Book Review: "The Couple Next Door" By: Shari Lapena

Title: The Couple Next Door   By: Shari Lapena

Publication Date: 8/23/2016

Summary:

How well do you know the couple next door? Or your husband? Or even—yourself? 

People are capable of almost anything. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist. -From www.amazon.com

Review:

Do yourself a favor and don’t make plans for the day if you are going to pick up this book.

There are problems with books this good:

-          I get nothing done that day.

-          It’s over in a couple hours.

-          All I can talk about for the whole week is the awesome book I just read.

I don’t even know where to begin. I couldn’t put it down. It was non-stop from the first page. Everyone in the story is screwed up, and as you peel back the layers, it just becomes more twisted. Absolutely loved it. If you like mystery/thrillers, just read it. I promise you will like it. Then call me so we can talk about it. J

Read Date: 7/25/2016

Acquired From: NetGalley

Book Review: "Baby Doll" By: Hollie Overton

Title: Baby Doll   By: Hollie Overton

Publication Date: 7/12/2016

Summary:

Escape was just the beginning.

Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next... to Lily, to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter -- and to her captor. - From www.amazon.com

Review:

I liked this book. I read it in a couple of days and it kept my interest. But, I have to add that I don't particularly feel like this book should have been categorized as a psychological thriller. It was more of a family drama. A few thoughts:

• Perhaps I didn't read the description clearly, but I thought I was going to be reading about a girl tortured in a dungeon and how she persevered. What it ended up being was the story of a girl captured within the first chapter. I figured we would go back after a couple chapters and relive her horror (is that effed up?) but that didn't happen. That being said, the book was still good, just not what I thought I was going to read.

• There are a lot of books written about being held captive, so even though I was expecting to read this, it was a nice change of theme to read about what happens AFTER she gets out.

•   Lily didn't seem "broken" or damaged enough to me, considering she had just spent 8 years in confinement. I almost wanted her to be a total psycho, but she was way too normal. I see a spider in my house and I have worse PTSD than she did.

• The relationships within her family are interesting, particularly the one she has with her sister. The author did a good job showing that. You could feel the love/devotion they had for one another.

Overall it was a good read and I would recommend it. Just read it knowing that you aren’t living through her experience with her. This really isn’t a problem because there are plenty of books like that.

Read Date: 7/24/2016

Acquired From: NetGalley

Book Review: "14 Days to Die" By: A.B. Whelan

Title: 14 Days to Die   By: A.B. Whelan

Publication Date: 1/13/2016

Summary:

To what extent would you go to avenge your husband's infidelity?

Stay-at-home mom Sarah Johnson has the perfect family—a handsome, hardworking husband and two healthy and beautiful children. At least, that’s what she’s been telling herself for years.

But Sarah’s world is about to crumble around her when she receives a phone call from a man with a heavy foreign accent telling her that her perfect husband has put a price on her head. She is offered two weeks to come up with a counteroffer or die.

So the game of life or death begins. Secrets are unveiled. Emotions are unleashed. Actions are taken.

Will there be a winner in this dangerous game when no one can escape the twist of fate?

From www.amazon.com

Review:

This was a good read. The main character was definitely crazy and you felt crazy with her. Some of the relationships she had with people (her friend and her mom) were slightly underdeveloped, but that didn’t take away from the plot. Every day of the 14 days was an adventure and you slowly felt as if you were spiraling out of control with her.

Read Date: 5/31/2016

Acquired From: Purchased from Amazon.com

Book Review: "Between You and Me: A psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming" By: Lisa Hall

Title: "Between You and Me: A psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming" By: Lisa Hall

Publication Date: 3/17/2016

Summary:

They say every marriage has its secrets.

But no one sees what happens behind closed doors.

And sometimes those doors should never be opened…

Sal and Charlie are married. They love each other. But they aren’t happy. Sal cannot leave, no matter what Charlie does – no matter how much it hurts.  From www.amazon.com

Review:

Let me preface this review by saying that I agree with other reviewers (particularly on amazon.com) that this is not really a “psychological thriller.” It’s suspenseful, and it’s psychological, but not really a thriller. That being said, why is everyone so angry about the ending? Yeah, it was a little weird. Definitely caught me off guard, but I don’t feel like it threw away the purpose of the book. I almost feel like I need to read it again. I kind-of/sort-of knew what the twist was going to be, there were minor hints towards it, but I still was thinking “NO WAY!”

And if the author fooled you, she did her job. After all, the title says “with a twist.”

Read Date: 5/27/2016

Acquired From: Purchased from Amazon.com

Book Review: "Into the Light (The Light Series Book 1)" By: Aleatha Romig

Title: Into the Light (The Light Series Book 1)  By: Aleatha Romig

Publication Date: 6/14/2016

Summary:

Sara Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.

Stella Montgomery investigates the news from the mean streets of Detroit, where she’s noticed a disturbing trend: young women are vanishing. When her best friend disappears, Stella digs for answers—despite warnings from her police detective boyfriend—following a twisted trail that leads her through the city’s most dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by the enigmatic Father Gabriel.

As Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she’s awakened to—an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience—and her feelings for Jacob, the husband she can’t recall and whose harsh and tender attentions confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But enlightenment always comes with a price… From www.amazon.com

Review:

This book took me FOREVERRRRR to read. I had back-to-back hectic trips scheduled and when my quiet reading time rolled around I was exhausted and would read 5 minutes and fall asleep. Alas, that has NOTHING to do with how much I enjoyed this book. 

I like books where people have amnesia. Not sure why? This book was full of amnesia-suspense. I think that could be a new genre. I also like cults. Anyway…

This book definitely had twists I didn’t see coming. Actually, one of the twists I thought was a plot hole and noted it to mention to the publisher in my review. I did not find this book overly predictable, but it was fun to guess and try to figure out who was involved and in which ways, if any. It made me emotional too, in some sick, cult-like-amnesia-romance sort of way.   

I can’t wait until the next book comes out. I hope it is as creepy, unpredictable, and oddly-romantic as this one was.

Read Date: 7/15/2016

Acquired From: NetGalley