Book Review: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Title: None of This is True

Author: Lisa Jewell

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Pages: 390

Publisher: Atria Books

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. 

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie has been listening to Alix's podcast and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can't resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly, she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix's life- and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family's lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?"

My Rating: 5/5

It's been a long time since I finished an audiobook so quickly. I often listen to audiobooks when I'm driving or doing chores, but I was finding more chores to do to keep reading this book. The twists, the turns, the podcast elements. The time jumps, different perspectives. All of it was doing exactly what I wanted. I loved this. I cannot recommend the audiobook enough.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight

Title: The Outliers

Author: Kimberly McCreight

Series/Standalone: The Outliers Series

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller 

Pages: 336

Publisher: HarperCollins

Year Published: 2016

Format: Hardcover (Own It)

"It all starts with a text: Please, Wylie, I need your help.

Wylie hasn't heard from Cassie in over a week, not since their last fight. But that doesn't matter. Cassie's in trouble, so Wylie  decides to do what she has done so many times before: save her best friend from herself.

This time it's different, though. Instead of telling Wylie where she is, Cassie sends cryptic clues. And instead of having Wylie come by herself, Jasper shows up saying Cassie sent him to help. Trusting the guy who sent Cassie off the rails doesn't feel right, but Wylie has no choice: she has to ignore her gut instinct and go with him.

But figuring out where Cassie is goes from difficult to dangerous, fast. As Wylie and Jasper heard farther and farther north into the dense woods of Maine. Wylie struggles to control her growing sense that something is really wrong. What isn't Cassie telling them? And could finding her be only the beginning?"

My Rating: 2/5

I knew nothing about this book going in (a trend, I know) and it was odd. THe beginning I was hooked, the middle I was a little bored, and the end I was just left wondering what the hell I had read. Not necessarily in a good way. I think that this book in many ways reminded me of Maximum Ride mixed with mystery and a tinge of thriller. Needless to say, not for me and I won't be continuing with the series. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Title: Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Author: Elle Cosimano

Series/Standalone: Finlay Donovan Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Cozy Mystery

Pages: 355 

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Finlay Donovan is killing it... except, she's not really She's a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay's life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn't written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she's mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet.... Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a rea-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.

My Rating: 4/5

This is such a fun concept. I love the idea that someone gets thrown into a world they know nothing about and watch them figure things out (almost floundering a few times). It has an excellent cozy mystery vibe and if the concept sounds interesting to you it's definitely worth the read. I would also say that the audiobook was excellent. The only reason that it lost a star for me is I felt it lagged a little in the middle.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

Title: The Only Survivors

Author: Megan Miranda

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Adult Fiction

Pages: 339

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A decade ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennesse ravine- a tragedy that claimed the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. The nine students who managed to escape the river that night were irrevocably changed. A year later, after one of the survivors dies by suicide on the anniversary of the crash, the rest of them make a pact: to come together each year to commemorate that terrible night.

To keep one another safe.

To hold one another accountable.

Or both.

Their annual meeting place, a house on the Outer Banks, has long been a refuge. But by the tenth anniversary, Cassidy Bent has worked to distance herself from the tragedy and from the other survivors. She's changed her mobile number. She's blocked the others' email addresses. This year, she is determined to finally break ties once and for all. But on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary attached: another survivor is gone. Now they are seven- and Cassidy finds herself hurling back toward the group, wild with grief- and suspicion.

Almost immediately, something feels off this year. Cassidy is the first to notice when Amaya, the annual organizer, slips away, overwhelmed. This wouldn't raise alarm except for the impending storm. Suddenly, they're facing the threat of closed roads and surging waters... again. Then Amaya stops responding to her phone. After all they've been through, she wouldn't willfully make them worry. Would she?

And- as they promised long ago- each survivor will do whatever he or she can do to save one another. Won't they?"

My Rating: 5/5

Right after I thought to myself that maybe this author's writing wasn't for me, I picked up this one and I LOVE it! Megan Miranda's ability to write a creepy and unsettling environment is really unmatched by any other author I've read in this genre. It's always the part that ties me in. And this one had the twists and turns to match! It kept me on my toes, it made sense by the end but the differing p.o.v.s, the plot and just the building sense of unease that is worked on throughout the books is what made it a five star for me! Would highly recommend!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

Title: The London Seance Society

Author: Sarah Penner

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adult

Pages: 352

Publisher: Park Row

Year Published: 2023

Format: Audiobook

"A spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.

