Expiration Dates Review

Expiration Dates

By: Rebecca Serle

3/5 stars

*Thank you so much to netgalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.*

I love love love the concept of this book and think the author is genius for coming up with the idea behind this book.  But after reading the last page it was hard not to have the thought, "really? so what was the point?"  I feel like the whole book had us investing in certain characters for no reason.  And I continue to have unanswered questions behind the expiration dates the main character received.  I liked this book and I would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for a romance with a unique plot.  But I was let down and feel like the whole book and storyline led to nothing.  To sum up my thoughts I'd have to say that it's a fantastic idea but a flat ending.

Darling Girls Review

 Darling Girls

By: Sally Hepworth

5/5 Stars

*Thank you so much to the author and to Netgalley for allowing me to review such a captivating read!*

I've liked Sally Hepworth for a long time but this book really won me over and solidified her as one of my favorite authors.  Wow, can she write!  Each book I've read from her has consisted of a unique storyline and it seems like no matter the heaviness of the content, her writing still contains a great deal of, dare I say, charm?  I really enjoy the way she writes and I get sucked in quickly.  

This is my favorite book from Hepworth.  I wasn't able to read it all in one sitting due to daily demands, but I found myself sneaking glances at the book whenever I got a free few minutes.  I devoured it.  I loved it.  I wish I could read it again with fresh eyes.  

The way Hepworth just gives you a little info at a time has you guessing until the very end about what actually happened.  I don't know what else to say without spoiling parts of the plot so I"ll leave it at this... do your future self a favor and pre-order this book.  You'll be completely engrossed in it the second it arrives at your doorstep and it will give your mind a much-needed escape into the Australian world of Sally Hepworth.  And know this: I'm quite jealous you get to read it for the first time!

The Locked Door Review

 The Locked Door

By: Frieda McFadden

4.5/5 stars

* Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. *

Oh dear Frieda, you've done it again! No one writes thrillers that hook me more than McFadden.  I read this book in one sitting... and that says a lot considering I'm a new mom and sleep is everything to me right now.  But I couldn't put it down and stayed up far too late just to get to the last page.  I can report taht it was 100% worth the missed sleep.  The writing is fast-paced and I stayed engaged and fully engrossed the entire time.  I will say that I had partially figured out the "twist" by the end of the book, but that didn't take away from how riveted I was while reading.  I forever will be the biggest Frieda McFadden fan and this book is one of my favorites by her.

The Stranger Upstairs Review

 The Stranger Upstairs

By: Lisa M. Matlin

4.5/5 stars

* Thank you to the author and to netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. *

I love love love this author.  I can't believe this is her debut novel because her writing style is so developed and mature.  I love the way she writes.  In fact, I even enjoyed reading her "acknowledgements" section at the end of the book- that's how much I love her mind and how she expresses herself.

Now, on to the book and its contents... This book is a true thriller in my eyes.  It doesn't have the typical twists that I've been reading in a lot of the thrillers that are popular right now.  And to be honest with you, I didn't even need a twist at the end of this.  Sometimes I persist through thrillers just to be blown away by the last fifty pages of the novel.  But this thriller blew me away with every page.  I was actually spooked by this book.  I made the mistake of reading during 2am baby feeds, and I often found myself looking behind me and making sure doors were shut and locked.

I feel like this book is a hard one to review without spoiling it, so I'll stop while I'm ahead.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will definitely be following this author and looking forward to more novels.

The Guest Review

 The Guest

By: B.A. Paris

*Thank you so much to the author and to netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.  I was thrilled to receive this arc.*

Let me start by saying that I love B.A. Paris.  She wrote one of my all-time favorite books.  I think she's brilliant and has the best way of crafting her novels.  With all that said, I did find myself a little disappointed in this one.  I loved the way it started and I enjoyed the way it ended.  But I was not captivated or interested in the "in-between".  I found it to be a bit boring and the only reason I continued to read was because I knew I'd find an exciting twist at the end (which I did!) and because I adore the author and her other works.  But it just fell a little short for me.  I wasn't in love with any of the characters and it seemed like it was the same conversation/situation repeated over and over again until the final scene.  Granted, Paris may have done this on purpose in order to mirror how the main characters felt as they were experiencing the same conversations/situations over and over again.  But as I said, I grew a little bored and found myself wanting to skim to get to the impending plot twist.  I also found one storyline to be a little bit neglected.  (Again, it's possible Paris did this on purpose - perhaps to create reader subjectivity or to set up for a sequel.).  This book wasn't a bad book by any means.  I think I just have this author so high up on a pedestal that I was just hoping for and expecting a little bit more.  It wasn't a story that I found enthralling but I could definitely see others enjoying it.  If you take anything from this review, take my advice to read some of Paris' other works.  Or go ahead and read this one!  It certainly isn't a waste of time and you'll find yourself enjoying elements of it.