November Reads and Rapid Reviews
What I read in November, my ratings and of course – a giveaway for a book if you’re on my book buddies email list!
BOOKS
November Reads and Rapid Reviews
November was a GOOD month, book-ily speaking.
Jordan and I went to Mexico for our 10 year anniversary so I had several DAYS of uninterrupted reading time and I did not at all want to waste it.
Which means I have tons of books to talk about with ya this month. Here we go!
- The Sun Down Motel – Simone St. James
- When We Were Bright and Beautiful – Jillian Medoff
- Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing – Matthew Perry
- Hello, Transcriber – Hannah Morrissey
- Fear Thy Neighbor – Fern Michaels
- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
- Fallout – Carrie Stuart Parks
- Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult
- The Push – Ashley Audrain
- Wish You Were Here – Jodi Picoult
- The Wife Who Knew Too Much – Michele Campbell
- Widow Falls – Kiersten Modglin
- The It Girl – Ruth Ware
- Paper Ghosts – Julia Heaberlin
- Stay Awake – Megan Goldin
- The Golden Couple – Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
- The Wrong Family – Tarryn Fisher
- The Night She Disappeared – Lisa Jewell
- Top 5 Reads of November
- Monthly Giveaway!
- SHOP ALL BOOKS
The Sun Down Motel – Simone St. James
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.03 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Paranormal
- Cold cases
What I loved: Dual timelines and POV
What I didn’t love: I wanted a bit more….something. It was also a bit predictable
Book Blurb
“Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.
Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.”
My thoughts
Paranormal isn’t my thing. It feels more “spooky” than thriller usually, so I will say the paranormal parts gave me the creepy creeps, but it wasn’t so overwhelming in the story that it made it feel too much.
I really liked the timeline and stories between Carly and Viv and I liked the ending. The writing was really good and it kept my attention for sure, but it wasn’t a favorite of the month.
My rating
When We Were Bright and Beautiful – Jillian Medoff
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.5 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Content warnings: Sexual assault, grooming
Read if you like:
- Dark family drama
- Short chapters
What I loved: The plot twist here!
What I didn’t love: I love dark books, but this may be a tough read for some
Book Blurb
“You can have everything, and still not have enough.
Cassie Quinn may only be twenty-three, but she knows a few things. One: money can’t buy happiness, but it’s certainly better to have it. Two: family matters most. Three: her younger brother Billy is not a rapist.
When Billy, a junior at Princeton, is arrested for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie races home to Manhattan to join forces with her big brother Nate and their parents, Lawrence and Eleanor. The Quinns scramble to hire the best legal minds money can buy, but Billy fits the all-too-familiar sex-offender profile—white, athletic, and privileged—that makes headlines and sways juries.
Meanwhile, Cassie struggles to understand why Billy’s ex Diana would go this far, even if the breakup was painful. And she knows how the end of first love can destroy someone: Her own years-long affair with a powerful, charismatic man left her shattered, and she’s only recently regained her footing.
As reporters converge outside their Upper East Side landmark building, the Quinns gird themselves for a media-saturated trial, and Cassie vows she’ll do whatever it takes to save Billy. But what if that means exposing her own darkest secrets to the world?
Lightning-paced and psychologically astute as it rockets toward an explosive ending, When We Were Bright and Beautiful is a dazzling novel that asks: who will pay the price when the truth is revealed?“
My thoughts
I am always team “the darker the better”; I know, I know.
This dark family drama was full of just the right twists in the right places. I really loved it from cover to cover and the short chapters are always icing on the cake.
I must admit, I truly didn’t see how this would shake out and though it follows the storyline of the accused assault and the trial, the biggest plot is none of that which is as much spoiler as I will give you!
My rating
Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing – Matthew Perry
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.81 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (purchased) and audiobook
Content warnings: Addiction, talks of suicide
Read if you like:
- Matthew Perry
- Memoirs
- Stories of addiction
- Sarcasm/humor
What I loved: I loved everything about this
What I didn’t love: I loved it all. Seriously.
