I read books. Sometimes, I tell you about them.
The tension between Peach and Natalie set the right tone and I liked watching the romance unfold between the two of them. I also enjoyed how the author addressed Natalie’s grief around the loss of her mother and boyfriend. Natalie was a fairly complex character
Ledge knows how unforgiving Penton can be. He’s had his own run-ins with the corrupt law and Ardens father. He decides to help with the refurbish job, mostly to keep an eye on her, and pow-chica-pow-wow: thinly veiled innuendos, steamy close calls, sexual tension and we are off to the Sandra Brown races!!
First of all,PANDEMIC!! 🤦🏾♀️ Honey, when they started handing out masks in the office, I felt my stomach lurch! Its like the scenes in the horror flick when you start yelling at the screen: “No, don’t go that way, RUN!!!”
“in my opinion, Mexican Gothic was a fair modern twist on the genre, that maybe edged a bit closer to horror and will be able to intrigue a new audience.”
Ally Linden arrives at work one morning, in her ex boyfriend’s office, at a place she hasn’t worked in years. Other than her tossed mental state, there is no sign of trauma.
Is Pete having an affair with one of the nurses from the hospital? Whats up with Maddies psychotic meltdown? Is Miles’ wife ok? Whats up with the kids, are they ‘normal’? Was this an innocent mix or were the children maliciously switched?
Maggie is a numb, selfish, self absorbed, bad mom and wife. Her ‘independence’ comes from a alimony check from her husband, cash from mommy dearest, and proceeds from insurance fraud.
Afterward he watches over her closely, waiting for her to ‘change’ into a wolf. She never does and he never stops watching over her.
We are meeting Ana as she is in the grips of grief and mourning the loss of her lover of three years. She is telling us the story of their relationship and her becoming to this point in her life,
I prefer my romance novels with complex relatable characters, with checkered pasts, engaging in equal partnerships with no BDSM, but a few compelling sex scenes none the less.
The storytelling is the real winner. We are with Vanessa as she, very honestly, recalls her trauma and faces the truth of the manipulation.
Great ghost story, diverse characters, great character development. If you are a person that enjoys reading books about people and how they think as they are facing trauma, this is the book for you!
Ultimately its a story of a triple cross con. Lily raised her daughter to covet pretty things and understand their value…sometimes over people. Its also nice to see people get what they deserve and this story delivers that in spades.
“initially Angela seems weak, we learn through her story, she is far stronger than she appears. Jason on the other hand may be every bit of a weak, cheating cad you think he is, but, when one of his accusers is found dead, whodunnit?”
This book has many elements: murder mystery, surprise thriller ending, and homosexuality. This is the authors debut novel and I would read more of her work. She paints lovely pictures of the places her characters find themselves in.
At its very core, its a good story. Suburban, true crime book club uses resources to attempt to solve local crime. The characters are interesting and colorful and have great conversations. You will find yourself laughing out loud at a lot of the dialogue.
Per usual, good story, Maberry, taking what we think could never happen, and making it come alive! Fast, consistent action, and enough going on to keep you reading.
McMillan continues to paint a realistic and beautifully textured image of an upper middle class, single, sexual, black woman. We matter. Stories about black woman not pressed in poverty and abuse and their traumatic loops and baggage is refreshing!
If I Had Your Face follows 4 young women living in an apartment building in South Korea. The stories of each of the women centers on their experiences with class, inequality, falling very short of local standards of beauty.
“…we follow Bethie and Jo Kaufman, 2 barely Jewish sisters growing up in 1950’s Detroit. I swear this story is like City of Girls, but youthful, Jewish, queer, drug addicted and racist in all the right places.”
“The Galvins choose to have so many children, really beyond what they could care for properly. Then, not unlike most parents, (except ‘most’ don’t give birth to entire mental wards 🤦🏾♀️)”
Mental disorders, multiple affairs, switching partners, hidden cameras, child abuse, cover ups and private detectives, stealing money..you name it and these folks engage.
Nina’s first husband Glen disappears one day, under the guise of a boating accident. He’s presumed dead but, during the investigation police uncover a possible affair and double life.
“These stories, like typical Hurston, have a love gone wrong theme. Familial or romantic; funny, sad, secretive, justice delivered promptly on some, but all love, set mostly in Harlem amongst blackness. Not just black people but, our music, our food, our religion and magic..”
