CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Release date: June 19th 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she's not inside. No one ever sees her again. 

Ten years later he's engaged to be married; he's happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She's turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?

About the Author

NYT best-selling author of Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown. B.A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. 

twitter.com/BAParisAuthor

Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Release date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…

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

What would you do if you went away with some friends and two of them ended up murdered? The doors are locked and there's no sign of forced entry. Would you maintain that trust in the friends that survived, or would you suspect them? 

I kept asking myself this for the most part of the story. I honestly wanted to give each character the benefit of the doubt and consider the fact that maybe someone else with a key came in while they were all wiped out from drinking and killed their friends. I even went as far as to suspect Blake's mother. She was a strange one. But the more I got to uncover about each "friend", the more I realize that none of them were innocent, as indicated in the blurb. They all had a reason, but the question was, which had it in them to actually commit murder.

The Cabin started out pretty interesting and I liked how it was a murder mystery involving friends; the fact that it tested friendships and how well you thought you knew someone. However, I did have some issues throughout. One of the major things that threw me was Blake's personality. I get that some people have different ways of dealing with grief and other hurtful things in their lives, but I found his behavior and the things he'd say a tad inappropriate in various scenes. Mackenzie got caught up in it at times too, and one scene in particular that turned me off was the way they were acting when another murder occurred. They were basically flirting with each other right after getting the terrible news and it just didn't seem... realistic. I mean, who thinks about sex or makes jokes after hearing about a murder? That didn't make any sense to me. And that happened a lot throughout the book, which is the main reason why the story fell short for me. When it comes to this genre, I like a more serious, dark, and suspenseful theme with a little bit of light outside of serious moments, but instead it seemed like this one was mostly straddling the edge of humor. 

The ending was also crazy and even though I'd suspected that friend was the killer, I never anticipated it would play out in such a way. Overall, interesting plot and nice writing. And I am curious as to what will happen in the next book because surely there will be a follow-up after that cliffhanger. 

About the Author

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

www.natashapreston.com

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Review: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

Release date: April 19th 2016
Publisher: Delacorte
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.

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

Well, this was quite a story. I honestly didn't know what to expect or had any initial thoughts as to how The Darkest Corners would play out, but I'm happy that I stuck with it from start to finish.

The story kicks off with Tessa being given some news about her father and she has to return to a place she has dreaded after being gone for ten years. Throughout the story, she recalls some childhood memories of her own dysfunctional family, as well as a period of torture for her and others in her hometown. Her thoughts also enable us to experience the effects of what she and Callie had endured as children, as well as establish the kind of person Tessa is at present. 

Now, a lot of people may not like Tessa's character. She's flawed, and there's nothing really sweet and cookie-cutter about her. She's rather honest in her mind but often conceals the facts from others. And she doesn't always have the most pleasant thoughts about her peers. But given that she grew up in a messy family and had gone through so much as a child, I think all those things contribute to her tough exterior and guarded mentality. And I liked that she started doing research and digging into things to find answers for her questions, as well as try and fix the mistake (even though she and friend were pressured and manipulated) she and Callie made as kids. 

There's a lot I could get into but what I liked most about the story was how dark, intriguing, mysterious and unpredictable it was. I tried so many times to guess the real killer but failed each time. There was just no way to figure it out. Kara gave no clue as to how things would end and I liked all the twists and reveals along the way. The truth about Tessa's family, especially about her sister was a surprise. Not to mention the truth about Tessa. I did not see that coming. I feel like there was a tiny hint about the mother, but I never suspected the situation with her was to that extent. So very interesting and very realistic because these things do happen. 

Characters came and went but the one recurring character I loved was Maggie, Callie's mom. She had a significant role in the story with the way she was always helping Tessa and she sort of stood in the place that Tessa's real mom should have been. At times Maggie seemed a bit overprotective, but after what happened to her niece, that was understandable and she only wanted to keep her daughter and Tessa safe. It's always a breath of fresh air to see moms portrayed in such a good way in books. Often times they're mostly like Tessa's mother, but Maggie is a sign that family doesn't have to be blood-related.

