Books, Books, Books, and a Cat

 If you love dogs and a great mystery, this book is for you. In this story, main character, Margot, is accused of murder after Margot has been caught causing chaos in her small town of Glenville.  Margot is going through a lot.  Her marriage is on the rocks, her oldest daughter won't talk to her, and she does not have a single friend.  When a murder happens, it seems like the whole town bands together to blame Margot.  She must find a way to clear her name in order to keep her family togther and her sanity.  In the process she starts to realize that other people in this town might not be so bad.  She ends up making an unlikely trio with the 70 year old HOA president, Anne, and one of the mean moms, Sally Claire.   Together they team up and we learn there is definitely more to this town then meets the eye.   Even though this was a murder mystery there was something really fun and quirky about it that I loved.  There were some sp...

  4.5 Stars- This was a charming and heartwarming paranormal romance.  As someone who has lost a parent, the chance to talk to them after they have passed would mean everything.    In this story Ruby has moved back home after her mother's death and is now working at the same company where her mother died.  Ruby soon finds out that her mother's ghost is trapped in the company's server.  In order for her mother to find peace, Ruby has to figure out what her unfinished business is.  Ruby felt like she never met her mother's expectations so she strives to meet them in order to set her mother free. While trying to her accomplish her goals she needs to decide where her heart lies, with her long time childhood friend, or her rich and sophisticated boss. She also discovers that not all is what it seems at her job.  What follows is a witty and heartfelt story where Ruby has to figure out what really matters.   I enjoyed every minute I spent readi...

  This was a perfect thriller for anyone who loves neighborhood drama especially with those that seem to have it all.   Este Walker lives the country club lifestyle.  She has the perfect husband, plenty of leisure time, and lots of money.  However her life seems to implode the day a body is found in her swimming pool.  What the reader finds out through a series of flashbacks is that her life began to unravel much earlier.   Este's life is far from perfect and that is what makes this such a good thriller and mystery.  As a huge fan of the Housewives on Bravo, this book reminded me of the cattiness and drama that I love to watch as I read about Este's life in her idealic neighborhood for the rich. There are society rules she is supposed to be following but she would rather hang out with the child next door ,toilet papering a neighbor's house that no one likes.  Este's marriage is also on display.  She thinks she has found a soul mate ...

  3.5 Stars- I loved this author's first novel and I was really looking forward to this book.  This book took me awhile to get into.  However it did grow on me and I enjoyed the relationship between Malti and her son in law.  In this novel Malti suffers a concussion so her son in law, Nathan, comes to stay with her until she is feeling better.  The catch is that her daughter, Kavya is currently in India and Kavya and Nathan are in the process of getting a divorce. To say that the relationship between Malti and Nathan is strained in an understatment.  Over the course of the novel, the two of them learn many things about each other, come to new understandings, and grow personally especially when it comes to Kavya. When first reading this I wondered if there was going to be more than just the back and forth between Malti and Nathan.  I honestly didn't think this storyline would hold my attention.  However as the novel progressed, I really enjoyed the...

 An absolutely unique novel with a mysterious and haunting vibe.  There were several layers to this novel that make it a story that will stick with me for a long time.  Ellie Mills is a child when she first sees a legendary island off the coast of Nova Scotia. She swims to it and finds a farm with a house and a man named Clay inside.  The man quickly ushers her back to land only for Ellie to discover that the few hours she thought she was gone was actually a week.  Ellie grows up but can't stop thinking about the island even as she tries to convince herself it isn't real.  When the island is spotted by several hundred people on a cruise ship, Ellie is drawn back to her home to see if she can see the island one more time.  She swims back to the island and finds Clay who is the exact same as when she was a child.  Thus begins a new chapter in Ellie's life.  I keep finding myself drawn to this story and can't stop thinking about it.  An isl...

 4.5 Stars- A poignant and heartwarming romance that will make this the perfect beach read of the summer. This is a story with characters you actually care about.   Nikki is a former reality star who comes  home for the summer only to find that her brother is going to marry a woman that dated her ex-fiance.  Nikki was on a reality dating show and thought she had found the love of her life only to find out that he actually had a girlfriend at the time.  Now that girlfriend is going to marry Nikki's brother.  Nikki is devastated that her family is warmly embracing Cara after everything that happened.  With their wedding happening in only a matter of weeks, Nikki and Cara's family come to the lake to wedding prep and Nikki tries to get Cara's brother Nate on board with sabotaging the wedding.  Nikki and Nate soon develop not only a friendship but soon find that they have feelings for each other.  Only it does not seem possible that this rom...

  This novel is the perfect blend of thriller meets horror.  I am not a huge horror fan but Kelley Armstrong's horror novels keep me wanting more.  In this story, it is a dark and stormy night and several strangers find themselves stranded in an out of the way stretch of road after crashing into each other during a storm.  All around them are woods and these are not your typical woods.  They are the type of woods where once you go in, you might never come out.  Each chapter introduces us to new characters with their back story.  After they crash, they all converge at a bar where they share their stories and figure out very quickly that things are not as they seem.   This was a wild ride that had me guessing what was going on.  The first half of the book was trying to figure out what was really happening.  Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors and with her books you never know if it is just a mystery or will there be a super...

  If you are looking for great descriptions of Spain, this might be the book for you. The descriptions in this book are extremely vivid and I felt at times that I was actually in Valencia.  However the storyline for me just did not pack the same punch.  Dahlia is recently divorced and is looking to get away from her old life.  She has family that she barely remembers in Valencia, Spain so she travels there after her divorce is final.  She finds a job working in a bar run by another American.  The two of them have a slow burn romance as Dahlia searches for what she really wants in life.   The story was a little slow moving for my taste. I liked the premise but I found that the story was just not that memorable for me.  I really wanted more to happen in the story.  The descriptions of Valencia really saved the book.  I did really enjoy picturing the sights and sounds all around her epically the food.  I would love to some day tra...

 The couple that kills togther, stays together, right?   In this follow up novel to, A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage, Haze and Fox are going through a rough patch. Fox is going to therapy but Hazel just wants him to help more with the kids and the household.  The two of them are going through typical trials that couples face when they have two small children except someone seems to be aware of their extra curricular activities.  Now their lives may be in danger if they can't find out who is spying on them.  I am loving this series.  The first book was fantastic and this was a great second novel.  The action and mystery is spot on.  Plus, Haze and Fox are great characters.  There were even a couple of chapters that featured Jenny's perspective which I found really interesting.  This novel featured mom drama, typical issues that you find in a marriage, kid issues, but it also had problems that one would never expect unless you wer...