1873. At an abandoned chateau on the outskirts of Paris, a dark seance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister's death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London's exclusive Seance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves..."

My Rating: 2/5

After reading The Lost Apothecary by this author I was quick to pick up this one once it was available at my library. Unfortunately, it didn't give me the same feelings as her debut. The characters didn't grab my attention as quickly and the concept wasn't what I expected it to be. It was fun, but I felt that I knew where we were going from fairly early on. If you are looking for a historical mystery with twists and turns everywhere this might not be for you. If you are in it for the historical ideas about seances I think it would be a great pick for you. I don't think this book was for me but I hope that others find enjoyment in Sarah Penner's writing. 

-Sidny

Book Review: The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

Title: The Last Housewife

Author: Ashley Winstead

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult

Pages: 385

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook (Own Paperback Copy)

"From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.

While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tiny Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death- delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader- she begins to suspect that the past she ]thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.

Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes also consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it- both inside the cult and outside of it- is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?"

My Rating: 5/5

This was such a great audiobook! I would highly recommend the audiobook if you're interested in the content matter as it helps the podcast feel alive. This book contained a lot of subject matter that I find interesting. Interesting in the way i find true crime interesting. I know that it's probably not a healthy thing to be curious about but it's just one of those things for me. I am always curious about how cults start, how they end up where they do and what makes people start them or even join them along the way. This delivered on the mystery aspect of these ideas and the use of a podcast to link it together was perfect! I would highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Fade Out: Act 2

Title: The Fade Out: Act 2

Author: Ed Brubaker

Artist(s): Sean Phillips (Artist) 

Series/Standalone: The Fade Out Series (Volume 2)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Historical, Mystery

Pages: 120

Publisher: Image Comics

Year Published: 2015

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"Act Two of the acclaimed Hollywood Noir from the best-selling team of Brubaker and Phillips."

My Rating: 2.5/5

This instalment felt like filler for a three-volume graphic novel series. I will be finishing the series, but I anticipated something else. It's just ok. Not something I could recommend at this current time.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Fade Out: Act One

Title: The Fade Out: Act One

Author: Ed Brubaker

Artist(s): Sean Phillips (Illustrator) & Elizabeth Breitweiser (Colourist)

Series/Standalone: The Fade Out Series (Volume 1)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Mystery

Pages: 120

Publisher: Image Comics

Year Published: 2015

Format: Paperback Copy (Library)

"Brubaker and Phillips' newest hit series, The Fade Out, is an epic noir set in the world of the noir itself, the backlots and bars of Hollywood at the end of its Golden Era. A movie stuck in endless reshoots, a writer damaged from the war and lost in the bottle, a dead movie star and the lookalike hired to replace her. Nothing is what it seems in the place where only lies are true."

My Rating: 2.5/5

This was a fun introduction to the series and I liked the idea of the setting. I didn't anticipate how quick it would be to read and I wonder how quickly the writer will be able to wrap up the plot line. I'm curious about how all the characters weave together and what happens next, but overall it was just fun. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

Title: Such a Quiet Place

Author: Megan Miranda

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Adult

Pages: 337

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Welcome to Hollow's Edge, where you can find secrets, scandal, and a suspected killer- all on one street.

Hollow's Edge use to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow's Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby's back

With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow's Edge, and into the home she shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she's terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?

Within days, suspicion spreads like a virus across Hollow's Edge. It's increasingly clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of Truett's murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer's next victim."

My Rating: 2/5

I was excited to read more by the author and I don't think that this was a great place to start again with this author. But it wasn't for me. It felt very anticlimactic throughout the book. The characters felt unreal to me and there were too many of them to keep track of. That being said the atmosphere was creepy and that worked for me. I do plan to read more from the author in the future. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Title: Pretty Little Liars

Author: Sara Shepard

Series/Standalone: Pretty Little Liars Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery

Pages: 286

Publisher: HarperTeen

Year Published: 2006

Format: Paperback Copy

First Line: "Imagine it's a couple of years ago, the summer between seventh and eighth grade."

"EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE- ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS SPENCER, ARIA, EMILY AND HANNA

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling."

