Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer: Book 1) by Maxym M. Martineau

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer Book 1) by [Martineau, Maxym M.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of publication: June 25th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: The Beast Charmer

Kingdom of Exiles—book 1

Where you can find Kingdom of Exiles: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author Maxym M. Martineau.

Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep trouble. Empty pockets forced her to sell her beloved magical beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and now there’s a price on her head. With the realm’s most talented murderer-for-hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse: powerful mythical creatures in exchange for her life.

If only it were that simple. Unbeknownst to Leena, the undying ones are bound by magic to complete their contracts, and Noc cannot risk his brotherhood of assassins…not even to save the woman he can no longer live without.

My Review:

Leena was exiled from her Charmer home. Leena needed to make ends meet and to do so; she started selling off her animals on the black market. That is an offense punishable by death. So she wasn’t surprised when an assassin showed up. After beating the assassin, Leena forces him to take her to the guildhouse. It is there, Leena makes a deal with the guild master of the Cruor, Noc. 4 magical beasts in exchange for her life. What Leena doesn’t know is that there is no way for a Cruor assassin to back out of a contract. While Noc says yes, he knows that in the end, he will have to kill Leena and collect the bounty. But, it soon becomes hard for Noc to consider killing Leena. Enough doubt has been raised about the contract and if it is justified. Will Noc be able to do the unthinkable and break the contract? Or will everything end with Leena being killed?

What drew me to Kingdom of Exiles was the blurb. As soon as I caught sight of the words Fantastic Beasts and Assassin’s Creed. I knew that I needed to read this book. I am a huge Harry Potter and Assassin’s Creed fan, and I was interested in seeing how the author was going to combine those them together. I wasn’t let down. I do want to add in that I also caught glimpses of Pokemon in this novel too. Not in how the beasts were caught but in the battle scenes.

There are three major and several secondary plotlines in Kingdom of Exiles. The first plotline focuses on Leena, her beasts and the reason why she was exiled from the Charmers. The second plot line focuses on Noc, the Cruors, and Leena’s contract. The third plotline focuses on Leena, Noc, and their relationship.

I liked all the main storylines. They were all well written. When the author did chose to bring them together, she was able to do it without interrupting any of the storylines. There were also no dropped storylines.

The secondary storylines were well written. I did think that there was a dropped storyline towards the end of the book. It made me a little aggravated because I wanted to know what happened to a particular character. But, it was brought back up at the end of the book. Which makes me wonder if that is going to be the main storyline for the next book.

Like the plotlines, I thought that the main characters were well written. Now, I will say that both characters a little off put me at the beginning of the book. They both came off as cold people. But as the book went on and I got to know both characters, my opinion of them changed. Their character development featured in my change of opinion.

Like I mentioned above, I didn’t like Leena when I started reading Kingdom of Exiles. She came across as aloof and uncaring. The scene with the buyer of the Gyss is an excellent example. But, then something remarkable happened. That first impression got turned around. My disinterest and disdain for her got turned around into me being invested and admiring her. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened.

Leena was also one of the strongest female characters that I have read to date. She went through a lot in the book, and she didn’t let it beat her down. She learned from those experiences. I loved it!!

Again, as I mentioned above, I didn’t like Noc when I started reading the book. He was cold and aloof. Take any of his scenes at the beginning of the book. Then, as the book went on, the explanations began. By the middle of the book, I understood why Noc had those walls up. He was afraid of his curse. He couldn’t show emotion or his curse would start up. But, like Leena, my first impression got turned around. By the end of the book, I loved him.

Speaking of Noc’s curse, I would have loved to know why the high priestess cursed him. Also, I would have loved to have known who he was before he was resurrected. There were hints but nothing confirmed. Drove me nuts because I have a few ideas of who he was, but nothing confirmed it.

The secondary characters were as well written as the main characters. I loved it. I felt that I got to know Kost, Ozias, and Calem as well as Noc and Leena. I can’t wait to see what book two holds for the secondary characters. I am hoping that the book focuses on either Calem or Oz. They were my two favorites in the book.

The bad guys in the book had my attention from the get-go. Wynn gave me chills. He believed what he was doing was the right, and that was frightening to me. What he subjected Leena to when he held her captive was heartbreaking. Ravenwas an enigma. I had questions that weren’t answered in this book. The most important issue was why? Why did she set those events in motion? I was frustrated by the lack of answers, but I have a feeling that they will be answered in the next book.

