Only Ever You: A Novel by Rebecca Drake
(c/o NetGalley)
I will be surprised if this doesn't end up being one of the best books I read this year. A mother loses her child for 45 minutes, but she is found quickly...only for her to be taken again three months later. It’s not long before the parents become the prime suspects. The whole book was suspenseful with many twists and turns. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it surprised me. If you love psychological thrillers, this is a great read.
No One Knows by J.T. Ellison
(c/o NetGalley)
I really liked No One Knows. The story of what happened to Aubrey's husband Josh (he goes missing after not showing up to his friend’s bachelor party) was interesting, though the ending ruined it for me a little bit. Overall, it was a good read, and I recommend it for anyone who likes thrillers.
The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman
(c/o NetGalley)
This is a cute story of a mother and daughter who visit their mom/grandmother Lolly for the first time in a long time and begin to see what is most important in life. I really liked all the sweet stories grandma Lolly told about the charms on her charm bracelet and what they meant, but I felt like the lessons were drilled into the reader too often. I would have liked for there to be a little more subtlety. I did enjoy the descriptions of Lake Michigan (though even those were a little excessive), and the story made me want to visit Michigan again. If you like light reads, this book is a good option.
Paris is Always a Good Idea by Nicolas Barreau
(c/o NetGalley)
This was a sweet love story. It started out slow, but it did pick up as soon as Robert Sherman came in the picture. It was a fast read, and I think you can’t go wrong with setting a book in Paris!
Dear Thing by Julie Cohen
(c/o NetGalley)
Romily has watched her best friend Ben and his wife Claire struggle with infertility for years, so she offers to be a surrogate mother, so they can finally have a child. The only problem is that Romily is hopelessly in love with Ben. Dear Thing rotates points of view between Claire and Romily, and I felt the emotions of each woman. I liked the story much more than I expected, and it strangely felt like a "light" read, even though it was about a difficult subject. I'm having a hard time deciding whether I loved the ending, but overall, it was a good read.
The Rejected Writers’ Book Club by Suzanne Kelman
(c/o NetGalley)
This was such a fun, quirky story about Janet, who gets swept into the craziness of Doris and her Rejected Writers’ Book Club. After Doris receives an acceptance letter from a publisher, she forces Janet to drive her and her friends to the publisher in San Francisco to request a rejection. Although Doris was so bossy it got a little annoying to me at times, there were many funny parts in the story, and it's one of the best light reads I've read so far this year. This book would be perfect for a summer beach read!
A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain
(c/o NetGalley)
Honestly, I didn't expect to like this book. I don't usually like books about time travel, but I thought since it was a suspenseful novel about trying to solve a murder in another time period (the Regency period), I would give it a try. A Murder in Time really impressed me. I ended up really liking Kendra, and the time travel concept was done really well. The ending set up the chance for a sequel, and I really hope there is one.
The Midnight Watch by David Dyer
(c/o NetGalley)
I have read several historical fiction novels about the Titanic tragedy, and I haven't liked any of them. At first, I was worried this book was headed in the same direction. I didn't like the writing style, and the parts of the book where Stone was narrating felt boring. I thought the premise of this book was unique as it focuses on whether the SS Californian could have prevented lives lost on the Titanic if it had responded to the Titanic's distress signals. For me, the story really took off when John Stedman found out about the Sage family. Still, I was hoping for more from this book than I received. Overall, it was a decent read but not one I will be going out of my way to recommend.