Book Blurb
“So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.“
My thoughts
Y’alllll omg.
Friends is my all time favorite show. And because I feel like I know SO much about the show and behind the scenes, I knew he had struggled with addiction, but I had no clue it went this deep.
Man, this shattered my heart. And made me watch Friends in an entirely new light.
So many times in this book I just said, “Oh Matty, I love you baby” over and over.
I read this book in a single day while we were in Mexico on our 10 year anniversary trip and then when I got home, I got on the waiting list for the audiobook from my library because I wanted to hear him read it in his own voice.
I loved it all so much.
My rating
Hello, Transcriber – Hannah Morrissey
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.3 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Police thrillers
- Small towns
What I loved: Super quick listen
What I didn’t love: Very forgettable, never really went anywhere, predictable
Book Blurb
“Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin’s most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor’s gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.
The suspicious death is linked to Candy Man, a notorious drug dealer. Now Hazel has a first row seat to the investigation and becomes captivated by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole. Intrigued by the prospects of gathering eyewitness intel for her book, Hazel joins Kole in exploring Black Harbor’s darkest side. As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will learn just how far she’ll go for a good story—even if it means destroying her marriage and luring the killer to her as she plunges deeper into the city she’s desperate to claw her way out of.“
My thoughts
A couple things I think went wrong for me on this – first, I came right off of reading Matty’s memoir and so I had a huge book hangover from that because it just made my mind spin.
Next was that I am a freelance transcriptionist so I was expecting something entirely different than what I got.
While there were some transcriptions in here, I just really felt like the storyline was flat and never truly went anywhere.
This was a super forgettable story – so much so that I literally had to research it again to even write the mini review I have on here.
My rating
Fear Thy Neighbor – Fern Michaels
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.89 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Small town drama
- Unreliable characters
What I loved: Super quick read, short chapters
What I didn’t love: Lacks some character development, but still didn’t make the plot less interesting
Book Blurb
“At twenty-nine, Alison Marshall is ready to find a place to call home. With no family and no ties, she’s drifted from one small Florida town to another since high school, working odd jobs, saving hard, and building a nest egg. Once she finds the right place to settle down, she’ll know. And when she reaches beautiful Palmetto Island, she thinks she may have found it.
The small, close-knit island community seems to have everything Alison needs. On a hunch, she contacts the island’s only realtor, and learns that an old beach house is on the market. Miraculously, it’s in her budget, and Alison takes it as another sign that she’s in the right place.
At first, home is everything she hoped it would be. But as days turn into weeks, she uncovers a dark side to this supposedly peaceful haven. The locals have a secret, and once Alison discovers what it is, she faces a stark choice. She can stay and join them—or escape. But leaving brings its own risks, and Alison is starting to wonder if coming to Palmetto Island is the last mistake she’ll ever make“
My thoughts
Fern Michaels is one of those authors who has been around 100 years and has 75,000 books.
For me sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s not, but I gotta say as this was my first read of hers, I really enjoyed it!
Super fast paced and easy read. Not to mention it’s one of the shortest books I read this month so I was able to tear through it easily.
Fern writes a lot of romance but this was definitely suspense. I really liked the story of this!
My rating
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- YA
- Dark academia
- High school drama
What I loved: Easy to follow
What I didn’t love: Felt very YA to me
Book Blurb
“Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.“
My thoughts
This fell in the same boat for me as Where The Crawdads Sing in that I did NOT get the hype.
This book was ALL OVER Bookstagram and Booktok and has over 25,000 ratings on Amazon so I was expecting something explosive and this wasn’t it.
The story was okay, as it follows Pip writing her senior thesis, but SO much of this read like a cheesy high school drama that was just overly dramatic for dramatic sake.
I get that in high school, every emotion is felth to the Nth degree, but i have read some YA novels that I would never know are YA but this one definitely felt that way. It just wasn’t it for me.
