Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer #BookReview

It is early. A young man stands on a bridge and lets out a heart-wrenching scream. From deep in the woods, something screams back.

It sounds improbable. But this is how Isaac meets the egg.

The two are unlikely companions. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac’s life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

Maybe he will finally understand why he went there that morning. Maybe he will find a way to tell the truth.

Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them.

The novel Isaac and the Egg is my latest book purchase. I read so many wonderful reviews about this novel when it came out that I had the title on my wishlist since it was pushlished and I felt it was time to read something more profound.

Unique and quirky are certainly the key words for this novel, but the best part is that it totally works. I know it sounds totally insane that a man encounters an egg in the woods and you’re probably wondering what the deal is. Did he find a real egg, his very own humpty dumpty or what? I can put you at ease, it’s the or what 😛. The situation is pretty simple: it’s some sort of never-seen-before creature and because of the initial sighting Isaac stuck to calling it Egg.

There is some magical realism in this novel but I was totally on board because it was put together and explained really well. I was totally fine with Egg, even though at times he sounded a wise creature and at other times he seemed like a toddler who can’t eat properly. He’s very very odd but lovely, he’s a bit of everything. The discrepancy felt a little unbalanced, but the further into the novel the more he was attuned to Isaac and he helps him with his grief in ways that no other person could. I felt it was good for Isaac that he starts to care for Egg too and I hoped he could deal with his loss eventually. He struggles, he falls but Egg is so weird and funny that it makes it all a little more bearable to read. I did wonder why one of Isaac’s rooms was locked though and what he was hiding, and where he was going sometimes. Isaac has a secret and I couldn’t figure out what it was, I was imagining the worst scenarios but it was something else entirely!

The novel is about dealing with one’s grief of course, it was sometimes a little confusing at first what is going on with Isaac but everything falls into place eventually and there was a special aha-moment  that was very satisfying. For such an unconventional novel I never expected to like it this much but everyone who has experienced loss will connect to it I think.

I bought a paperback copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay #BookReview

The crushing blow to the head. Hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend’s piercing scream…

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. With no trace of Ali after she is abducted, a cloud of suspicion hangs over him, though he is never charged. Trying to put his past behind him, Ryan changes his name and enters law school.

It’s on a summer trip to Italy that he gets the call: his missing car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. But inside the car are two dead men. The only trace of Ali is a cryptic note, the envelope in her handwriting stating If something happens to me…

Reeling from the news, Ryan sees the man who has haunted his nightmares since the night Ali was taken. But how could that be possible, so far from home? His search for answers leads him to England and France, but the truth may lie in the shape of two very different people back in the USA.

/

If Something Happens to Me is an absolute binge-worthy novel. The novel is divided into three parts and the first part has three alternating storylines about a law student, a mob boss and his young son, and a new deputy sheriff in the town of Leavensworth. I guess nobody could have predicted that on Poppy McGee’s first day they would find a missing girl’s car with two bodies inside. The questions were really burning on my lips in this one. How was this all connected? Who were those people they found in the car? The chapters were short and compelling and Alex Finlay knows what he’s doing, my attention didn’t drop for even a slight second and he had me questioning in every chapter what was going on.

Ryan Richardson saw his girlfriend for the last time 5 years ago but with new evidence emerging (her car and a note in her handbag) there are people coming out of the woods. Ryan knew he hadn’t imagined Pinky guy when he was grabbed that night (the man lost two of his digits) when he suddenly sees him again but he’s certainly not going to let him get away a second time! It’s going to be a rollercoaster of the deadly kind!

Parts 2 and 3 blend the three storylines superbly in ways I had not imagined, and yet, there are still a lot more questions, about the cryptic note, the mystery man and who Poppy can trust in all of this. I had a field day trying to discern who was good and bad and if you are a little paranoid by nature you can eat your heart out at being suspicious. The sheriff, the FBI lady, the KBI lady (the foreign examiner in Kansas), or even Poppy’s own brother or father, who oh who knows more than they let on? I will only say I had someone in mind in Poppy’s entourage very early on, someone who seemed suspicious for me but that was just another brilliant red herring from the author and I completely fell for it.

Would I recommend this novel? Without a doubt. It’s a perfect fit for readers who enjoy C.L. Taylor or Claire Douglas. It’s grippingly unpredictable with a whole lot of tension. What could you want more? The only thing I’d maybe change is that the ending was wrapped up a bit too quickly.

I received a free ecopy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley. This is still my honest opinion.

