Join me for my five-book reading wrap-up-March 2022
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Eight strangers.
One island.
A secret you’d kill to keep.
When eight people arrive on the beautiful but remote Buidseach Island, they are ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live alone for one year.
Eighteen months later, a woman is found in an isolated fishing village. She’s desperate to explain what happened to her: how the group fractured and friends became enemies; how they did what they must to survive until the boat came to collect them; how things turned deadly when the boat didn’t come…
But first Maddy must come to terms with the devastating secret that left them stranded, and her own role in the events that saw eight arrive and only three leave.
A gripping, twisty page-turner about secrets, lies and survival at all costs. Perfect for fans of The Castaways, The Sanitorium and One by One.
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Ten years ago he killed my son. Today I married him.
Ten years ago my darling son Jesse was murdered and our perfect family was destroyed. My strong, handsome boy, so full of life, became a memory, a photo I carried with me everywhere.
But today I’m finally close to finding happiness again. My ash-blonde hair has been curled into ringlets. Carefully placed white flowers frame my delicate features. The small, drab chapel has been prettied up with white satin, and there are tiny red hearts scattered on the small table where I will soon sign the register with my new husband.
The man who killed my son.
My friends and family can’t understand it. My neighbors whisper in the street whenever I walk past. How can I love a man like Tom?
They don’t really know me at all…
5-Star Review-“The Marriage had me gripping on for dear life in the need to discover the truth. My mind was working overtime as to how this was all going to play out and I couldn’t have been more wrong. The last part of the book blew me away with the revelations. This has to be up there with some of the most jaw dropping twists I have read. LOVED IT!!!”
1-Star Review-“Wow, this book was awful. I am so surprised by the decent reviews for this book. I found it incredibly boring, and every character in it is just so whiny and annoying. I found myself literally rolling my eyes at certain parts. I also found it extremely creepy the way this book has a woman who marries a guy so young that he used to be friends with her child. That’s just gross.”
Me-I was not “gripping on for dear life,” but I did want to discover the truth. I did not find the book boring. I really enjoyed the book. I do agree more with the 5-star review.
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A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn’t have prevented it. Could she?
In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.
Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . .
I found a book trailer. It does not give you any information on the storyline, only that there is a twist. I was not impressed with this trailer but here it is if you want to watch it.
Five Star Review-“I love a good psychological thriller, and this one fell into the category of excellent ones. Holy macaroni Batman! I did NOT see that twist coming in a million years! I just stared at the page whilst my brain scrambled to get some footing again. And it wasn’t the only one. But the BIGGIE was done so very, very well.”
One Star Review- Great if you enjoy reading about women being brutalized over and over. The main character, Jenna, is weak and totally brainless. The detectives are a bore, especially ho-hum Kate who comes off as weak and just going with the flow. The other detective, Ray, has problems at home with his wife and son. (Yawn. Totally pointless.) The only thing about this book that compares to Gone Girl is there is not one person to like in this book. They ALL suck. No wonder it took me over two months to read it. Pass.
Me-I can relate to both reviews. As in the 5-star review, I did lose my footing at one twist, this was a twist I did not like, so it lowered my final rating. The one-star review speaks of abuse of women, and there should be a trigger warning for abuse because it is difficult to read.
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A middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.
It’s the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don’t feel right, don’t go down.
So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat. When the clients, a reckless boy Julie’s age and his equally foolhardy father, disregard Julie’s instructions during the dive, she quickly realizes she’s in over her head.
And once she surfaces, things only get worse: One of the clients is in serious condition, and their dive boat has vanished–along with Julie’s father, the only person who knows their whereabouts. It’s only a matter of time before they die of hypothermia, unless they become shark bait first. Though Julie may not like her clients, it’s up to her to save them all
The Five Star Review– “Once again, Watt Key has delivered a fast-paced, exciting middle grade book. I have read every one of this author’s books and was excited to receive an early copy of this latest one. I love that all his books are set in the Gulf area. Having visited there several times, his books come to life even more. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end of the book.”
The One-Star Review-“Really just hated this book, how it was written the pace, the style, not a fan, felt like a movie I’ve seen three times before”
Me-I totally disagrees with the one-star review. I thought the 5-star review was spot on and that the book was fast-paced and exciting.
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A multigenerational, female-led thriller, and a terrifying conspiracy that goes right to the heart of the British Government.
Six months ago, in an English hospital, a healthy baby wouldn’t take a breath at birth. Since then there have been more tragedies, and now the country is in turmoil. The government is clamping down on people’s freedoms. The prime minister has passed new laws granting authorities sweeping powers to monitor all citizens. And young pregnant women have started going missing.
As a midwife, Emma is determined to be there for those who need her. But when her seventeen-year-old daughter Lainey finds herself in trouble, this dangerous new world becomes very real, and both women face impossible choices. The one person who might help is Emma’s estranged mother Geraldine, but reaching out to her will put them all in jeopardy …
The Hush is a new breed of near-future thriller, an unflinching look at a society close to tipping point and a story for our times, highlighting the power of female friendship through a dynamic group of women determined to triumph against the odds.
A Five-Star Review– “Anyone who knows me, knows this is not my normal genre – I only found out about this after proofing a colleague’s blog post review – finished in a day so clearly I enjoyed it! Dystopian thriller with hints of what could quite easily become the new normal, gripping and fast paced, I only wish there was more to read!”
One-Star Review-“This was boring, full of plot holes and predictable as far as I was concerned.”
Me-I agree more with the five-star review. As far as the one-star review I do agree it was slow at times but all in all, I enjoyed this read.
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I would love to know what you are reading. If you have read any of the above books, did you enjoy them?
Please drop me a note in the comment box.