My rating
Fallout – Carrie Stuart Parks
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.92 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library
Read if you like:
- THIQQQ plots
- Not knowing who to trust
What I loved: Fairly easy read, good twists
What I didn’t love: Just a LOT
Book Blurb
“After a difficult childhood, Samantha Williams craves simplicity: jigsaw puzzles, lectures at the library, and the students she adores in her role as an elementary school art teacher in the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington.
But when an SUV crashes into the building where she teaches, her entire world is upended. Samantha manages to keep the children safe, but her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—with her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage.
After authorities discover that the driver in the accident was shot seconds before the crash, Samantha quickly becomes entangled in increasingly strange events that have her constantly looking over her shoulder.
Samantha has long tried to forget the tragedy of her past, but the twisting connections she discovers between the murdered driver, a deadly secret government project, and an abandoned town can’t be ignored. Those involved are determined to keep these secrets buried, and they’ll use any means necessary to stop Samantha’s search for truth.“
My thoughts
You ever finish a book and just sigh and think, “Wait, what?” – that was this.
There were so many characters, so many plot lines that were intertwined and some of it was pretty predictable.
If you’re looking for a book to help you escape and it be an easy read, this won’t be the book for you.
I did enjoy the twists and it all wrapped up nicely, but as it was going I kept saying to myself, “Okay this is just too much. Who is that now? Wait, why are they important again?” and that slows me down when I’m reading which isn’t my jam.
My rating
Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.3 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Content warnings: Racial slurs
Read if you like:
- Crying
- Deep thinking
- Social justice issues
What I loved: Incredibly thought provoking, amazing storyline
What I didn’t love: I loved every part
Book Blurb
“Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene?
Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy’s counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other’s trust, and come to see that what they’ve been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong.“
My thoughts
Oh….my god.
This book, you guys. This is one that will absolutely stick with me for the rest of my life and I seriously think that every person needs to read this.
Admittedly, hearing the N word and hearing about such blatant racism and white supremacy was very very hard to read, but it was the microaggressions that were a game changer.
This book has made it to my all time favorite books and I have recommended it to anyone who will listen.
My rating
The Push – Ashley Audrain
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Content warnings: Child neglect, verbal abuse, abandonment, child death
Read if you like:
- Dark thrillers
- Hard/dark side of motherhood
What I loved: The suspense/constantly feeling like the mom was or wasn’t crazy
What I didn’t love: Hard to listen to in some parts
Book Blurb
“Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.
But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter—she doesn’t behave like most children do.
Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.
Then their son Sam is born—and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.“
My thoughts
I can not stress enough that this book will not be for everyone.
It may be very hard to read for moms in general, but especially those of us who may have experienced child neglect or abuse in our lives or have experienced the death of a child.
However, I will say that this made for an incredibly thrilling and interesting audiobook and I really enjoyed it.
My rating
Wish You Were Here – Jodi Picoult
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Deep thinking
- Self discovery
What I loved: Amazing storytelling, THE TWIST!
What I didn’t love: I loved every part
Book Blurb
“Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.
But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.
Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, the whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.
In the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.“
My thoughts
When I tell you how my jaw dropped at this twist you guys, I yelled OUT LOUD to myself for almost a full day.
I read this shortly after I read Small Great Things because after reading that, I quickly added as many of her books to my TBR as I could and this one came available at my library.
This wasn’t as thought provoking as Small Great Things, but this storyline was amazing. I really enjoyed it and loved the family in the Galapagos that the main character meets and interacts with, especially abuela.
All the heart eyes for abeula.
My rating
The Wife Who Knew Too Much – Michele Campbell
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.7 stars
How I read it: Physical copy
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
What I loved: Short chapters, easy read
What I didn’t love: It was just good, not great
Book Blurb
“Meet the first Mrs. Ford
Beautiful. Accomplished.
Wealthy beyond imagination.
Married to a much younger man.
And now, she’s dead.
Meet the second Mrs. Ford.
Waitress. Small-town girl.
Married to a man she never forgot,
From a summer romance ten years before.
And now, she’s wealthy beyond imagination.
Who is Connor Ford?
Two women loved him. And knew him as only wives can know.
