May Reads and Reviews
Sharing everything I read this month, along with mini reviews
BOOKS
May is always a SUPER busy month – these end of the school year things make me feel like I’m losing it.
Add in that 2/3 of our children have birthdays a week apart. Shew!
What this means is LOTS of audiobooks this month and it taking longer than normal for me to read stuff so let’s dive in!
- The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
- The Night Shift – Alex Finlay
- Dark Roads – Chevy Stevens
- Never Let You Go – Chevy Stevens
- The Echo Wife – Sarah Gailey
- Behind Her Eyes – Sarah Pinborough
- Ward D – Freida McFadden
- I Will Find You – Harlan Coben
- What Happened to the Bennetts – Lisa Scottoline
- One Last Secret – Adele Parks
- DNF: Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
- DNF: Call Your Daughter Home – Deb Spera
- Top 3 Reads of May
- SHOP ALL BOOKS
The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
Amazon rating: 4.1 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.68 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Multiple POV
- Darker themes
Content warnings: Sexual assault, human trafficking
What I loved: I really thought I would full on hate this, but I was surprisingly hooked
What I didn’t love: I really wanted to listen on audiobook, but couldn’t because I can’t do accents
Book Blurb
“Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.“
My thoughts
This has been on my TBR for a while and I have been putting it off, but I thought this ended up being a great way to start a new reading month!
I really enjoyed this story and found myself thinking about it while I wasn’t reading it, which I don’t do a ton.
I will say I was *NOT* expecting this to be as dark as it was. There was nothing in the blurb or the description that led me to believe the darker themes. I typically don’t read a ton of reviews about books because I like to go in blind, BUT just be aware of trigger warnings if you’re a newbie thriller reader or prefer cute lil’ cozy mysteries.
My rating
The Night Shift – Alex Finlay
Amazon rating: 4.3 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.94 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Lots of twists
- Fast paced
- Dual timelines
- Multiple POVs
What I loved: This was so easy to get sucked in to and easy to follow
What I didn’t love: I feel the whole thing could have been fine without the cop/agent POV; guessed the killer pretty early
Book Blurb
“It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.
In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.“
My thoughts
I read Alex’s 2 other books last month and they were SO good.
This on audiobook was also really good. His writing style is much of what I look for in a good thriller and I’m here for it.
I will say I was able to guess the killer pretty quickly, but there were still a lot of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting which still made this for an incredibly interesting read.
I’m super sad he hasn’t written anything else for me to read, but he’s climbing the list for me of authors I really enjoy.
My rating
Dark Roads – Chevy Stevens
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.96 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Fast paced
- Dual POV
- Dark themes
Content warnings: Abuse, criminal sexual conduct/pedophilia
What I loved: This book was fast paced right out of the gate which I loved and really easy to follow; Wolf 🖤 🐶
What I didn’t love: That freaking garbage ass uncle of Hailey’s
Book Blurb
“The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice.
Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.
One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance…“
My thoughts
Ummm May started out with straight bangers, and I’m stoked about it.
I’ve had Chevy on my radar for a LONG time because many people told me that if I like dark, Chevy was it.
They were NOT wrong. Instant new favorite author.
This story closely mirrors the real true crime story of The Highway of Tears which is in Canada and a stretch of road where several Indigenous girls’ bodies were found. However, I also know of the New Bedford Highway serial killer from the late 80s who killed 11 women and left them on a highway in Massachusetts.
ANYWAY, I really loved this book, I loved the main character and even though I’m not obsessed with any animals like dogs or cats, I wanted to smooch little Wolf pup in this story.
My rating
Never Let You Go – Chevy Stevens
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.8 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Dual POV
- Alternating timelines
- Fast paced
Content warnings: Domestic violence
What I loved: Incredibly bingeable, great twists even though I figured out the truth early on
What I didn’t love: A bit predictable
Book Blurb
“Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.
Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person. But has he really changed? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?“
My thoughts
I tore through Dark Roads and immediately went to this one and was not disappointed.
I really love her writing style because she’s able to hook you from the very beginning and it reads like a movie so it’s very easy to visualize everything.
I feel like Chevy’s books are in line with Frieda McFadden. I feel like Frieda gives you a bit more of a shock value, but they’re easy to read and fly through.
I have a physical copy of another Chevy novel sitting on my built in bookcases right now and it’s taking all I have to not tear it open but I’m trying to get through some novels I have from the library first since those are on a bit of a time crunch.