Kingdom of Exiles was a great fit in the fantasy genre. Leena’s Charmer abilities alone could have fueled a book. As well as Noc’s curse and his powers. I did find it creepy that he could make daggers out of the shadows.

Kingdom of Exiles was also a great fit in the romance genre. Noc and Leena’s instant attraction had my pulse racing. The back and forth dance that they did was hot. By the time they had sex, it was earth-shattering. I had to put my Kindle down and fan myself; it was that hot. My only complaint about the sex scenes was the use of crease of Leena’s vagina. Once, yes. But every single time, no. It got to the point where I started laughing when Noc was fingerbanging/eating her out, and crease was used.

There was also the point of the Kost/Noc/Leena semi-love triangle. I use semi because Noc didn’t reciprocate Kost’s feelings. But it was set up that way. I loved that the author had an LGBT representation in the book. I do wish that Kost’s sexual preference was made more clear towards the beginning. Because up until that scene with Leena, he came across as kind of a douche canoe. I also loved how Noc handled finding out about Kost’s feelings for him. It was done in such a classy way that I couldn’t help but say to myself “This is how it should be done in real life!!!” I am also eager to see Kost find love. There was a hint of something at the end of the book. Something that I can’t wait to see if the author explores or not.

The end of Kingdom of Exiles was excellent. I also had so many questions about what was going to happen and no answers. The epilogue held the most questions for me. Because of what happened to Noc at the end. What will that mean for him and Leena? I can’t wait to find out.

I would give Kingdom of Exiles an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Kingdom of Exiles. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review Kingdom of Exiles.

Book Disclaimer

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Kingdom of Exiles?

What are your thoughts?

Let me know!!

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Once Upon a Bad Boy (Sometimes in Love: Book 3) by Melonie Johnson

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments
Once Upon a Bad Boy: A Sometimes in Love Novel by [Johnson, Melonie]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: June 25th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Sometimes in Love

Getting Hot with the Scot—Book 1 (review here)

Smitten by the Brit—Book 2 (review here)

Once Upon a Bad Boy—Book 3

Where you can find Once Upon a Bad Boy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

NEVER SAY NEVER
Sadie Gold is ready to take her career to the next level with the role of a lifetime. Finally, she can shake her reputation as a pretty face with more wealth and connections than talent. But Sadie is not prepared for the wild turn her own life is about to take. The man in charge of training Sadie for her most demanding role yet is none other than her first real boyfriend—the one who took her heart and ran away.

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
Bo Ibarra is as good-looking and irresistible as ever. Maybe even more so, now that everything once worked against them—Sadie’s pampered and privileged upbringing and Bo’s childhood in a family struggling to make ends meet—is in the past. But the future is still unwritten…and getting there, together, means coming clean about painful secrets and slashing through nasty tabloid rumors while trying to control the attraction that crackles between them. Maybe it’s finally time for them to walk off into the sunset and into a true and lasting love?

My Review:

I was so excited when I saw that Once Upon a Bad Boy was up for review on NetGalley. I had read the first two books and loved them. I was expecting to love Once Upon a Bad Boy. For the most part, I did. But there were parts that I didn’t like. The parts that I didn’t like did figure into how I rated this review.

I liked Bo. He didn’t hide behind walls or keep secrets from anyone. I did feel bad that he was trying to buy his half of the business from Vic and he kept getting put off. I liked how he tried to keep his feelings for Sadie under wraps.

I couldn’t connect with Sadie, and I didn’t think she was relatable. I couldn’t get a feel for her personality. She came across as flat, which sucked for me because I liked her in the previous books. The only time I saw her come to life was when Bo pushed her buttons.

As much as I didn’t connect with Sadie, I did feel that she and Bo had sexual chemistry by the spades. That tension cranked up each meeting until it exploded into an oral sex frenzy. Speaking about sex, the author had Sadie and Bo do everything but have intercourse until the end of the book. It was refreshing.

The romance angle was a bit up and down for me. There were times where I could see Sadie falling back in love with Bo. But then, there were other times that it was almost nonexistent. That drove me nuts.

The end of the book was interesting. I didn’t expect what was revealed. I also didn’t expect Bo’s reaction to it. But, I liked how the author took something that is frowned upon and turned it into something positive.