Set amongst the glittering mansions of the Hamptons,
The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a decadent summer thriller about the lives of those who will do anything for love and money. Who is the victim? Who is the villain? And who will be next to die?“
My thoughts
To be fair, this came right after the Matty memoir and Small Great Things so I think I was very book hungover, so while I thought the story was good, it just lacked a bit for me at the time.
However, going back and reading through the last couple of chapters, the energy and pace of the book was really good for the most part, but I do feel the beginning was a bit of a drag, but it did pick up quickly.
My rating
Widow Falls – Kiersten Modglin
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Atmospheric thrillers
What I loved: Short chapters, easy read
What I didn’t love: It was just good, not great; somewhat predictable
Book Blurb
“The last girl went missing…
Someone doesn’t want her to be found.
When Sloane takes a job at the infamous whitewater rafting camp, Widow Falls, she quickly learns that the camp has a reputation for more than just summer fun.
People go missing at Widow Falls.
The guide she’s replacing was just one of many. As Sloane settles into her new home—a one-room apartment she’ll be sharing with the five other guides—she can’t help asking questions and digging into the disappearances she’s heard about. Her new roommates tell her stories of dark legends and dangerous folklore surrounding the secluded camp but assure her there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all just superstition.
When Sloane stumbles upon a clue and a secret message hidden beneath the floorboards of their loft, she begins to realize there may be more to the myths than she’s been told.
The message gets her attention: Don’t trust anyone at Widow Falls.
As she follows clues to better understand the missing guide she replaced, Sloane can’t help noticing the similarities between the two of them.
What happened to the other girl?
Why won’t the others help her search?
Are they all in danger?
Whatever’s happening at Widow Falls, it’s clear someone doesn’t want her digging into it. As the seams of her reality are torn apart, making her question everything she sees, feels, and believes, Sloane will have to uncover the truth about the camp—and its occupants—before someone else goes missing.
Because this time…it might be her.“
My thoughts
The Dream Job by Kiersten Modglin was part of my October reads and I really loved how it all wrapped up.
I knew this being an atmospheric thriller that I may not like it as much and I was right – I just don’t love the trope personally, but the story was definitely an easy listen.
I feel like the beginning was a super big drag, but the pace picked up towards the end.
My rating
The It Girl – Ruth Ware
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Kindle (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Atmospheric thrillers
- Dark academia
What I loved: It was a good story
What I didn’t love: Set in the UK so slang was difficult to understand, slow burn
Book Blurb
“April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.“
My thoughts
Dark academia is usually not my trope of choice because there are usually a TON of characters involved with a complicated backstory and it makes it hard for me to follow.
With this being set at Oxford in the UK, there was also a lot of slang and other jargon that didn’t make sense to me so it made it a slower read as well.
The ending was really good and I really did enjoy the story, but it was a slow burn for me and wasn’t as good as I was hoping it’d be.
My rating
Paper Ghosts – Julia Heaberlin
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Atmospheric thrillers
- Unreliable main character
What I loved: Decent plot
What I didn’t love: Felt chaotic
Book Blurb
“Years ago, her sister Rachel vanished. Now she is almost certain the man who took Rachel sits in the passenger seat beside her. He claims to have dementia and no memory of murdering girls across Texas in a string of places where he shot eerie pictures. To find the truth, she proposes a dangerous idea: a ten-day road trip with a possible serial killer to examine cold cases linked to his haunting photographs. Is he a liar or a broken old man? Is he a pathological con artist—or is she? You won’t see the final, terrifying twist spinning your way until the very last mile.“
My thoughts
The first word I thought about when I finished reading this was CHAOS.
I truly felt jittery reading this and felt like it was just moving so fast and all over the place for no reason almost.
I can’t speak for the digital version, but the physical copy did have pictures in it which kind of tied in the story (the serial killer old man was a photographer) but I still had a hard time even putting those with where we were in the story.
It was good, not great. I still felt like this could have been so much better somehow. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t my favorite. I was glad when I finished this.