My rating
The Echo Wife – Sarah Gailey
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- First person
- Single POV
- Sci fi
What I loved: Even though it was a bit out of my element, I still enjoyed the storyline
What I didn’t love: The audiobook narrator was not my favorite
Book Blurb
“I’m embarrassed, still, by how long it took me to notice. Everything was right there in the open, right there in front of me, but it still took me so long to see the person I had married.
It took me so long to hate him.
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be.
And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband.
Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and both Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up.
Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.“
My thoughts
The audiobook narrator in this one reminded me of a cross between the one that read The Maid by Nita Prose and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, both of which I read a couple months ago.
I think that it was supposed to feel sophisticated and educated, but it also felt boring to me.
Not to mention this was way outta my genre and the first book that could be categorized as sci fi (although I might call it mild sci-fi lolz)
Clones are a bit easier to follow than extraterrestrial beings doing extraterrestrial being stuff.
The story wasn’t bad, but again, because I think my brain is broken (a huge part of why I can’t ever get into fantasy), I found myself tuning a lot of this out and kind of just wishing we could get to the resolution so I could go back to my normal dark thrillers.
This was just okay for me.
My rating
Behind Her Eyes – Sarah Pinborough
*Available on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.8 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Unreliable narrators
- Dual POV
- Alternating timelines
- Domestic thrillers
- Paranormal-ISH?
What I loved: Dual POV gives you a full view of what’s going on
What I didn’t love: Felt like I could see most of it coming the entire way
Book Blurb
“Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake, but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend. But she also just happens to be married to David. And if you think you know where this story is going, think again, because Behind Her Eyes is like no other book you’ve read before.
David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife. But then why is David so controlling? And why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong. But Louise can’t guess how wrong—and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.“
My thoughts
Y’all this took me FOREVER to read for some reason. Almost 2 weeks which is a LONG time for me. It wasn’t that it was bad, but I just wasn’t that enthralled by it to pick it up over something else.
The other book I read by Sarah was called Insomnia and was about a character who couldn’t sleep.
This one was about a character that was SO good at sleep she could kind of time travel.
Not exactly, but I also am trying not to give away everything in here.
I will say that very ending was something I NEVER would have guessed, BUT it still felt like most of it wasn’t shocking. I gave it a lil’ extra half star rating for that last twist she threw at us.
My rating
Ward D – Freida McFadden
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.4 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.18 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Single, first person POV
- Alternating timelines
- Fast paced thrillers
- Locked room thrillers
What I loved: Love a good first person story when it’s fast paced
What I didn’t love: Didn’t have the shock value that so many of her previous novels have had
Book Blurb
“Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward.
Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out.
And as the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger.
Amy’s worst nightmare was spending the night on Ward D.
And now she might never escape.“
My thoughts
Ol’ Frieda baby is one of my favorites if I need shocks, twists, and a really easy story to follow.
This had…most of that.
I have come to expect a jaw dropping twist in the end, but this didn’t fully deliver that.
The story was great, the tension was palpable and you feel like something is truly “off” the whole time, but can’t quite put your finger on it until the end.
I’ll 100% still be reading more of hers, but this was her newest and it fell flat compared to the other 2 of hers that I’ve read that are my favorites.
My rating
I Will Find You – Harlan Coben
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.2 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Multiple POV
- Domestic thriller
- Action packed
What I loved: Really easy to get invested in the storyline
What I didn’t love: This story felt really far fetched
Book Blurb
“David Burroughs was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son Matthew, living a dream life just a short drive away from the working-class suburb where he and his wife, Cheryl, first fell in love–until one fateful night when David woke suddenly to discover Matthew had been murdered while David was asleep just down the hall.
Half a decade later, David’s been wrongly accused and convicted of the murder, left to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison—a fate which, grieving and wracked with guilt, David didn’t have the will to fight. The world has moved on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours bearing a strange photograph. It’s a vacation shot of a bustling amusement park a friend shared with her, and in the background, just barely in frame, is a boy bearing an eerie resemblance to David’s son. Even though it can’t be, David just knows: Matthew is still alive.
David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible – save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened. But with his life on the line and the FBI following his every move, can David evade capture long enough to reveal the shocking truth?“
My thoughts
So this story is written a bit weird.
I’m not sure how it would have sounded or felt with an audiobook because I read this on my Kindle, but it was written such that the main character David’s POV was first person and everyone else who had a POV was in third person.