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard #BookReview

Sadie’s looking for a fresh start. After missing out on an overdue promotion, she drunkenly re-opens a long-ignored dating app and, two days later, finds herself on a date with Jack. Except it isn’t a date.

Realizing that she mistakenly matched with Jack on a roommate-finding app, Sadie prepares to make a hasty exit, only to finally notice the gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone that Jack is advertising . . . and the unbelievably cheap rent.

Introverted Jack doesn’t know what to make of the talkative whirlwind in front of him. But he offers Sadie his spare bedroom while she gets back on her feet, and Sadie, recognizing that her dreams of starting her own florist business might now finally be possible, accepts.

As Sadie’s presence starts to turn the brownstone into a real home, and Jack learns to come out of his shell, they both begin to wonder if this accidental roommate arrangement is the best deal they ever made.

Lease on Love was an impulse purchase at a second hand book store. I hadn’t heard of this author yet so I always see that as a bit of a risk, but it certainly paid off. This novel was exactly what I wanted and needed: I fell into a warm bath of friendship and some wonderful slow burning romance. I was also quite happy to find that the male character doesn’t have a role rescuing the damsel in distress this time, it’s all in perfect balance.

Let’s just say that the way to a girl’s heart is a brownstone with a colorful front door, a spacious kitchen, a bedroom with its own big bathroom and not in the least a nice back yard. The cute nerdy guy wearing a Lord of the Ring’s t-shirt – totally not her type – is a nice bonus for Sadie and he’s renting out a room at a price she can’t resist. Sadie loves gardening and her green fingers play a big role throughout the story. Jack is of course the perfect guy, understanding, caring and attentive (and it’ll come as no surprise that he’s also a perfect lover, other authors should take note) although he does come with some baggage too.

Sadie wears her heart on her sleeve, she’s so outgoing and her coming into his life makes him feel alive again. But can these two really be together or is it not worth the risk? She could lose this perfect low-budget place to live, he could lose another person in his life…

Lease on Love was a delight to read and highly addictive. Sadie and her 3 best friends (Gemma, Harley and Nick) are just the best bunch and a group of friends you want to join as a reader. Sadie and Jack might seem quite different but are exactly what the other one needs in order to grow and heal from their traumatic childhoods, Sadie coming from a toxic family that left her with very low self-esteem and Jack still grieving. They are soooo good for each other. There is a bit of unnecessary conflict at the end of the novel that made me feel sad for them both and did feel somewhat of an exaggeration but it couldn’t be all smooth sailing, right?

I’m a little surprised this novel doesn’t get a higher score on Goodreads. I’m telling you they’re so off the mark! This is the type of romance novel that I love to read and it ticks all my boxes. There’s no hesitation here, I’m definitely adding this author’s other books to my readlist asap.

I bought a second hand copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena #BookReview

You never know what’s happening on the other side of the wall.

Your neighbour told you that she didn’t want your six-month-old daughter at the dinner party. Nothing personal, she just couldn’t stand her crying.

Your husband said it would be fine. After all, you only live next door. You’ll have the baby monitor and you’ll take it in turns to go back every half hour.

Your daughter was sleeping when you checked on her last. But now, as you race up the stairs in your deathly quiet house, your worst fears are realized. She’s gone.

You’ve never had to call the police before. But now they’re in your home, and who knows what they’ll find there.

What would you be capable of, when pushed past your limit?

Yes yes I know I’m late to the party :-). Now The Couple Next Door was a series airing on Belgian tv and I thought to myself, I really want to see it but I better read the book first. Turns out that the tv series only has the same title but has nothing to do with said book. Oh well, at least I finally read my copy 🙂

The Couple Next Door was more suspenseful than I expected. I mean, I had a theory in my head when Cora was taken from her crib while her parents were having dinner and drinks with their next door neighbors. A child being taken at midnight while the parents happen to be away, it’s just too much of a coincidence for me so either one of them told someone about their plans or one of them had to have been involved. There was another theory that the police was investigating as well, where one or both of her parents hurt her and they were covering it up. A valid idea as well I guess, especially taking Anne’s past in consideration, but I still very much wanted to stick with my own tunnel vision :-).

Anne is definitely an unreliable narrator but the others have their own secrets as well so nobody could really be crossed out. I thought I knew where the plot would go but the nightmare just keeps growing bigger and bigger. There are great twists and I was gripped and dying to know how this would turn out. Would they find Cora and would she be alive? I loved the intricate plot and how they all betrayed each other. Well you might think there’s one or two innocent parties in all of the story but you might want to reconsider your thoughts about one of them by the end of the novel. Personally I felt it was a bit overkill in the end but if the goal was to shock and have an ending that lingers then that certainly had the desired effect.

The Couple Next Door is a riveting thriller. I already read two of this author’s other books and I can only confirm that they’re all worth reading. Hopefully I won’t keep from reading the next one for so long.

I bought a paperback copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

Meet Me When My Heart Stops by Becky Hunter #BookReview #Netgalley

What if your soulmate could only ever be the love of your afterlife?
The first time Emery’s heart stops, she is only five years old…

Emery is born with a heart condition that means her heart could quite literally stop at any moment. The people around her know what to do – if they act quickly enough there will be no lasting damage, and Emery’s heart can be restarted. But when this happens, she is briefly technically dead.

Each time Emery’s heart stops, she meets Nick. His purpose is to help people adjust to the fact that they are dead, to help them say goodbye, before they move on entirely. He does not usually meet people more than once – but with Emery, he is able to make a connection, and he finds himself drawn to her.

As Emery’s life progresses, and she goes through ups and downs, she finds that a part of her is longing for those moments when her heart will stop – so that she can see Nick again.

This is the story of two fated lovers who long for each other, but are destined never to share more than a few fleeting moments – because if they were to be together, it would mean the end of Emery’s life.

Emery has a heart condition and for a number of reasons (shock, pain or excitement) her heart can fail at any given time. She dies countless of times throughout the story and it starts when she’s only 5 years old.  Every time she dies she sees the same person in the ‘in between’ and he’s becoming more and more important to her, he doesn’t judge her like all the others do.

As a reader I saw Emery grow up and deal with her condition. She was overly protected by her father and – in her mind at least – it caused her parents to break up. As a young woman she then tried to get far away, living to the extreme… going skydiving for one thing. Her ageing involves different approaches and goes with many ups and downs. Her death is always looming over her and how can it not affect her life and the reactions of the people around her? It’s a difficult journey, she can’t find a job she likes or a man she loves. And frankly, having a real relationship is something she’s not interested in, because how can she when she might leave someone behind? The only one who’s always there is the ‘guide’ she sees when she’s dying. She feels safe with him, she feels they were assigned to each other for a reason and she starts longing to see him again. It’s simple, she’s falling for him while it’s an impossible love.

All the while there’s someone near her who’s loved her from a distance since she was a young teenager. Good dependable Colin would do anything for her. I have to say that I felt for him all through the novel and I wish he wasn’t treated as second best. If it were up to me he wouldn’t be in love with her at all, then I’d find it easier to be in peace with her desire for Nick. Colin, of course, doesn’t know at all about the unfair competition, as far as he sees it there’s no man in her life and he keeps hoping she’ll love him back.

I thought the story would be more soul destroying but I was quite ok and I actually wouldn’t mind having a guide who puts you at ease at what is about to come. I did find it strange (and a little disappointing) that she doesn’t attempt to tell anyone about what happens when you die, and who you see, even if it could put someone who is important to her at ease.

Ultimately she’ll have to make a choice. Is her desire to live big enough or will she choose to die? The ending was quite bittersweet for me. I think she made the right choice but I’m not sure if it’s for the right reasons.

I can’t explain in more detail but whether you’ll love the book and give it 5 stars depends on who you’re actually rooting for and I was rooting for someone else. He just shouldn’t have been so damn likeable and sweet.

I received a free ecopy from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. This is my honest opinion.

Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor #BookReview

Alex, Lucy, River and Bridget.

Four people with one thing in common: they are all being stalked. Their lives are filled with daily terror. Always watching. Always waiting. And never knowing what – or who – is hiding in the shadows.

But this group of four used to be five, until the terrible day their friend Nat was followed home by her stalker…

Coming together for Nat’s funeral, they are handed a wreath saying RIP. However, this isn’t a wreath in memory of Nat – it’s for them, with a card dated in ten days’ time.

It’s a clear message: in ten days, one Jo them will die. And the only way to stop the killer is to get closer than they ever dared to their stalkers. The very people who want them dead…

/

This novel is so tense, I absolutely loved it. Being single isn’t so bad at all if you see what could happen to you.

Alex, Lucy, River and Bridget are the members of a WhatsApp group for people being stalked. Their life was already agony but now it seems that one of them receives the message they will be murdered, only it’s unclear who is targeted. And so the countdown from 10 days to 0 and the nail-biting starts (and the regular stalking continues).