Another thing I liked about Darkest Corners is the fact that Tessa and Callie managed to restore the bond they had before with everything going on. Their friendship was damaged as children after what happened and both felt as if the other abandoned them in a way. But the fact that even after Callie and Tessa solved everything and still wanted to keep in touch brought a smile to my face. I feel like their past alone should strengthen their friendship and forever connect them. I was also happy that Callie's parents did that for her in the end because she truly needed it.  But speaking of the end, what a way to leave us with questions in the epilogue Kara. Readers are definitely going to be wondering about that character and how she ended up in that situation. I know I am definitely curious. 

Overall, an intriguing story with unpredictability you'll enjoy. The writing is quick and fluid; the setting is dark and suspenseful. And even though these characters aren't like the usual ones from sugary YA books, I still felt a connection to them, and the mystery of who the killer was and what was going on with Tessa's family had me locked in the story from start to finish. I recommend giving this one a read. Beware, though, it is creepy.

About the Author

Kara is the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, coming from Penguin Random House/Delacorte Press in Spring 2016. She also wrote the Prep School Confidential series (St. Martin’s Press) and the pilot The Revengers for the CW under the pen name Kara Taylor. She’s represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media for books and United Talent Agency and Brillstein Entertainment Partners for film. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or on the couch with her rescue cat, Felix.

www.kara-thomas.com | www.thedarkestcornersbook.com

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters

Release date: March 8th 2016
Publisher: Amulet Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A thrilling reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, The Steep and Thorny Way tells the story of a murder most foul and the mighty power of love and acceptance in a state gone terribly rotten.

1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred in even Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager. Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather.

The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself, a “haint” wandering the roads at night.

About the Author

Cat Winters is an award-winning author of YA and adult fiction. Winters was born and raised in Southern California, just a short drive down the freeway from Disneyland, which may explain her love of haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two kids.

www.catwinters.com

facebook.com/catwintersbooks

Review: The Secrets of Lily Graves by Sarah Strohmeyer

Release date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

With the intrigue of Pretty Little Liars and plenty of romance, bestselling author Sarah Strohmeyer weaves a story of secrets and lies—set in a funeral parlor.

Growing up in a house of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. She knows that perfect senior-class president Erin Donohue isn’t what she seems. She knows why Erin’s ex-boyfriend, hot football player Matt Houser, broke up with her. And she also knows that, even though she says she and Matt are just friends, there is something brewing between them—something Erin definitely did not like.

But secrets, even ones that are long buried, have a way of returning to haunt their keeper.

So when Erin is found dead the day after attacking Lily in a jealous rage, Lily's and Matt’s safe little lives, and the lives of everyone in their town of Potsdam, begin to unravel. And their relationship—which grew from innocent after-school tutoring sessions to late-night clandestine rendezvous—makes them both suspects.

As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim.

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

The Secrets of Lily Graves had been sitting on my shelf for a few months now, so while looking for my next read I decided to find out what the story was all about. Besides, I really liked Sarah Strohmeyer's Smart Girls Get What They Want and was really interested in seeing how the author transitioned from light and funny contemporary to something dark and mysterious as a murder concept and a character whose family ran a funeral home. 

So, did I like the story? Yes, mostly. But there were some things that bugged me. For instance, I felt like Lily's character seemed to be trying too hard to appear Gothic, fascinated by the world of the dead, etc. It didn't come out as natural to me. And I was a bit annoyed at times with her feelings for Matt. I guess you can say I didn't warm up as much to her character, but that never threw me off a story before. Lily was tolerable, and I wanted to see how everything would wrap up.

My other issue is that the story seemed a tad stretchy throughout, and then by the last chapter it was being rushed as if the author grew tired of writing it. Also, it was a little obvious. I mean, I'd already suspected who was behind the murder from jump, so the reveal at the end wasn't very climatic on that person's part. However, I had no clue whatsoever about the other person so that made up for the ending somewhat.

credit: epicreads

As mentioned before, I liked the story for the most part. The writing was good. I liked Lily's mom and aunt. The funeral home setting was new to me so it was interesting reading about how they prepared the dead and the effort that went into it. That was intriguing and good to know that the Graves' respected the families enough to want to do their best. That was conveyed greatly in the story. 

This is a switch from Sarah's previous release but I don't mind it at all. It's great when an author can take on different genres, and while I wasn't in love with The Secrets of Lily Graves, it was still a good story that I liked reading. I recommend this book if you're into YA drama with a murder mystery.