I would give Once Upon a Bad Boy an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Once Upon a Bad Boy I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Twisted Family Values by V.C. Chickering

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Twisted Family Values: A Novel by [Chickering, V.C.]

3 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: June 25th, 2019

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Where you can find Twisted Family Values: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

An unpredictable and entertaining tale of secrets, desires, and forgiveness spanning four generations of an American family. 

In WASPy Larkspur, New Jersey, social expectations and decorum rule, and Marjorie and Dunsfield Thornden are the envy of their neighbors. Their daughters Claire and Cat set the small town’s social calendar by throwing tastefully lavish family parties year round. Because it’s 1977, underage debauchery is to be expected—and Cat and Claire’s children, Bizzy and Choo, are at its very center. 

Underneath their well-maintained veneer, the Thorndens are quite dysfunctional, but have always had their entitlement to fall back on. And while some are finally ready to accept what they’re willing to give up for the life that they think they deserve, secrets that should’ve never been kept—especially not from each other—are bubbling unattractively to the surface.

So when a scandal threatens to unravel this tight-lipped family and their secrets, the Thorndens will have to decide how much they’ll let decorum rule social mores dictate their decisions and how far they’ll go to keep some secrets just that. Any choice they make could mean freedom from expectations but will change the course of their family’s legacy forever.

My Review:

"Don't you just love the smell of diaper cream?"

I wasn’t sure about what I was getting into when I started reading Twisted Family Values. I thought this book was going to be something like V.C. Andrews novels. I was wrong. Twisted Family Values was nothing like those books. Instead, this book was something different. I am still trying to figure out if it is a good different or a bad different.

Twisted Family Values plotlines were sometimes hard to follow. I had a hard time following the main plotline. The number of sub-plotlines in each “chapter” would overwhelm me. I had to reread specific chapters to make sure I understood what was going on.

I did like how the book was split up. Each “chapter” was a different time in Biz and Charlie’s life. There was childhood (up to 13), college age, mid 20’s, late 30’s, and late 40’s. It was interesting to see Biz, Charlie, and their family evolve and devolve through the years.

The book discloses early on that Charlie was not blood-related to Cat and her ex-husband. I didn’t understand why Cat kept that information secret for almost 50 years. Her withholding Charlie’s parentage caused so much harm. I wanted to throttle her at points during the book because of that.

I felt terrible for Biz and Charlie. Because Cat didn’t disclose that they weren’t related, they had to force to hide their feelings for each other. Which resulted in Biz becoming an alcoholic and Charlie being married to a woman he didn’t love. It was painful and disturbing to read.

I did like that the author chose to show that good could come out of being bad. The last chapter of Twisted Family Values highlights this perfectly.

I do want to add that I loved Ruby. Her reactions to catching Biz and Finn having sex was hilarious. Also hilarious, was her reaction to Charlie possibly being her father.

The end of the book was nice, but it was too happy. Twisted Family Values was not a happy book, per se. I was surprised to see HEA’s handed out left and right.

I would give Twisted Family Values an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Twisted Family Values I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

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The Rumor: A Novel by [Kara, Lesley]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of Publication: June 18th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Rumor: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

A single mom discovers just how deadly gossip can be in this irresistible debut thriller inspired by a sensational true crime story, for fans of Big Little Lies, The Couple Next Door, and The Widow.

Joanna is desperate to ingratiate herself with a popular clique of mothers at her son’s new school. But when she tries to impress them by repeating a rumor she overheard at the school gates, there’s no going back. . . .

Rumor has it that a notorious killer, a woman who has been released from prison years after her brutal crime, is living under a new identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the supposedly reformed murderer now living in their neighborhood? Suspicion falls on everyone.

Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, pawing through decades-old records in an attempt to name the killer. But her curiosity not only ostracizes her from the community, but exposes her son and his father to a heartless psychopath who has killed–and may kill again. 

How dangerous can one rumor become? And how far will Joanna go to protect those she loves from harm, when she realizes what she’s unleashed?

Joanna is going to regret the day she ever said a word….

First Line

It’s happening again.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

I am guilty of judging a book by its blurb. When I read the blurb, I thought that it was going to be a run of the mill suspense/thriller/mystery. I thought that I would be able to figure out who the killer was by the middle of the book. Yeah, well, that didn’t happen. I was taken by surprise by The Rumor , and I loved it.