Every Move You Make is a real page-turner. Some of them know their stalker really well, other stalkers remain invisible and I don’t know what’s worse. The only thing they can do to keep safe is balancing on a fine rope of both keeping track of their stalkers whereabouts and staying far away from them.

My  thoughts also wondered for a while why they simply didn’t go to the police but some of them have good reasons not to go to the police and one of them did actually report their stalker. It’s a fact that the police can’t do much, as usual, so it’s really up to them to find out who they should most be afraid of. The stalkers can’t know but they’re the ones who’ll be watched next. Now there’s a taste of your own medicine ha!

Every Move You Make kept me guessing throughout the novel. The scene at the bar made me even doubt characters I was rooting for until then. Who to trust, it’s certainly a difficult one this time, but I loved the twists and the fight or flight mode was brilliantly done.

I really liked the personal note the author included at the end of the novel, sharing her own story and what inspired her to write this novel. It’s horrible of course but at least one good thing came out of it because she delivered a very gripping novel. The only down part is that I‘m stuck with singing the title of this novel, every single time I see it. And then it feels like it just stops mid-sentence so I need to finish the sentence. Isn’t it a little twisted that it’s a song from The Police or am I completely paranoid after reading this? OK we’ll have that discussion another time.

I received a free ecopy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. This is still my honest opinion.

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus #BookReview

True crime can leave a false trail.

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favourite teacher. The case was never solved, but she’s sure that the three kids who found Mr. Larkin’s body know more than they’re telling, especially her ex-best friend Tripp Talbot. He’s definitely hiding something.

When Brynn gets an internship working on a popular true-crime show, she decides to investigate what really happened that day in the woods. But the further she dives into the past, the more secrets she finds.

Four years ago someone got away with murder. Now it’s time to uncover the truth . . .

The time is right for another YA novel and who’s bound to make me happy a reader? You’re right, that honor goes to Karen M. McManus. This is the fifth book by this author that I’ve read and all the previous ones were also either four or five star reads for me. Nothing More to Tell was an enjoyable read although my patience was a little tested here again. Once the ball goes rolling though it’s like a freaking pinball machine.

There were three students who found a dead teacher and years later it’s clear that they are keeping a secret. They don’t talk about that day to anyone or to each other so that was enough proof for me that there was definitely more to discover. I wondered why they were covering for each other. McManus is one of the few authors that is guaranteed to come up with an explanation and make it sound plausible.

Brynn is like a young Veronica Mars and she probably has skills to make a monkey dance, ok or at least make a witness talk in this case and then the hot potato of the whodunnit is passed from one person to another and it’s a long LONG list. Bizarre but the only suspect for me wasn’t on it :-). I guess I’m thinking too  broadly :-). I read a few reviews that state there’s no clear killer in the end but there most definitely is, the reason why is explained as well and it makes sense so I have no idea where that’s coming from. Anyway, the killer was someone that was in my suspect pool but was dismissed at some point, then with all the background story that is gradually revealed about Mr Larkin, a potential motive presents itself just like that. I did love how several people could have done it and were cleared each time because new information reached Brynn.

If I may give one point of critique it’s that the memorial and garden for Mr. Larkin was a project that was started but it stays a bit of a loose end. Nothing More To Tell didn’t tromp The Cousins for me but I really enjoyed reading this, it had so many twists and turns and it made me very happy that my sleuthing skills were put to work (more in overdrive).

I bought a paperback copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary #BookReview

8.52 a.m. Siobhan’s looking forward to her date with Joseph. Breakfast on Valentine’s Day surely means something … so where is he?

2.43 p.m. Miranda’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. But why hasn’t he shown up?

6.30 p.m. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane’s fake boyfriend at a dreaded engagement party tonight. But he’s not here…

Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.

 /

First of all, if you’re not too keen on reading books with love triangles… you still shouldn’t write this one off too soon. In all honesty, with 3 women waiting for the same man I wasn’t very sure I was going to like this book so much either but I was wrong because I didn’t have any problems rooting for all 3, although I have to say that I identified mostly with Jane who swore off love and was happy just living with her daily routines and cat Theodore. She’s not looking for love and uses Joseph as a fake boyfriend. Still even as a fake boyfriend he stood her up. I’m just saying that you might judge easily from the start but trust me when I say that there’s much more going on than meets the eye.

I had to find this out the hard way though, I was so ready to hate Joseph from the start.. the audacity of the man with these three women, I mean come on! He certainly wasn’t my dream guy. And yet, I felt for him at the end of the story and I can only say that the ending won’t let you down, the right choices are made and there’s definitely a happy ending.