It was fine to follow on a book, but when it could have been confusing on an audiobook.
That said, the premise of this book was WILD. It had me covering my mouth in shock a couple times, but it really felt like I was watching one of Jordan’s “pew pew shows” as I call it – which is code for “bro shows” with nothing but guns and chase scenes and the like.
However, I still got really invested in whether or not his son was alive or not and I really enjoyed how it all came together.
I feel the epilogue felt “too good to be true” if you will, but I really enjoyed reading this one and would like to try some more of his because from what I gather, this wasn’t people’s favorites from him, yet it has KILLER reviews.
My rating
What Happened to the Bennetts – Lisa Scottoline
Amazon rating: 4.3 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.81 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic suspense
- Action filled
- Guns/drug cartel-esque
- Single POV
What I loved: The first half
What I didn’t love: SO many characters; storyline hard to follow
Book Blurb
“Jason Bennett is a suburban dad who owns a court-reporting business, but one night, his life takes a horrific turn. He is driving his family home after his daughter’s field hockey game when a pickup truck begins tailgating them, on a dark stretch of road. Suddenly two men jump from the pickup and pull guns on Jason, demanding the car. A horrific flash of violence changes his life forever.
Later that awful night, Jason and his family receive a visit from the FBI. The agents tell them that the carjackers were members of a dangerous drug-trafficking organization—and now Jason and his family are in their crosshairs.
The agents advise the Bennetts to enter the witness protection program right away, and they have no choice but to agree. But WITSEC was designed to protect criminal informants, not law-abiding families. Taken from all they know, trapped in an unfamiliar life, the Bennetts begin to fall apart at the seams. Then Jason learns a shocking truth and realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands.“
My thoughts
This book had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
The first chapter was like okayyyyy this is about to be good.
And then it….wasn’t.
I was also reading this alongside I Will Find You by Harlan Coben and there were so many times I got the plot lines confused in my head (so don’t do that)
When drugs and cartel and pew pew is all that is happening, I very quickly lose interest. That’s not a thriller to me; that’s an action movie and I’m just not super interested in that.
I tuned a lot of this book out and it’s not one I would reach for again.
My rating
One Last Secret – Adele Parks
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.7 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Short chapters
- First person single POV
- Revenge plots
Content warnings: Sex work
What I loved: This was super bingeable and I love a first person POV throughout
What I didn’t love: I generally liked all of this!
Book Blurb
“One last client
A week at a beautiful chateau in the south of France—it should be a straightforward final job for Dora. She’s a smart, stunning and discreet escort, and Daniel has paid for her services before. This time, all she has to do is to convince the assembled guests that she is his girlfriend. Dora is used to playing roles and being whatever men want her to be. It’s all about putting on a front.
One last chance
It will be a last, luxurious look at how the other half lives before Dora turns her back on the escort world and all its dangers. She has found someone she loves and trusts. With him, she can escape the life she’s trapped in. But when Dora arrives at the chateau, it quickly becomes obvious that nothing is what it seems…
One last secret
Dora finds herself face-to-face with a man she has never forgotten, the one man who really knows her. And as old secrets surface, it becomes terrifyingly apparent that one last secret could cost Dora her life…“
My thoughts
I finished this in the first few days of our Disney cruise and it was great!
I loved the plot, I loved how it hooked me in right from the beginning and the writing style was like she was talking to you the entire time, so you felt like a spectator, but also involved in the story.
This was my first read from Adele, but I don’t think it’ll be my last!
My rating
DNF: Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson
Technically, I didn’t DNF this on purpose. My digital loan ran out and so it automatically returned while we were at Disney and I couldn’t check it back out at the library because there were people waiting for it. So I WILL be finishing this one; hopefully next month!
DNF: Call Your Daughter Home – Deb Spera
This was so highly rated, and I really wanted to like it but it was historical fiction (not my genre of choice) and with the old southern talk, it was incredibly hard for me to follow and I found myself not nearly invested enough in the characters to go on with it when I wanted to read so much other stuff.
Top 3 Reads of May
This was the fewest books I’ve read per month all year, but they were all really solid which I appreciate!
I like to give my top 3 so that if you can’t read as much, here are the ones to definitely add to your list!
3 – One Last Secret by Adele Parks
2 – The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
1 – Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens
SHOP ALL BOOKS
CLICK BELOW TO SHOP OR ADD TO YOUR TBR!