The murderer in The Rumor is based on a real crime. Mary Bell killed a four-year-old and a three-year-old in 1968. The author had Sally follow Mary’s path in life. I was chilled reading those parts of The Rumor. The question that burned in my mind as I was reading was, “What can drive a ten-year-old to kill?“

The plotline in The Rumor was fast paced. There were no slow interludes. Everything that occurred in the book, happened within a few weeks of Joanna repeating the rumor. There was no lag, and there were no dropped or missing storylines.

Joanna became a hot mess during the book. The minute she repeated that rumor, she was on a fast track to collide with the killer. There were times where I wanted to shake her, though. Mainly with her personal life. I did feel bad for her at the end of the book. What she learned shocked me as much as it shocked her.

I was surprised at who the child killer was. When it was revealed, my mouth dropped open, and I said, out loud, “No effing way.” I was not expecting it to be that person. The author did a fantastic job of throwing out red herrings and pointing fingers at various people in the book. I loved it!!

The end of The Rumor was intense. Everything was revealed in a showdown that I can only describe as epic. I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen. What chilled me was the last chapter. I got chills up and down my spine when I read it.

I would give The Rumor an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Rumor. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Freebie Sunday: June 23rd, 2019

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
Image result for freebie sunday image

Click on the pictures for Amazon link. 

Disclaimer: Books are free at the time of post publishing. Please check before buying!!

Romance

Beauty and the Professor (A Modern Fairy Tale Duet Book 1) by [Warren, Skye]
Ethan (The K9 Files Book 1) by [Mayer, Dale]
Hilariously Ever After by [Reid, Penny, Hunting, Helena , Aston, Jana , Hibbert, Talia, Kent, Julia , Nix, Susannah , Hart, Emma , McGee, Kayti, Martin, Annika]

Mystery

Snapped: A Gripping FBI Thriller (An Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Book 1) by [Sutter, C.M.]
Sei Thrillers (Books 1-3) by [Hutchinson, Ty]
The Girls Across the Bay (The Knox and Sheppard Mysteries Book 1) by [O'Brien, Emerald]

Suspense

Next Door (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]
Heartbeat (Morta Fox Book 1) by [Hoxa, D.N.]
What Happened at the Lake by [Williams, Phil M.]

Thriller

Panic at the Pier (A Whodunit Pet Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by [McCoy, Mel]
What Happened to Lori Book 1: Genesis (Mind-Blowing Twist Thriller Duology) by [Konrath, J.A.]
When the Water Runs Out: A thriller - America needs it, Canada has it by [Canford, David]

Young Adult

The Viking's Chosen (Clan Hakon Series Book 1) by [Loftis, Quinn]
Above the Star: The 8th Island Trilogy by [Chute, Alexis Marie]
The Shadow Reader (A Shadow Reader Novel Book 1) by [Williams, Sandy]

Fantasy

Early Years (The Beginning After The End Book 1) by [TurtleMe]
Playing with Monsters: Playing with Monsters by [Hutchins, Amelia]
Chromed: Upgrade: A Cyberpunk Adventure Epic (Future Forfeit Book 1) by [Parry, Richard]

Science Fiction

The Back Door Man by [Buschi, Dave]
The Last Firewall (Singularity Series Book 3) by [Hertling, William]
Plague Wars: Infection Day: The First Trilogy: Three apocalyptic sci-fi technothriller adventures (Plague Wars Series Book 12) by [VanDyke, David, King, Ryan]

Women’s Fiction

To Get Me To You: A Small Town Southern Romance (Wishful Romance Book 1) by [Nolan, Kait]
Love to Go (Take a Chance Book 5) by [Warren, Nancy]
Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel (The Beach House Hotel Series Book 1) by [Keim, Judith]

LGBTQIA

Underestimated Affinities: Cover Option 1 (Wings Series) by [Scarcella, Matthew]
Underestimated Affinities: Cover Option 2 (Wings Series Book 1) by [Scarcella, Matthew]
Quill Me Now (The ABCs of Spellcraft Book 1) by [Price, Jordan Castillo]

Horror

From Cellar to Throne: Zen's Quest for Immortality 8: The Blood Condensation Pill (From Cellar to Throne: Zen's Quest for Immortality Series) by [Reader, Mobo, Jie Tuo, En Chi]
Mosquito Man: An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller (World's Scariest Legends Book 1) by [Bates, Jeremy]
The Girl in the Sand: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller (Violet Darger FBI Thriller Book 3) by [Vargus, L.T., McBain, Tim]

Weekly Wrap Up: June 16th through June 22nd

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Clicking on titles under Books I’ve Read, NetGalley Haul,and Email Haul will take you to Goodreads.

