Friday, June 26, 2015

The Wrong Man by Kate White (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Bold and adventurous in her work as one of Manhattan's hottest interior decorators, Kit Finn couldn't be tamer in her personal life. So, while on vacation in the Florida Keys, Kit resolves to do something risky for once. Flirting with Matt Healy--the rugged stranger she literally bumps into at her hotel--is one thing. Going back to his room after their date is another.

Instead, Matt offers to cook her dinner when they're both back in the city. But when Kit arrives at his luxury apartment ready for the date of a lifetime, who is the man who opens the door?

Kit's usually so good at reading people. How could she have been taken in by the deceptions of a con man? And why has he targeted her? Piece by piece, Kit realizes that this treachery goes a lot deeper, and gets a lot deadlier. Now the only way out is to expose the vicious puppet master who's turned her life upside-down."


My Thoughts:

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.  This level of enjoyment is what I have come to expect from this author as I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't like.  For me this was the perfect summer thriller that is just meant to be read by the side of a pool in the sunshine.  I can't say that I actually read the book like this (instead I read it on breaks at work and in between innings during my kid's baseball games) but I would have liked to.  It was a page turner that easily sucked me into the storyline and allowed for me to finish this one in a matter of days.  I found that I had a hard time setting it down and often needed to read "just a few more" pages before I could actually put my bookmark in.  

In this book Kit Finn is a successful interior decorator who has a fling with a stranger that she meets on a business/pleasure trip.  She soon finds out that he isn't the man that she thought he was and finds herself pulled into a dangerous situation that results in murder. While this book wasn't always believable (there were just too many people involved who seemed to want to harm her), it was a really fun read!  This is one of those books that keeps you reading just to see what is going to happen next.  I really, really enjoyed the parts of the book that were about Kit's job as an interior decorator.  It was fun to read about the different ideas that she had for some of her clients.  This wasn't the focus of the book by any means but it really added to the overall reading experience for me.

Overall I found myself enjoying this one immensely. I feel like if you are looking for a summer thriller this would fit perfectly with that!  It wasn't a perfect read by any means but for me it was the ease with which I got sucked into this book that made this a real winner.  A page turning thriller is always a good thing!  Easily recommended!

Bottom Line:  A thriller that just begs for you to sit and read in one sitting!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book as part of a TLC book blog tour from the publisher.  Thoughts are my own!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

The Sunday Post #16 (Getting Fit Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Oops, another week has come and gone without me posting any reviews or really any other posts.  I'm starting to sound like a broken record over here but life has just been busy, busy.  This may just be our new normal for now.  In between all of the running around that was this week, yesterday I participated in our local Race For the Cure event.  This was my very first time running this race and it was a really great experience.  I ran with a close friend of mine and we managed to finish the 5K in around 38 minutes.  Not too shabby for my first race in longer than I can remember and without me training for it (at all as I haven't found the time).  Yesterday left me feeling very inspired and now I am planning on signing up for more local races.  I also plan on pulling my oldest outside with me today and going for a run.  Because I would like to actually start preparing for these and working to get myself back in good shape.

In reading news I am chugging right along.  I actually managed to finish two books this past week.  That is really great for me as usually I only manage to finish one.  If I could manage to write at least two book reviews this week then that is what I would call a real success.  I'm getting really excited to start the #COYER challenge and work on catching up on some of these NetGalley books that need to be read.  I might start early as I just can't wait to get started!  I'm getting off track though....here are the books that I finished last week:


The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato - Oh this book!  It gave me all of the feels and I just cannot wait to see what else this author comes up with.  So, so good and I cannot wait to share my thoughts on this one. 

The Wrong Man by Kate White - I have yet to read a bad book by Kate White.  This book was just as good as I have come to expect with twists, turns, and lots of suspense.  This book might have lacked believability a bit but made up for it as it was such a page turner!  I'm planning on writing up my thoughts on both of these books this week. 

I'm now currently reading the following:


The cover of this one just makes me think of summer which makes it the perfect read for this time of year.  I've just begun it but as I've already enjoyed a different book that was part of the series, I have high hopes for this one.  I'm trying to hold off on a new kindle read until #COYER but that just may not happen.  Too many good books calling my name that are on kindle.

Plans for today include a run, laundry, cleaning, and hopefully some reading in the sun while the kids play in our little pool.  My garden boxes could use some work as well so I should probably do that while I am outside too.  I also really, really need to reach my goal of writing two reviews.  I will also be blog visiting at some point later on in the evening.  Are you enjoying these gorgeous summer days?  What summer reads should not be missed?  Share, share, share!

  Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

The Sunday Post #15 (Lazy Day Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

I'm getting a late start this Sunday thanks to sleeping in till nine this morning.  This so rarely happens but even the kids slept late so it was quite the treat!  We had friends and family over yesterday afternoon which led to a fun packed evening.  We are laying around this morning being slugs because of it though.  Ha!  Totally worth it but I suppose I should really get my butt in gear at some point soon.  The laundry won't do itself!

Reading is going well!  I've finished a lot of books since my last update but considering that update was a few weeks ago it isn't as impressive as it might have seemed.  Since I am writing this so late in the morning I am going to do a short and sweet share of the books that I have finished recently (aka since my last reading update). 







A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl - This was a solid read and a new author to follow but I just realized I am forgetting certain details of it already.  I better get my thoughts written on it ASAP!

Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander - Loved this one and it sure made me wish I could cook like this.  Will be reading 2nd book very soon!

The Daughter by Jane Shemilt - Read my thoughts on it here.  I really enjoyed this one but have loved even more reading other reader's thoughts on it.  Not everyone felt the same as I did and it has been interesting to read their viewpoints.

The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato - Really enjoyed this steampunk adventure.  I'm already reading the second book (it is a duology?) and can already tell you it is just as good as this one!

Wait For You by J. Lynn - This was a good read but I didn't love it as much as others seemed to.  Maybe it was all of the hype but I wasn't blown away by this one.  Just good bordering on pretty good for me.




The Clockwork Crown is my current read on my kindle and one that I am really, really enjoying!  It started right where the first book left off so you definitely should read these in order.  I cannot wait to see how this one ends and will be spending a good portion of my day reading it.  I haven't settled yet on a new print book but I am leaning towards the newest Kate White book that I just received an advanced copy of.  I also just picked up a copy of Misery by Stephen King so I can join in with the read-a-long that is going on of it.  I'm a bit late to the game there but who cares? 

Plans for the day include laundry and basically nothing else.  I would like to get some blogging/commenting done.  I definitely plan on reading for a good portion of the afternoon.  And maybe I will take a nap later just because I can.  Ha!  Since I feel so out of the loop in the blogging world lately just tell me what you have finished most recently that shouldn't be missed.  I would love to know!!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!


Wednesday, June 3, 2015

The Daughter by Jane Shemilt (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"How well do you really know those you love?

Jenny loves her three teenage children and her husband, Ted, a celebrated neurosurgeon. She loves the way that, as a family, they always know each other's problems and don't keep secrets from each other.

But when her youngest child, fifteen-year-old Naomi, doesn't come home after her school play and a nationwide search for her begins, secrets previously kept from Jenny are revealed.

Naomi has vanished, leaving her family broken and her mother desperately searching for answers. But the traces Naomi's left behind reveal a very different girl to the one Jenny thought she'd raised. And the more she looks the more she learns that everyone she trusted has been keeping secrets.

How well does she really know her sons, her husband? How well did she know Naomi? If Jenny is going to find her, she'll have to first uncover the truth about the daughter she thought told her everything."


My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness, this book!  I have no words to express how this book made me feel other than it utterly wrecked me for other books for two days after I finished it.  I'm still thinking about this one and it is almost a week later.  This is one of those books that was just so haunting and engrossing and left me reading even when I didn't want to.  As a mother I feel like this one struck a chord with me from the very beginning.  What Jenny goes through is every mother's worst nightmare.  It is almost too terrifying to think about or put words to.  Yet I sat there and just could not tear myself away from the pages of this book.  I was utterly caught up in this family's lives which just goes to show you how much talent this author has.  She made me feel like they were a real family and I almost needed to remind myself that this was fiction.  Just a story.  But one that is going to stick with me for awhile and one that very well make my list of top reads for the year.  Wow!  That's all I can really say.  Just wow.

This one was by far one of the most intense reads that I have read as of late.  It was one of those books where when I got near the end I just sat down and read.  I couldn't have done anything else or set it down by that point.  I was just too invested in the characters by that point and needed to find the answers.  Was this a perfect read for me?  No it had a few faults but that made it a even better reading experience for me because of it.  I would have liked more answers in regards to Naomi's brothers and their "secrets".  I'm being vague there so it doesn't spoil anything and also because it is hard to put into words what I was looking for.  I just felt that there were other secrets that Jenny didn't know about that were alluded to but we really never got the answers for.  I did really, really love the ending of this one though.  There was a twist there that really took me by surprise.  Overall, this was one of the most engrossing reading experiences that I have had lately and I can do nothing but sing this book's praises!

Should my summary just be READ It?  I feel like it should be but I suppose I can give you a bit more.  This is a book that left me thinking about it, has me excited to talk about it with others (so you should really read it and we can discuss), and gave me a bookish hangover.  I am so excited that this is Shemilt's first book because that means we have more amazingness to look forward to!  This book left me gutted but in the best possible way.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A devastatingly good read!  Read it!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a TLC book tour.  Thoughts are my own!