My Rating: 3/5

Before anyone asks, no I have never watched the show, so I don't know anything about this series and that's how I plan on keeping it as long as I'm reading this brain candy book. This book is deeply problematic, very early 2000s, and over the top. I flew through it because of the content, but I acknowledge that it isn't the best thing I've ever read. It's fun, and addicting. If you like rich people drama but want it crossed with an ABC and CW style show level of drama I would recommend it. Also, does anyone know how closely the TV show follows the books?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Title: The Family Upstairs

Author: Lisa Jewell

Series/Standalone: The Family Upstairs Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Thriller, Adult Fiction, Mystery

Pages: 340

Publisher: Audiobook

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she's been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London's fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby's life is about to change. But what she can't possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well- and she is on a collision course to meet them.

Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone. 

The can't-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This was so close to a five stars for me. I always enjoy reading a book that has a culty style setting. It's something that I find very interesting to read about. The author does a wonderful job of writing an atmospheric telling of both the past and the present. I enjoyed the different p.o.v.s but I thought that the ending wrapped up a little too neatly for a thriller/mystery. I do plan on reading the second book, but I'm not sure how the author is going to draw out the thrilling aspect even more.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Open Season by C.J Box

Title: Open Season

Author: CJ Box

Series/Standalone: Joe Pickett Series (Book #1)

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Western

Pages: 278

Publisher: Putnam

Year Published: 2001

Format: Audiobook

"Joe Pickett is the new game warden in Twelve Sleep, Wyoming, a town where nearly everyone hunts, and the game warden- especially one like Joe who won't take bribes or look the other way- is far from popular. When he finds a local hunting outfitter dead, splayed out on the woodpile behind his state-owned home, he takes it personally. There had to be a reason that the outfitter, with whom he's had run-ins before, chose his backyard, his woodpile to die in. Even after the 'outfitter murders,' as they have been dubbed by the local press after the discovery of the two more bodies, are solved, Joe continues to investigate, uneasy with the sy explanation offered by the local police.

As Joe digs deeper into the murders, he soon discovers that the outfitter brought more than death to his backdoor; he brought Joe an endangered species, thought to be extinct, which is now living in his woodpile. But if the word of the existence of this endangered species gets out, it will destroy any chance of InterWest, a multi-national natural gas company, building an oil pipeline that would bring the company billions of dollars across Wyoming, through the mountains and forest of Twelve Sleep. The closer Joe comes to the truth behind the outfitter murders, the endangered species and InterWest, the closer he comes to losing everything he holds dear."

DNF @ 58%

My Rating: 1/5

I honestly have no idea why this was on my TBR at all. I thought I knew what I was getting into. I started it, I thought I would like it and the whole time I was just bored. Since Chick-Lit (unfortunately) is still a term we use, this is Boy-Book. This is something I think my friends' dads would like but I wasn't interested in the least. I would not recommend it if you like the style of books I enjoy, but if it intrigues you, you might as well try it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Final Gambit

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series/Standalone: The Inheritance Games (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Pages: 400

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"Avery's fortune, life and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about. 

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life and the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help- and whose presence in Hawthorne House can change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake- and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This was a fun audiobook and I think that if you can binge this series it's a great time. My issue might have been that I left so much time in between each installment (as I waiting on library copies). I love the idea of this and how the mansion plays into it. The idea of becoming so incredibly rich practically overnight and walking into a mansion filled with competitive/strategic family members is so fun for me. I think I would enjoy this more if it were an adult, but that is my own issue.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: If We Were Villains by M.L Rio

Title: If We Were Villains

Author: M.L Rio

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult, Mystery

Pages: 354

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail- for a murder, he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of the seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless."

My Rating: 5/5

I had tried to pick this book up physically. Still, due to the different use of language (Shakespearean quotes thrown throughout), I had a lot of trouble distinguishing who was who and put it down shortly after starting. I saw that my library got an audiobook version and this was the last chance I was giving this novel. Now if you told me that I would have rated this a 5-star book I would not have believed you. I was leaning towards 4.5 stars until the final twist. I wasn't ready for how this was going to finish. I would strongly recommend the audiobook it is EXCELLENT! I hope to read more work by M.L Rio. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Title: As Good As Dead

Author: Holly Jackson

Series/Standalone: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Book #3)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 459

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"The New York Times Bestselling Series The highly anticipated finale to the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, the instant bestseller that reads like your favorite true crime podcast or show. By the end of this mystery series, you'll never think of good girls the same way again...

