Review: Cruel Intentions (Rydeville High Elite #1) by Siobhan Davis

Series: Rydeville High Elite #1
Release date: June 10th 2019
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the power struggle between two elite groups, one feisty girl will bring them to their knees… 

Life is a cruel game where only the most ruthless survive. It’s a truth my mother rebelled against, and she paid for it with her life. Now, I play their game. Publicly accepting the destiny that lies in wait for me when I turn eighteen.

But, behind closed doors, I plot my escape. 

Trent, Charlie, and my twin, Drew, rule the hallways of Rydeville High with arrogance and an iron fist. I execute my role perfectly, hating every second, but they never let me forget my place in this world.

Everyone obeys the rules. They have for generations. Because our families have always been in control.

Until Cam, Sawyer, and Jackson show up. Throwing their new money around. Challenging the status quo. Setting hearts racing with their gorgeous faces, hot bodies, and bad boy attitudes.

Battle lines are drawn. Sides are taken. And I’m trapped in the middle, because I made a mistake one fateful night when I gave my V-card to a stranger in a blatant F you to my fiancé.

I thought it was the one thing I owned. A precious memory to carry me through each dark day.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Because the stranger was Camden Marshall, leader of the new elite and my perpetual tormentor. He hates me with a passion unrivaled, and he won’t be the only one. Fire will rain down if the truth is revealed, threatening alliances, and the power struggle will turn vicious.

My life will hang in the balance.

But I’ll be ready, and I’m not going down without a fight.

*Received an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is truly dark and twisted. The behavior of these characters and the crazy things that happen throughout the story will have you clutching your pearls and constantly saying, "Oh my." 

It's my first time reading a novel by Siobhan Davis and I was intrigued from start to finish. She's an excellent writer; my interest never wavered. And while I don't often read these types of books, I'm inclined to pick up more of hers.

Actual thoughts? I connected to and sympathized with Abby the moment the story opened. This young girl had to endure so much horror. Her existence in her elite family is only to fulfill the desire of powerful men, and I honestly find her resilience admirable. I don't think I could have persevered the way she had, living in that household and dealing with those monsters. But throughout all the suffering, Abby held on to her dreams of escaping to a better life. Like the blurb says, she's a fighter, and Abby fought her way through, until her heart gets the best of her and she finds herself unable to resist her feelings toward Camden.

Camden added even more complications to Abby's life, and he aggravated me so much. But I was able to forgive him a little because worst things happened and I did find delight and relief in a few more vulnerable moments between the two characters.

However, I'm not particularly a fan of the ending of book one. Sadly, of all the things Cam did, it's hard for him to redeem himself after the last act. Not sure if I can root for him and Abby after that. Either way, I'm looking forward to continuing the story and see what happens next. I know I may not get what I want, but at least it will be entertaining.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the True Calling, Saven, and Kennedy Boys series. 

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management. 

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

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Review: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Release date: August 21st 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal--and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it's to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy's life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she's gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return--and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.

Emotionally powerful and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother--and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

*Received a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A truly incredible story! I was invested from start to finish, so intrigued with the characters and how this intensity would wrap up. It's still so fresh in my mind that I can't even find the words to write a sensible review. For starters, let's see if I can get my thoughts out clearly on Sarah deciding to take Emma. 

Okay, you could say Amy and her husband deserved it, they weren't the best parents and Amy was rather abusive, both physically and verbally towards Emma. The poor child was depressed and I could see her growing up to be a broken adult. And I believe during that first sighting of Emma with her family and observing the ill-treatment from Amy, something clicked in Sarah and she could instantly relate, having experienced a similar treatment from her own mother as a child. Perhaps it was fate or just mere coincidence, but spotting Emma again led Sarah into thinking she had to do something to help the little girl. Should she have gone as far as to kidnap Emma? I don't think so. That's wrong in itself, and Sarah based her judgment on the fact that the child protective system was messed up and she didn't believe they'd save Emma from her unfit mother. Whatever the reasoning, kidnapping is never the answer. Personally, I would have reported Amy after seeing the way she treated her daughter and let the authorities handle the situation. But I completely understood Sarah's intentions and saw how the abandonment from her own mother had affected her and possibly caused her to take Emma in hopes of giving her a better life. Also, the immediate bond between Sarah and Emma was quite adorable and so opposite of what both girls had with their mothers. You just couldn't stay mad at Sarah for doing what she did when the two were enjoying each other so much, and I would constantly question myself as to whether or not the kidnapping would change Amy into becoming a better and more loving mother should Emma return home.

Staying on Amy a bit, it was hard sympathizing with the woman. While I'm not a mother, I know how tough it is for mothers and how they are simply doing the best they can. But my gosh, Amy had some seriously deep rooted issues that she took out on her daughter. She seriously needed to see a psychologist. I don't want to give too much away as to how terrible her behavior and attitude toward life in general was, but she pretty much took a lot out on Emma and acted as if the five-year-old girl was out to destroy her when she was, in fact, reacting to the abuse of her mother. And don't let me get started on the father. He was oblivious of a lot and never really stepped up. His attention was mostly given to their younger child so his actions toward the end were totally predictable. Amy often thought to herself how she didn't really want children, but I'm not sure if her marriage would have still worked out had they not been parents, not with the unaddressed issues she had coming into their relationship.

Back to Sarah. It was interesting seeing how much she gave up to save Emma. She initially seemed so career driven so I was a tad surprised. However, in the flashbacks to her relationship with Ethan, she'd often mention becoming a wife and mother. But I wonder if that had to do with the neglect she carried from childhood and desire to do the opposite for her own family? Whatever the case, I was hoping for closure for her and was delightfully fascinated when the opportunity arose. I'm not sure how I would have handled that but I commend Sarah for her strength in facing it. I also would have liked to know how the second encounter went but then the story might have become too stretched. 

As for how things turned out in the end, I honestly wasn't expecting that. I'd thought it a bit at the beginning of the story but felt like Amy would've changed somewhat to a point where she deserved a second chance. Either way, I was sort of left in limbo as to how I feel about the ending and had questions as to what would happen next. But I'm also contented with that and draw my own conclusions, for instance, what would Emma think about Sarah and Amy when she got older? Would she hate Sarah for kidnapping her? Things like that will stay with you after reading this book. Kudos to Rea Frey on such an incredible and intense story. The writing is wonderful and consuming. You won't put this down once you've started, and you'll hate for it to ever end. I highly recommend!

About the Author

Rea Frey is the author of four nonfiction books. NOT HER DAUGHTER is her debut novel. When she’s not exercising, mothering, adulting, wifing, eating, or writing about herself in the third person, you can find her hard at work on her next book and ghostwriting for other people.

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Review: Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now by Dana L. Davis

Release date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

For sixteen-year-old Tiffany Sly, life hasn’t been safe or normal for a while. Losing her mom to cancer has her a little bit traumatized and now she has to leave her hometown of Chicago to live with the biological dad she’s never known.

Anthony Stone is a rich man with four other daughters—and rules for every second of the day. Tiffany tries to make the best of things, but she doesn’t fit into her new luxurious, but super-strict, home—or get along with her standoffish sister London. The only thing that makes her new life even remotely bearable is the strange boy across the street. Marcus McKinney has had his own experiences with death, and the unexpected friendship that blossoms between them is the only thing that makes her feel grounded.

But Tiffany has a secret. Another man claims he’s Tiffany’s real dad—and she only has seven days before he shows up to demand a paternity test and the truth comes out. With her life about to fall apart all over again, Tiffany finds herself discovering unexpected truths about her father, her mother and herself, and realizing that maybe family is in the bonds you make—and that life means sometimes taking risks.

*Publisher provided ebook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story! Tiffany Sly Lives Here is full of humor, sad and relatable moments, a complex family situation, and interesting neighbors one might call crazy but I found it all refreshingly different. A wonderful novel from a great storyteller. 

Tiffany has recently lost her mother to cancer and is preparing to leave her grandmother, best friend, and all that is familiar and safe behind to move in with a father she knows nothing about. But before leaving Chicago, another man comes forward claiming to be her real father. Fearing she might end up in an episode of Maury with paternity test drama, Tiffany keeps this to herself and still leaves her hometown, which I understand because that's a lot to deal with on top of her mother's death. To Tiffany's surprise, her rich father has a wife and four other children. No one prepared her for that, and she was certainly not expecting Anthony Stone to be so religious and controlling. His character had me rolling my eyes and shaking my head constantly. And every time he'd say something inconsiderate or just utterly off, I'd get frustrated with his wife and wish for Tiffany to tell him about her other father. 

It was easy to hope one man was her real father, just for being so polar opposite to the other and being so much nicer and open. But even while Tiffany was having a hard time, she had a gut feeling who her real father was. 

Aside from the two father drama of the story, I did like her younger siblings, even London. No matter how stuck-up she was. Her attitude was kind of understandable, being that she was the eldest for a while and here comes this other older daughter changing things up in her life. London's character was a story in itself and admittedly, I laughed when she ended up in that dilemma because of how she presented herself to the outside world. 

There were other interesting aspects of the story that took us away from the family drama now and then. For instance, I liked the moments where Tiffany made an effort with her stepmother and was willing to help with her youngest sister. It always brought a smile to my face and I wished Anthony would make as much of an effort. And the Stones' neighbors and their son were such lovable people. Tiffany's connection with Marcus was a delight, accepting him in spite of his difference and how everyone else treated him. Marcus has a warm and polite nature. It was so sad learning about his problem, but I loved that he lived without fear and celebrated every moment with his family. More power to him and his mothers.

I don't want to give too much away. I'll just conclude by saying this story will have you laughing, clenching your fists in anger, and tearing up. And you go through these emotions from start to finish. It's one of those books you don't want to pass on. I highly recommend reading this one! 

~TRAILER~

About the Author

Dana L. Davis is a writer of novels for teens, and also a successful Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT’s Franklin and Bash, head Cheerleader Chastity Church on 10 Things I Hate About You; modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC’s cult series Heroes; and Felica Jones on ABC’s The Nine. In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, gifting them the tools and steps to value their inner beauty. Davis was raised in the Midwest and currently resides in Los Angeles with her 5-year-old daughter.

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Review: Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker

Release date: January 23rd 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

*Received a physical copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I'm a lover of suspense and Tucker is one of my favorites in that genre. Keep Her Safe is my kind of read, a slow build yet thrilling story bound to keep you hooked until the last page.

This novel intrigues you right away. I immediately attached myself to Noah and the whole situation with his mom. He seemed like such a goody-goody who always did the right thing so I wanted to know what was up with his mother and what part she played in a long cover-up that was obviously destroying her mental state. 

As for Gracie, her gritty character doesn't really come off likable but I understood why she was like that. She had to be tough and wary of everyone who came around her. After all, she and her mother went through a lot, and in comparison to Noah, they didn't have a great life full of opportunities, especially with the horrible picture their hometown and police painted of Gracie's father.

The interactions between the two characters were always interesting. I liked that there wasn't anything instant, though, and that it took a while for both to open up. My hope for growth between them kept me reading, but the mystery surrounding Gracie's father also had my interest. Honestly, I knew a certain someone was involved, with how evasive he seemed throughout, but I wanted to understand why and also get clarity on what went down all those years ago.

Again, this is a great story with Tucker at her best. I don't want to give too much away, the only thing left for me to say is to give it a read if you're looking for a suspense that's not too fast or overwhelming. It's just right.

About the Author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. 

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 16 books, including Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water, and her upcoming Adult Suspense novel, Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. 

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.

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Guest Post: The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb

Release date: February 27th 2018
Publisher: Clarion Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A poignant and empowering teen novel of grief, unrequited love, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is gone in an instant.

The two are swept up in a tantalizingly warm friendship, complete with long drives with epic soundtracks and deep talks about life, love, and spirituality. With Tate, Aden feels closer to her mom and her mom's faith than she has since her mother died years ago. Everyone else even Aden's brother and her best friend can see their connection, but does Tate?

Navigating uncertain romance and the crises of those she loves, Aden must decide how she chooses to see herself and how to honor her mom's memory.

~GUEST POST~

The "love story" in THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE was inspired by a beautiful, heartbreaking relationship I had in high school and through early college. Of course, in writing, the story took on a life of its own, but I started from and wrote from the truth of my experience while giving the characters in CALC room to breathe and live on their own. It's weird, but I think I always knew I was going to write this story. Not because the story of unrequited love is anything "novel" (pun intended;) but because the themes and truths that love asks us to look at are ever-present. 

Grief and love coexist so closely to one another. Being a teenager, and coming into adulthood is such a beautiful paradox. We know everything and nothing all at once. And the thing about being human is that "coming of age" and growing never stops. We never really get it. And if we think we have gotten it, the universe is here to remind us that, nope, we don't. 

The one thing Aden has to learn throughout her journey is a deep, centered self love in the face of what life throws at her and in the face of the messaging we receive from our culture that says we will never be enough. But even self love isn't constant. Self love is a practice, not an arrival. 

The other thing Aden learns is how to live more in her heart and make decisions from that place, even when it hurts like hell. It's something I'm learning to do over and over again in my own life. Because all we really know that we have is now. This moment. The ones before and the ones after aren't here. I am. You are. So, like Aden says, "open up and be free, because as far as we know, this is it." 

Thank you so much for hosting me on this blog and for reading CALCULUS. It's such an honor.

About the Author

Jessie Hilb holds a Masters in Social Work and lives in Boulder, Colorado with her family and ever-loyal herding dog. She constantly reinvents herself. The Calculus of Change is her first novel. When she’s not writing, Jessie is CrossFitting-- it keeps her sane, grounded, and humble. And it’s fun.

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Review: Carry Me Home by Jessica Therrien

Release date: August 15th 2017
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Lucy and Ruth are country girls from a broken home. When they move to the city with their mother, leaving behind their family ranch and dead-beat father, Lucy unravels. 

They run to their grandparents’ place, a trailer park mobile home in the barrio of San Jose. Lucy’s barrio friends have changed since her last visit. They’ve joined a gang called VC. They teach her to fight, to shank, to beat a person unconscious and play with guns. When things get too heavy, and lives are at stake, the three girls head for LA seeking a better life. 

But trouble always follows Lucy. She befriends the wrong people, members of another gang, and every bad choice she makes drags the family into her dangerous world. 

Told from three points of view, the story follows Lucy down the rabbit hole, along with her mother and sister as they sacrifice dreams and happiness, friendships and futures. Love is waiting for all of them in LA, but pursuing a life without Lucy could mean losing her forever. 

Ultimately it’s their bond with each other that holds them together, in a true test of love, loss and survival.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intense story. I must admit I was frustrated with Lucy's character. It pissed me off that she would constantly place herself into gangs and live a dangerous lifestyle. I mean, I know teens can be rebellious and that in real life many fall into the wrong crowd after growing up in a bad neighborhood or having gone through terrible situations. But in Lucy's case, I felt like she was just a spoiled, attention-seeking brat that constantly put her sister and mother through hell. Then again, the mother was a whole other situation. 

This woman wasn't the best, and her lack of self-worth kept her from her true potential as well as hindered her ability to parent. Lucy overpowered her all the time. There was just no structure, no rules. Nothing. In fact, the mother would just lean on Ruth for everything, which wasn't fair because Ruth deserved to live her own life without doing her mother's job and always being the one that had to keep it all together. I really liked her character and wanted her to succeed, especially after she found such a good relationship. But that all got damaged because of Lucy's destructive ways.

Anyway, all that being said, it was an interesting story with nice writing, and I like how things ended up for each of the women. It shows that no matter what you go through in life, you could always turn your life around. Yes, even though Lucy got on my nerves and my emotions were all over the place from beginning to end, I liked the story.

About the Author

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. Her trilogy has been translated and sold through major publishers around the world, such as Editions AdA (Canada), EditionsMilan (France), and SharpPoint Press (China).

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica is the author of Carry Me Home, a YA contemporary fiction novel, and a kid’s picture book called, The Loneliest Whale. Her award-winning stories can also be found in a published anthology of flash fiction.

Jessica currently lives in Irvine with her husband and two young sons. She is working on an adult novel and a middle grade fantasy series.

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CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Rules of Rain by Leah Scheier

Release date: December 5th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A dramatic new novel about the bond between a teen and her twin brother.

Rain has taken care of Ethan all of her life. Before she even knew what autism meant, she's been her twin brother's connection to the hostile world around him. She's always prepared—when her father abandons them, when her mother gets sick, when Ethan is tortured by bullies from school—Rain is the reliable, stable one holding them all together. She's both cautious carer and mad chef, preparing customized meals for her family and posting crazy recipes on her cooking blog.

Each day with Ethan is unvarying and predictable, and she's sure that nothing will ever change—until one night when her world is turned upside down by a mistake she can't take back. As her new romance with her long-time crush and her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, she discovers that the fragile brother whom she's always protected has grown into a young man who no longer needs her. And now, for the first time, she finds that she needs him.

About the Author

Leah Scheier is the author of Secret Letters and Your Voice is All I Hear. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. As a child, Leah was inspired by her favorite authors, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lloyd Alexander, and C.S. Lewis to dream up tales of adventure and romance. Now grown up with daughters of her own, Leah works as a pediatrician and continues to create new stories.

www.leahscheier.com | twitter.com/leahscheier

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Closest I've Come by Fred Aceves

Release date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Closest I’ve Come is a must-read from talented first-time author Fred Aceves, in the tradition of Walter Dean Myers.

