Hi Everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts these past couple weeks. I’ll be honest, I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with the blog as well as social media and reading on top of life! It’s a lot and I’m trying to figure out what the best platform is for me to share my reviews and still be able to connect and interact with other readers which has been my main purpose all along. Lately, I’m finding that it’s super fast for me to get a review posted quickly on my Instagram which you can find (here). and/or my Goodreads (here). I’m regularly posting my current reads on both as well as quick thoughts and book recommendations in my Instagram stories. I tend to post all my audiobook recommendations there right as I’m listening to them. All this is to say, if you aren’t seeing posts from me here as regularly as before and you’re interested in what I’m reading and reviewing, try those platforms – I hope you’ll follow me at one or both! Now, on to some amazing reads…
Never Tell by Lisa Gardner
Published: Feb 19 by Dutton
419 Pages
From Publisher: A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.
My Thoughts: Friends, Lisa Gardner just keeps getting better and better. I’ve been a loyal reader of her DD Warren series for years but I’ve also read every standalone book she’s ever wrote and I have to say, there’s NO author out there writing at this high a level book after book. Never Tell has continuing characters DD Warren, her husband Alex, partners Phil and Neil and her new protege/confidential informant Flora Dane. Despite this being part of a series, I do think you could read this as a standalone and be perfectly happy.
The story is told in alternating perspectives from Flora, DD, and Evie. Evie starts off the story when she enters her home and finds her husband shot to death and she proceeds to take the gun. Why? You’ll have to read because that’s just the tip of a very big iceberg. DD is the investigating detective and she enlists Flora’s help. Flora’s perspective gives us a much more in depth look at her past time with her kidnapper Jacob Ness and we get to understand so much more about why she is the way she is. The pace is fast, the chapters short, and the plot intricate. There are webs upon webs upon webs to be untangled and deciphered and I loved every minute of trying…to no avail. This one’s so well plotted my advice is just sit back and enjoy the read. If you enjoy thrillers with intricately plotted mysteries this book’s for you! You really can’t go wrong with any of Lisa’s books but a few of my past favorites are Gone, Love You More, The Perfect Husband and Catch Me
Thanks to Dutton via Netgalley for my copy

560 Pages

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin
Published Feb 5, 2019 by William Morrow
368 Pages
My Thoughts: I really loved this book! This family saga that centered on 4 siblings who were left to fend for themselves during what they called “the pause” after their father dies and their mother retreats to her bedroom for several years was so well written. We follow siblings Renee, Joe, Caroline and Fiona from childhood through old age which gave me the feeling that I truly knew these characters as real people. I love stories set over decades!
I flew through the first half, finding Fiona’s narration interesting yet with a melancholy flow. I did find that the middle dragged for me with a few too many shifts in time and perspectives that felt abrupt at times. The final third was fantastic and left me in tears. Ultimately, this story was, for me, a meditation on love, despair, resilience, family, and forgiveness.
Wonderful reviews Renee. These three sound so good. Glad that you enjoyed them. Stalker sounds so intense because of the killer’s Mo. Definitely adding the last two to my TBR.
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Thank you Diana! I know you love thrillers so I think Stalker is definitely for you! The book before Stalker, The Sandman, was also really good. Let me know if you try it!
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Wonderful reviews Renee. I love Lisa Gardner so that one is already on my TBR, but am adding Stalker as well, it sounds so intense.
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Thanks Carla! Stalker was VERY intense and SO good! I think you’ll love the authors’ writing style though!
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I like your mini-reviews, Renee. Figuring out where to put your energy these days can be really hard. What I still like about the blogs is that you can go back and find older posts. That’s so much harder on Instagram, plus it’s easy to miss things, but I guess the huge volume makes up for that!
Your last sentence sums up The Last Romantics perfectly!
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Thanks Susie! I think mini reviews are much more doable for me in terms of being easier and faster to read. I hadn’t thought about that with blogs vs Instagram but that’s a good point, especially as Instagram feeds get longer and longer
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My copy of The Last Romantics is already due back to the library before I had the chance to read it. But I put the eBook version on hold and plan to still read it when that comes in!!
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That’s a bummer Brandie, hope your ebook copy comes in quickly! I think you’ll like this one
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I forgot to ask you if I can read this new Lisa Gardner if Ive only read a couple?
Excellent reviews <2
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yes, definitely!
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Wonderful reviews! I like the sound of all three of these.
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thanks Yvo!
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