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She's used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can't help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her. Who will look for you when you're the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six year ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself- or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle... and if she doesn't find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears."

My Rating: 4/5

I was not expecting that this series would have so many ups and downs. I was concerned after the last one about how they would continue this series. I thought that we would be following a far different case and yet the author did an excellent job of tying the stories and town together. There are so many well-written characters and the plot took a turn I was not anticipating. I did anticipate the first twist for the most part but by the end, I was in shock at where the author was taking us. Overall, a tremendous series and I would read anything else the author publishes, especially thrillers/mysteries.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Title: Miracle Creek

Author: Angie Kim

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Pages: 355

Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"How far will you go to protect your family? Will you keep their secrets? Ignore their lies?

In a small town in Virginia, a group of people know each other because they're part of a special treatment center, a hyperbaric chamber that may cure a range of conditions from infertility to autism. But then the chamber explodes, two people die, and it's clear the explosion wasn't an accident.

A showdown unfolds as the story moves across characters who are all maybe keeping secrets, hiding betrayals. Was it the careless mother of a patient? Was it the owner, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? could it have been a protester, trying to prove the treatment isn't safe?"

My Rating: 4/5

I want to start by saying I can understand the backlash towards this book. There are aspects that are problematic. And I think that you have to keep in mind that the author isn't out here believing that autism can be cured. She is writing about things that she has researched and has turned aspects of people's lives into a mystery. Again this is fiction. She is writing about a mystery/thriller surrounding a fictional tragedy and how society's expectations play into a courtroom drama.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series/Standalone: The Inheritance Games (Book #2)

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult

Pages: 380

Publisher: Penguin

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Intrigue, riches and romance abound in this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Inheritance Games perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all her questions- including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she's not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnet Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions and there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture- by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike."

My Rating: 3.75/5

I think this second installment was fun. We picked up right after we left off in the first book which I was grateful for. I liked the growth in our characters and how the author upped the stakes in this second volume. I will finish the series, but it's hard to get ahold of the audiobooks, so it will be a while before I can continue on. I love audiobooks and would strongly recommend them. Overall, a fun read, just not my new favourite like I had hoped.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: He Started It by Samantha Downing

Title: He Started It

Author: Samantha Downing

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Adult, Mystery

Pages: 383

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2020

Format: Hardback (Library Copy)

First Line: "You want a heroine"

"Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons- we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and- more importantly- secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory- a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car- and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone."

My Rating: 5/5

This is my first Samantha Downing book and I'm obsessed. As for all thrillers/mysteries, I don't read the synopsis for them in full ever. I might skim, but if it's mentioned by a booktoker or a booktuber I like I will just pick it up. I can't remember where I saw this one, but someone brought it up and I was psyched that I hadn't heard much about it. Let me say I get the hype behind Samantha Downing. Her twists and turns were well written, her characters were fascinating and the story itself was gripping. I would highly recommend if you're into family thrillers and different timelines p.o.vs.

I'm looking forward to reading more of her work, and hope to continue on with audiobooks as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Title: Big Little Lies

Author: Liane Moriarty

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction

Pages: 460

Publisher: Berkley Books

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook

"A murder... A tragic accident.. Or parents behaving badly? What's indisputable is that someone is dead.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. SHe's funny, biting and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughter, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal."

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely ran through this novel, this audiobook had the perfect mix of tone and the multiple points of view kept the story going and interesting. Although this does contain many difficult subjects and sensitive topics I felt as an outsider looking in that they were well done. I was impressed by the author's ability to maintain the tension throughout the story and keep me guessing as to who was dead at the end of the book. I would strongly recommend the audiobook and it lives up to the hype. I plan to watch the adaptations as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Title: One of Us Is Lying

Author: Karen M. McManus

Series/Standalone: One of Us Is Lying Series (Book #1)

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller

Pages: 416

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This was fun. Teen drama, murder, and thrilling gossip. What more could you ask for? It was exactly what I wanted for the moment. It wasn't the best book/thriller I've ever read, and I saw some of the final twists coming, but overall it just was fast-paced. If you're looking for a great CW style teen drama book, I would recommend it. I look forward to continuing with the series. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny