotanto’s crazy, twisted The Obsession. The premise is quite simple: Boy meets girl. Boy stalks girl. Boy discovers secret about girl and blackmails her. Girl is not what she seems and turns the tables on her stalker/blackmailer. The alternating views between Logan and Delilah help flesh out both their personalities which is essential because as you can probably guess from the synopsis, they’re pretty complicated. The dialogue between them is sharp and even occasionally humorous which is a nice contrast to the dark themes of the story. The pace is very fast, in some scenes, a little too fast, especially with regards to the ending, but I can unequivocally state that The Obsession kept me completely mesmerized and I can’t wait for the sequel. I highly recommend this for fans of Pretty Little Liars, and You, by Caroline Kepnes.

What She Found in the Woods, By Josephine Angelini ~ 2.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Mental Illness, Mystery, Serial Killers, Substance Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 1st, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: Running from a scandal at her New York private school, Magdalena heads to her family home to recover under the radar.

Over-medicated and under-confident, she’s fearful she’ll never escape her past.

Until she meets Bo out hiking. Gorgeous, wild, and free he makes her believe she might finally be able to move on.

But when a mutilated body is discovered in the woods, Magdalena realizes she can’t trust anyone.

Not even herself.

I’ve enjoyed Josephine Angelini’s previous books, especially her Starcrossed series, so it comes as a shock that I really didn’t care for her standalone What She Found in the Woods.

My biggest issue was the way social issues like mental illness and drug addiction were portrayed. I don’t want to venture into spoiler territory, but in my opinion these themes were used as shallow plot devices instead of being a thoughtful exploration of the afflictions that plague so many. I feel terrible writing this after reading Angelini’s reasons why she included these topics as part of the story, but as always, I feel the need to be honest with my review.

While the enigmatic Magdalena was a puzzle to me that I felt the need to solve, most of her teen friends were pampered, entitled brats who annoyed the heck out of me. The romance between Magdalena and Bo was sweet, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the main problems I had.

There were some elements here that I enjoyed, namely the mystery of what was really happening and who was responsible, but as intriguing as that was, my distaste for the mainly superficial depiction of the all too real illnesses that millions battle, overrode everything else. There are many positive reviews of What She Found in the Woods, on Goodreads, so if your interest is peaked by the premise, don’t just go by my opinion, as I believe I’m an outlier regarding my feelings. As I said, I’ve enjoyed Angelini’s other books, so I’m looking forward to her next.

 

The Lost Village, By Camilla Sten ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mental Illness, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 23rd, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense.

Documentary film maker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959 her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center, and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.

But there will be no turning back.

Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startling clear to Alice:  

They are not alone.

They’re looking for the truth…

But what if it finds them first?

Come find out.

When I read the comparison of The Lost Village to The Blair Witch Project and Midsommar, I hesitated, because for me, that was setting the bar pretty high. I took a chance though, praying this wasn’t going to be a humongous disappointment, and I’m thrilled to say it wasn’t.

The story is centered around the disappearance in 1959 of 887 residents of a small mining village in Sweden. The chapters alternate between the present day, where Alice, a descendant of one of the families who vanished, and who is attempting to film a documentary about the mystery, and 1959, when Elsa, her great-grandmother sees her beloved village succumb to evil. Whether that evil is supernatural in nature or human caused, is slowly revealed. My one and only issue is with character development. Except for Alice, the others came across a bit featureless. However, I wound up being so fascinated by Alice and Elsa, that this didn’t bother me as much as it usually would. While I suspected in part what the ultimate fate of the villagers was, and who was responsible, there were a couple of twists that managed to surprise me.

The Lost Village is a mesmerizing dark and eerie mystery, that while technically not horror, details the horrifying things people are capable of under the right circumstances. I need to list some trigger warnings that could bother some readers: implied rape, violence against a disabled person, discussion of a suicide attempt, and depression and psychosis. Otherwise, I highly recommend this creepy, atmospheric tale. I believe that while Camilla Sten has written a few previous books, this is the first one to be translated into English. I can definitely say I’m looking forward to reading future works by her.

What Lies Between Us, by John Marrs ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness, Mystery, Substance Abuse, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 15th, 2020

371 Pages

Synopsis: They say every house has its secrets and, the house Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

I’ve been trying to stick with light, fluffy “escapist” fare lately, for obvious reasons. What Lies Between Us is definitely not that. No. This is more “WHAT. THE. HELL. DID. I. JUST. READ?” kind of book!