Clicking on titles under Books with Pending Reviews and Books with Published Reviews will take you to Amazon.

Clicking on titles Blog Tours/Excerpts/Book Blitz will take you to that specific blog post.

Clicking on links under Giveaways I’ve Entered will take you to that giveaway

Clicking on the titles under Freebies I Scored will take you to Goodreads.

Clicking on the links under Weekly Posts will take you to that specific blog post.

Books I’ve Read:

Rogue Most Wanted

We Are All Good People Here

The Rumor

The Year I Left

Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy

Jackson

The Duke is But a Dream

Books with pending reviews:

The Duke is But a Dream—review coming July 30th, 2019

Home Field Advantage—review coming July 16th, 2019

Books with published reviews:

Jackson—review here

The Perfect Date—review here

NetGalley Haul:

The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Email Haul:

Jake’s Redemption

Blog Tours/Excerpts/Book Blitz:

Jackson—Blog Tour

The Perfect Date—Blog Tour

Giveaways I’ve Entered:

Weekly Posts:

Weekly Wrap Up

Freebie Sunday

Music Monday

Top Ten Tuesday

WWW Wednesday

Theme Thursday

WWW Wednesday: June 19th, 2019

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments
IMG_1384-0

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Wars.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Personal:

I am not going to go much into my personal stuff this week. I am blogging on limited time…lol. We are heading to the Outer Banks, NC for vacation. But, I will catch up next week!!

Reading/Reviews/Blog:

See above.

What I am currently reading:

Cold Heart, Warm Cowboy (Cold River Ranch Book 2) by [Crews, Caitlin]

A game of pretend with the highest stakes of all in the latest novel of breathtaking romance from USA Today bestselling author Caitlin Crews

Ty Everett ran off to the rodeo when he turned eighteen and has been riding bulls ever since…until his last fall causes partial amnesia and he must return to Cold River Ranch to figure out what comes next. But how can he pick his next move when he can’t remember how he got here in the first place—much less the beautiful woman who appears at the ranch, claims she knows him, and warms his cold heart for the first time since he woke up in the hospital?

Rodeo Queen Hannah Monroe gave up her crown for Ty Everett, and her innocence. What she wants from Ty now is a divorce. But Ty can’t remember her—or their secret wedding, or even the son she never meant to hide from him—and Hannah is torn. How can she leave the man she can’t forget and still loves despite herself? And even if she’s willing to start over, what will happen when the truth comes out?

I have barely started this book. Because of getting ready for my vacation, I haven’t been reading a bunch. Since we have an almost 5 hour drive to get to where we are going, I plan on starting and finishing this book during that time. Plus, I can’t wait to read it!!

I recently finished reading:

Jackson: Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas by [March, Emily]

From New York Times bestselling author Emily March comes Jackson, the newest novel in the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. 

Sometimes it takes a new beginning 
Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life…until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline’s new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who’s also starting over, all bets are off.

to reach a happily-ever-after 
Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he’s been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love—he even has the old song lyrics to prove it—but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who’s moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption’s healing magic is true…and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all?

I loved this book. It was a great read with a wonderful romance. Highly reccomend it.

What books I think I’ll read next?

The Year I Left by [Brae, Christine]

Carin Frost doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. A confident businesswoman, wife, and mother, she begins to resent everything about her life. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes her feel. Maybe it’s the recent loss of her mother in a tragic accident. Or maybe she’s just losing her mind. 

Enter Matias Torres. As their new business partnership thrives, so does their friendship—and his interest in her. Carin is determined to keep her distance, until a work assignment sends them to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island. In the midst of the chaos, Matias asks her to do something unimaginable, exhilarating, BOLD. Carin knows the consequences could be dire, but it may be the only way to save herself. 

An honest look at love and marriage and the frailties of the human heart, this is a story of a woman’s loss of self and purpose and the journey she takes to find her way back.

I am looking forward to reading this book. The blurb has reeled me in!!

The Rumor: A Novel by [Kara, Lesley]

A single mom discovers just how deadly gossip can be in this irresistible debut thriller inspired by a sensational true crime story, for fans of Big Little Lies, The Couple Next Door, and The Widow.