My rating
Stay Awake – Megan Goldin
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.9 stars
How I read it: Started with physical copy, ended with audiobook
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Unreliable main character
- Stories about insomnia
What I loved: Really great listen on audiobook, loved the twists and the psychological aspect of it
What I didn’t love: I loved most of it!
Book Blurb
“Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who claims to live in her apartment. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing. In its place is a bloodstained knife. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.
Two years ago, Liv was thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, similar to the message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget—permanently.“
My thoughts
This was a really fun listen.
I think this would have been a great and easy read too, but I liked listening to it on audiobook.
It was super easy to follow and the suspense and build up was great, leading to a really nice resolution.
This did remind me of other “insomniac” type thrillers like Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough, but I personally liked this one a lot more. I feel the characters were developed more and the plot was way more suspenseful and compelling.
My rating
The Golden Couple – Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Unreliable characters
- Domestic thrillers
What I loved: Really great listen on audiobook, loved the twists and the suspense
What I didn’t love: Still didn’t top The Wife Between Us by the same duo
Book Blurb
“Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.
Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.
When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.“
My thoughts
First things first, I loved this. I thought it was incredible and loved this plot.
The suspense was amazing, it had an ending I didn’t see coming and I wasn’t sure which way this would end up even though I tried guessing the whole way through.
This is my 3rd read from this set of authors and none of them have disappointed me yet. This didn’t top The Wife Between Us for me, but it was still very very good and I loved not having a ton of characters to keep up with.
My rating
The Wrong Family – Tarryn Fisher
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Unreliable characters
- Domestic thrillers
What I loved: Really great listen on audiobook, loved the twists and the suspense
What I didn’t love: Still didn’t top The Wife Between Us by the same duo
Book Blurb
“Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.
Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.
When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.“
My thoughts
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but this book was a SNOOZEFEST for me.
It was somewhat suspenseful, but it seemed implausible and to me it felt like it never went anywhere.
I would say this book was okay at best. Meh.
My rating
The Night She Disappeared – Lisa Jewell
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.14 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from a friend)
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Family drama
- Unpredictable plots
What I loved: Loved the twists and the suspense, incredibly easy read
What I didn’t love: Not a short read
Book Blurb
“On a beautiful summer night in a charming English suburb, a young woman and her boyfriend disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend.
One year later, a writer moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that border the same estate. Known locally as the Dark Place, the dense forest is the writer’s favorite place for long walks and it’s on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads, “DIG HERE.”
Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple? And what exactly is buried in this haunted ground?“
My thoughts
I have a lot of Lisa’s book on my shelf, but this was the first one I got around to and I’m so glad I did!
This was super fast paced and written from several POV which I love, but I know some people don’t like that.
Although this was over 400 pages, it’s so interesting that you won’t have a hard time getting through it!
My rating
Top 5 Reads of November
I read a LOT of books in November so I had to do a top 5 instead of a top 3 this month:
5. Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
4. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
3. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pinakken tied with Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
2. Friends, Lovers and The Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
and my favorite read of October (and now in my top books of all time) was Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult!
Monthly Giveaway!
I love being able to support my local used bookstore in my town while also giving love to you beautiful people!
Every month, the giveaway books are totally random since it’s just what I can find in the used bookstore at the time!
I CAN NOT BELIEVE WHAT I SCORED FOR THIS MONTH’S GIVEAWAY!!!!!!
THIS MONTH’S BOOK IS…..
When I found this in my bookstore, I ACTUALLY YELLED!
Kinda awkward, but I was not even embarrassed. When I checked out, the woman’s eye’s got real wide at me and I thought she was going to say something about the yelling but she said, “This is one of the best books I’ve ever read.”
I simply said, “I KNOWWWWWW that’s why I yelled!”
If you’re on my Book Buddies email list, you have to do NOTHING to be entered! It’s just as a thank you for being here and I’ll let you know via email if you’ve won!
SHOP ALL BOOKS
CLICK ANY BOOK COVER BELOW TO SHOP OR ADD TO YOUR TBR!