Everything, EVERYTHING works here. To say Maggie and Nina are complicated is a huge understatement. I went through the first part of the book thinking one was pure evil. Then, about the midway point, I changed my mind and was sure the other was the spawn of Satan. And then during the last few chapters my opinion changed yet again! Between these and the other jaw-dropping revelations, my head was spinning when I finished this three hours after I started.

Just like its characters, the storyline is dark, twisted, and deeply disturbing. Yes, what happens most likely would never occur in real life, but in a story like this, who cares! Marr keeps ratcheting up the suspense bit by bit until it almost becomes unbearable, and from chapter to chapter I didn’t know what was going to happen next. The only thing that was certain was that I wasn’t putting this down until I reached the end. Speaking of—what an ending! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it in the last 24 hours since I finished!

What Lies Between Us is definitely going to be on my shortlist of favorite books of 2020. Unsurprisingly it’s already been snapped up by Hollywood (Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture Co/MGM TV production company). I’m already thinking Amy Adams as Nina, and Glenn Close or Meryl Streep as Maggie. I cannot recommend this nail biting thriller for readers who love dark, twisty mysteries and loads of family drama. It’s a memorable read which I guarantee will take up long term residency in your head after you’ve finished! Preorder this from your favorite retailer, or file a request at your library now. I guarantee this is going to be one of the most buzzed about books of the summer!

The Lucky Ones, by Liz Lawson ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, LGBTQ, Mass shootings, Mental Illness, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 7th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: For fans of “Thirteen Reasons Why,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “All the Bright Places,” comes a new novel about life after. How do you put yourself back together when it seems like you’ve lost it all?

May is a survivor. But she doesn’t feel like one. She feels angry. And lost. And alone. Eleven months after the school shooting, that killed her twin brother, May still doesn’t know why she was the only one to walk out of the band room that day. No one gets what she went through—no one saw and heard what she did. No one can possibly understand how it feels to be her.

Zach lost his old life when his mother decided to defend the shooter. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends bailed, and now he spends his time hanging out with his little sister…and the one faithful friend who stuck around. His best friend is needy and demanding, but he won’t let Zack disappear into himself. Which is how Zach ends up at band practice that night. The same night May goes with her best friend to audition for a new band.

Which is how May meets Zach. And how Zach meets May. And how both might figure out that surviving could be an option after all.

After reading The Lucky Ones last night over a two hour period I feel comfortable in saying this will be one of the most talked about books of 2020.

Told in alternating perspectives from May, the only survivor of a school shooting and Zach, whose mother has taken on the case of the shooter, the story explores the aftermath, when the cameras have left and the media’s and country’s attention has moved on to the next calamity-driven news cycle. May, who lost her twin brother is not only angry but is also suffering from survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Her fury and anguish are so palpable and just tore my heart in two. And Zach, a sweet awkward boy, has gone from having a normal social life, to dealing with being ostracized simply for being the son of the lawyer defending the shooter. That these two should meet and actually start healing each other shouldn’t have worked, yet it does. Their relationship has its ups and downs, but it develops in an utterly believable way. It’s messy, and tension-filled, and at times even humorous, but what remains constant is the need for these two lost souls to beat the odds and stay together. They each have a support system in place with their small group of friends, and thank goodness for that because the adult/parental disconnect is prevalent. By the end of the book though there’s hope for a strengthening in the bond between May and her mother, and Zach and his parents.

The Lucky Ones is an impressive debut for Liz Lawson, and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from her. I’m not going to lie. This is an emotional, gut-wrenching tale, and I recommend that you have a box of tissues handy. It’s also a book that I feel privileged to have been granted an early copy and it’s one that I highly recommend for teens, parents, and any adult who cares about what kids are having to deal with today, things that we didn’t have to. The story doesn’t get political or wade into the gun control debate, although I recommend you read the author’s afterward where she discusses why she wrote this. Instead, it puts a human face to what life is like after a mass shooting. If there is going to be one book that I nag everyone to mark their calendars (4/7/20) and read, it’s The Lucky Ones. This is a book that every high school and public library should have on its shelves, so if you can, please put in requests to purchase to your libraries now.