Joanna is desperate to ingratiate herself with a popular clique of mothers at her son’s new school. But when she tries to impress them by repeating a rumor she overheard at the school gates, there’s no going back. . . .

Rumor has it that a notorious killer, a woman who has been released from prison years after her brutal crime, is living under a new identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the supposedly reformed murderer now living in their neighborhood? Suspicion falls on everyone.

Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, pawing through decades-old records in an attempt to name the killer. But her curiosity not only ostracizes her from the community, but exposes her son and his father to a heartless psychopath who has killed–and may kill again. 

How dangerous can one rumor become? And how far will Joanna go to protect those she loves from harm, when she realizes what she’s unleashed?

Joanna is going to regret the day she ever said a word….

I am really looking forward to reading this book. Its been a while since I have read a good mystery/thriller.

We Are All Good People Here: A Novel by [White, Susan Rebecca]

From the author of A Place at the Table and A Soft Place to Land, an “intense, complex, and wholly immersive” (Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author) multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationship between two very different women and the secrets they bequeath to their daughters.

Eve Whalen, privileged child of an old-money Atlanta family, meets Daniella Gold in the fall of 1962, on their first day at Belmont College. Paired as roommates, the two become fast friends. Daniella, raised in Georgetown by a Jewish father and a Methodist mother, has always felt caught between two worlds. But at Belmont, her bond with Eve allows her to finally experience a sense of belonging. That is, until the girls’ expanding awareness of the South’s systematic injustice forces them to question everything they thought they knew about the world and their places in it.

Eve veers toward radicalism—a choice pragmatic Daniella cannot fathom. After a tragedy, Eve returns to Daniella for help in beginning anew, hoping to shed her past. But the past isn’t so easily buried, as Daniella and Eve discover when their daughters are endangered by secrets meant to stay hidden.

Spanning more than thirty years of American history, from the twilight of Kennedy’s Camelot to the beginning of Bill Clinton’s presidency, We Are All Good People Here is “a captivating…meaningful, resonant story” (Emily Giffin, author of All We Ever Wanted) about two flawed but well-meaning women clinging to a life-long friendship that is tested by the rushing waters of history and their own good intentions.

I am intrigued by this book and can’t wait to read it.

Rogue Most Wanted (The Cavensham Heiresses Book 5) by [MacGregor, Janna]

There’s one creed all Cavensham men subscribe to: they fall in love completely and decidedly. But what happens when the woman you fall in love with swears she’ll only marry you as a last resort? Rogue Most Wanted is the next book in the sparkling, romantic Cavensham Heiress series by Janna MacGregor.

SHE NEEDS TO MARRY SOMEONE

Lady Theodora Worth needs to marry fast in order to keep her estate. It’s been her heart and home for years, and she’ll not lose it to anyone. There’s just one problem—as a woman who was raised in isolation by her grandfather, she’s completely incapable of pouring a cup of tea, never mind wooing a man. She’ll need a little matchmaking help from her sprightly next-door neighbor in order to find a convenient husband…

IT’S JUST NOT GOING TO BE HIM

Lord William Cavensham’s heart was broken years ago, and since that day he vowed to never love again. But his spirited Great Aunt Stella is determined he’ll marry or not inherit a single penny from her. And she’s got just the woman in mind—her beautiful and completely hapless next-door neighbor, Thea…

Thea and Will agree there’s no sense in marrying each other. Will wholeheartedly believes he’s incapable of love, and Thea refuses to marry the first man she’s practically met. But Will may be the rogue Thea wants the most after all…

I was excited when I saw that Thea was getting her story. Can’t wait to see how it ends up!!

Dark Matter (The Four Book 3) by [Watson, Margaret]

Flynn Parker, social worker and justice warrior, has lived her life on the edge of shadows, hiding who she is. What she is. She builds a family in those shadows, fostering kids like her. Then Mason Lynch enters her life. 

Mase, former SEAL, undercover DIA agent and lone wolf, needs healing. Flynn is a healer. When she places her hands on him, everything changes for both of them. 

Their mission is to take down an enemy who is amassing terrible powers. To defeat him, they must choose — abandon habits that have kept them safe, or step into the light and risk a future together.

Out of all the books on this list, I am most excited for this one. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Flynn and Mase!!