Marcos Rivas wants to find love.

He’s sure as hell not getting it at home, where his mom’s racist boyfriend beats him up. Or from his boys, who aren’t exactly the “hug it out” type. Marcos yearns for love, a working cell phone, and maybe a pair of sneakers that aren’t falling apart. But more than anything, Marcos wants to get out of Maesta, his hood—which seems impossible.

When Marcos is placed in a new after-school program for troubled teens with potential, he meets Zach, a theater geek whose life seems great on the surface, and Amy, a punk girl who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. These new friendships inspire Marcos to open up to his Maesta crew, too, and along the way, Marcos starts to think more about his future and what he has to fight for. Marcos ultimately learns that bravery isn’t about acting tough and being macho; it’s about being true to yourself.

About the Author

Fred Aceves is a Latino author who grew up in a community like the one described in The Closest I’ve Come, a tough, working-class neighborhood filled with single moms. He attended five high schools and worked two jobs before eventually dropping out of school. He later earned his GED and traveled around the world. He was born in the United States and currently lives in Mexico with his wife. The Closest I’ve Come is his debut novel.

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CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Calling My Name by Liara Tamani

Release date: October 24th 2017
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Taja Brown lives with her parents and older brother and younger sister, in Houston, Texas. Taja has always known what the expectations of her conservative and tightly-knit African American family are—do well in school, go to church every Sunday, no intimacy before marriage. But Taja is trying to keep up with friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, first everythings. And she’s tired of cheering for her athletic younger sister and an older brother who has more freedom just because he’s a boy. 

Taja dreams of going to college and forging her own relationship with the world and with God, but when she falls in love for the first time, those dreams are suddenly in danger of evaporating.

About the Author

Liara Tamani lives in Houston, Texas. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College and a BA from Duke University. Liara is a strong believer in following your heart, even when you don't know exactly where it's taking you. Calling My Name is her debut novel.

www.liaratamani.com

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Review: Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

Release date: August 8th 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository {Affiliate Link}

Synopsis via Goodreads:

From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back...

One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: 

fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. 

Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy Walker impressed me with her debut novel and so I was looking forward to where she'd go next because of her great writing and ability to twist things. And While Emma in the Night certainly had an intense and stirring vibe, it didn't quite deliver the punch I was seeking from the author. 

My issues began instantly with my inability to connect with Cass or Abby. The intriguing doctor aside, I never trusted Cass from the moment she returned home. Also, I feel like the story would have impacted me more if I could have experienced some of the things while they were happening, instead of just taking Cass' word for it as she's recollecting the horror of her mother and the kind of house she and her sister were growing up in. I know that might have extended the story somewhat, but I would have liked a little more of "in the moment" emotions from the sisters.

Also, it wasn't too hard to detect what was really going on. Cass was giving these precise details about the island and about her sister that had me suspecting her from the beginning, especially when it came to tales about Emma. As a matter of fact, I wish Cass had taken a different route so that the mother would have received what she truly deserved. But I guess we wouldn't have found out about Emma and I understand to an extent why she did what she had to do. 

Back to Dr. Abby Winter. It was clear that the forensic psychiatrist had dealt with her own horrors and could relate to Cass in regards to having a narcissistic parent. Throughout the story, she was quick to make connections to certain behavior and I found it interesting that Cass had easily detected the similarity between them, hoping that Abby would not only believe in her but would figure things out. That aspect of the story was quite interesting to read. 

There's not much else I can write without giving away the whole story, but I do want to mention that when disheartening details about the family was being revealed by Cass, I realized that dysfunctional didn't quite sum it up. The mother was...I don't even have the right word to describe her. She definitely had problems and required serious professional help, but the girls' father was just as bad. The only genuine and stable person in the sisters' lives was their older brother, Witt. While I doubted the intentions of every other character in the story, his kind nature was the most convincing and it's a relief that at least Cass had his love and support to move forward. 

To conclude, Emma in the Night has good writing and an overall premise that may shake you. But as I've mentioned before, I would have loved to be in the scenes as certain events were taking place, just to feel the emotions of the characters, instead of being told about what happened over and over. Still, it's an interesting psychological novel.

About the Author
Wendy Walker is a former family law attorney in Fairfield County, Connecticut who began writing while at home raising her three sons. She published two novels with St. Martin’s Press and edited multiple compilations for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series before writing her debut psychological thriller, All is Not Forgotten. Wendy is currently writing her third thriller while managing a busy household.

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