While I had a feeling how Miranda’s plotline was going to develop, I had no idea what was in store for Siobhan or Jane. Who was going to end up with him? I was afraid that he wouldn’t choose the woman I wanted him to choose and while it didn’t go as I thought it would, it was exactly as it was meant to be. It turns out to be a feel good story after all!

I bought an ecopy of The No-Show last year because I loved The Flatshare and it was 99p at that moment. While I was reading it I already wished I had gone for a paperback because it’s such a good one to have and keep in the library, so I definitely want a paperback of one of her next books. For fans of Lucy Dillon, Ruth Hogan, Paige Toon etc. this one’s very recommended.

I bought an ecopy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (Stalking Jack the Ripper Book 3) #BookReview

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a travelling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

This is the third book in the Jack The Ripper series and I very high expectations for this one. I absolutely love magic and illusions so Houdini certainly made me want to read this. I’m not sure, however, this one tops my favorite of the series so far, which was the first one of the series, Stalking Jack The Ripper.

I find this novel a hard one to review because there wasn’t anything I didn’t like. In general I just missed some real twists and thrills, even though the travelling entertainment on board (The Midnight Carnival) did its best every night to dazzle the people on board of the RMS Etruria on their way to New York and the reader at the same time.

The travelling company’s leader is run by the enigmatic Mephistopheles and it wasn’t only Audrey Rose Wadsworth who was under his spell. I could see his attraction and the fact that he hid his face behind a mask only made him more of a fascinating enigma. Of course I felt bad for Audrey Rose’s partner-in-crime Thomas Cresswell who doesn’t hide his love for her but I never believed for one minute she would really fall for Mephistopheles. The author alludes to this rivalry and a (faux or not so faux after all?) love triangle for most of the novel and it might not be what some readers hoped for since Thomas Cresswell is just perfect but it’s good to see that there might be another person who matches well with Audrey Rose. I enjoyed reading about this potential new love interest, the author did a great job with Mephistopheles. I felt bad for Thomas but also for Mephistopheles because I believed he was really into her too so whoever she decided on, someone was going to lose.

As far as the mystery and murders go, it was all very mystifying but there were not really enough clues along the way to really be able to figure this one out although I wasn’t quite surprised when the true killer’s identity was revealed either.

I was intrigued by the character of Houdini (although none of his tricks were explained which was not totally unexpected but still a bummer) and I loved that the author included a photo of the real Houdini in the book which made it feel more authentic but he didn’t get a lot more attention than any of the other characters and I kind of expected the story to focus more on him.

Overall it was a good read but I think I missed a real ace up the sleeve in this book. I’m still debating whether I’m going to continue with the series or not.

I bought a paperback copy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden #BookReview

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

/

I’m late to the party but I finally read my first Freida McFadden novel. I didn’t have high expectations really and at first I wondered what all the hype was about because I could see from a mile away what was going on with Nina, but oh boy I couldn’t be more wrong!

It was easy to sympathize with Millie, the new ‘housemaid’ of the Winchesters. Nina is kind one moment but the next she’s accusing Millie of stealing or some other bad thing. I felt my hatred for Nina growing and wasn’t it obvious that she’s not got all her ducks in a row? Millie doesn’t have a choice but to endure her mood swings and her forgetfulness because she needs that job. I can say that she didn’t feel nearly as frustrated as I did with her employer’s behavior. In all honesty, up until then I thought it was a good read even if it was a bit predictable, and I really didn’t get the hype.

This all changed in the second part of the novel where major, massive, enormous (you get it, right) twists and turns were starting to unfold. This part dives into Nina’s past and her character started to make so much more sense, which in turn made me feel apprehensive for Millie’s future… The scene with the hair pulling (if you read it you won’t have any problem remembering this) had my heart in a vice! I couldn’t believe it, I was horrified yet mesmerized and I couldn’t stop reading! I also suddenly had an idea what might be in store for Millie in the future and I wondered how there could be put a stop to it. The author just kept on giving these deliciously dark twists and I was hooked till the very end of it.

The Housemaid is a really great read (you certainly shouldn’t judge it by its cover like I did) and while it’s quite dark (I think someone could be sentenced for torture if you think about it) it is unforgettable and not one I want to forget. I love the psychological aspect of this novel and I’m happy I finally dove in and gave into the hype! This rollercoaster read should definitely be on your radar!

I bought an ecopy of this novel. This is my honest opinion.