The Other Woman Review

 

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (August 21, 2018)
• ISBN-10: 9781250191984
• Order: BN * Amazon* Book Depository

HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.
BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.
AND SHE’LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

The Other Woman will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones’ chilling psychological suspense about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go.

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Tawney’s Review: I have not been immensely snared by a thriller to the point of binge reading since The Wife Between Us.

The Other Woman is a classic thriller that lures the reader in until the very last page. The characters are fresh and the mystery epic.. why does the mother-n-law hate the bride to be? Emily hasn’t had much luck in the whole relationship thing until she meets the alluring Adam. Boom love at first sight and an upcoming wedding! Yay…or maybe not.

Adam’s Mom Pammie has a mission, to end this romance before a wedding even happens. She was the perfect villain and the reader couldn’t help but loath her. And then their was Adam’s brother James who seemed to be perfect and friendly…until he made a move on Emily!

Emily was a lovable protagonist who you couldn’t help but connect with and root to have the perfect wedding. She was insecure and over analyzed everything but the flaws added to the depth of her character.  Pammie was the perfect antagonist. You could feel the love she had for her son and what it would take for her to stop this wedding.

The pace was quick and the plot twists kept coming keeping the reader on a wild rollercoaster of emotions and surprises. The anticipation of the buildup ending made my heart palpitate like a drum and I couldn’t turn the page fast enough. The tension was weaved throughout the book perfectly and I just couldn’t get comfortable because I had to know what would happen next!  It was just great to fall into a book enamored by each twist and turn of the page then to realize hours have past once you close it for the last time.

 

Should you read this? Yes! A riveting thriller that keeps you at the edge of your seat until the very last page.

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The XY Review by Virginia Bergin

 

From the author of H2O and The Storm―She’s been taught to fear him. He’s been taught to fear her. What if they’re both wrong?

In River’s world, XYs are a relic of the past, along with things like war and violence. Thanks to the Global Agreements, River’s life is simple, safe, and peaceful…until she comes across a body in the road one day. A body that is definitely male, definitely still alive. River isn’t prepared for this. There’s nothing in the Agreements about how to deal with an XY. Yet one lies before her, sick, suffering, and at her mercy.

River can kill him, or she can save him. Either way, nothing will ever be the same.

Order book here!

 

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This book sparked my interest at post-apocalyptic world ruled by girls!

Due to a virus that has killed of most of the men of the world it is now run by women. Those men that did survive must live a life of serving the women and repopulating the world by providing sperm. Our MC River has never known of boys or men and has never seen one until she comes upon a very sick boy.

River doesn’t expect him to survive because the virus is brutal but of course he does! And thus comes the mystery of why did he survive this virus? River’s mom and grandma want to keep it a secret and not tell their village, given this changes everything. But is it a good thing since the world is better off peaceful?

A female driven world may be peaceful but it has its flaws. Poor healthcare and education exist. Women are dying. Which to me seemed a little disappointing, like women can’t be doctors or educators? They can’t provide for the world without men?

This story did grab my attention right away. I just couldn’t connect with River. She whined a little much but she did grow by the end of the story. The pace was a bit slow until toward the end of the book but it was interesting.

Should you read it? Yes, unique perspective in a post-apocalyptic world.

 1/2

 

 

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Virginia Bergin is the author of H2O, which The Horn Book Magazine called “Inspiring.” She lives in Bristol (UK). Visit her online at virginiabergin.com and on Twitter @VeeBergin.

 

WEBSITE • GOODREADS • TWITTER

 

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Kill For Me Spotlight

I am a fan of thrillers.

Today’s spotlight is a thriller about an assassin which just adds intensity to a good thriller!

Let’s take a look at Kill For Me!

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Lethal assassin Victor lands in the middle of a Guatemalan cartel war in the latest nonstop thriller from the international bestselling author of The Final Hour.

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…

Victor is the killer who always delivers…for the right price. And Heloise Salvatierra, patron of Guatemala’s largest cartel, is ready and willing to pay him just that to eliminate the competition: her sister. Heloise has been battling Maria for control of the cartel in an endless and bloody war. Now Victor decides who survives. An easy job if it weren’t for the sudden target on his back.

…AND THEIR ENEMIES CLOSER.

Victor’s not the only one on the hunt. Someone else has Maria in the crosshairs and will do anything to get the kill. In the middle of cartel territory with enemies closing in from all sides, Victor must decide where to put the bullet before one is placed in his head….

Order the book here!

 

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I have yet to read the other books of this series but I am now a fan. You don’t need to read the other books to enjoy this 8th installment of Victor the Assassin series. It was very interesting to get into the mind of a character who is hired to kill people.

To be an assassin you have to be intelligent, manipulative, narcissistic and bold and that is just who Victor is! He is one dangerous man you don’t want to mess with…like John Wick. The story was great and descriptive in detail and the action took the pace to a full level of edge of your seat reading. I highly recommend this book as I will be checking out the rest of the series.

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About the author:

Tom Wood is a full-time writer born in Burton-on-Trent, and who now lives in London. After a stint as freelance editor and film-maker, his first novel, The Hunter, was an instant bestseller and introduced readers to a genuine antihero, Victor, an assassin with a purely logical view on life and whose morals are deeply questionable. Tom is passionate about physical sport, being both a huge boxing fan and practising Krav Maga, which has seen him sustain a number of injuries. He has not, however, ever killed anyone.

Find him on: Website, Twitter and GoodReads.

Little White Lies Review

Happy release day to Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Let’s take a look at the book then my review!

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• Series: Debutantes (Book 1)
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1368014135

 

“I’m not saying this is Sawyer’s fault,” the prim and proper one said delicately. “But.”

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother’s “society” might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father’s identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn’t expect to find is friendship, but as she’s drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn’t the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother’s glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer’s search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off.

Order here!

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Tawney’s Review:  A great mystery with tons of family drama Big Little Lies hooked me from the beginning.

I love when multiple mysteries are swirling together in a book. It was a fun book with the pace easily taking the reader on a swift ride. I did have a hard time keeping track of all the characters but then again it is a debutante ball.

The ending was a little disappointing but this was a perfect YA thriller that seemed more age appropriate. Not too over the top on the scandalous dramas or mysteries. It was a fun read and having the MC as an auto mechanic and so tomboyish and thrusting her in a debutante ball reminded me of the movie Miss Congeniality. I like it!

I loved the humor in this novel especially with Sawyer. The reader just couldn’t help but connect with her and like her fun, bold, appealing persona. It was very entertaining. The only draw back was keeping track of all the characters and I don’t know how Barnes did that!

Should you read it?  Yes, a fast read that has fun characters and twisting mysteries.

 1/2

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Dead Girls Don’t Dance Release Day Blitz

I am so excited that DEAD GIRLS DON’T DANCE by H.G. Lynch is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author H.G. Lynch, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a super cute sugar skull clutch, courtesy of H.G. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

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Title: DEAD GIRLS DON’T DANCE

Author: H.G. Lynch

Pub. Date: November 2, 2018

Publisher: H.G. Lynch

Formats: eBook

Pages: 33

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

What would you do if you woke up dead?

Gabriella remembers only parts of dying. She knows when she wakes up in a casket that she didn’t survive the crash.

But being dead doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the afterlife.

Antonio is mysterious, lonely, and charming. Fortunately, he’s dead too.

With only two days before the end of the Day of the Dead festival, they have to figure out how to catch a murder, avoid the Grim Reaper, and get their Spirits to the Other Side before the Gate – between the living world and the realm of the dead – closes for another year.

Check out the Book Trailer

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Excerpt:

I felt dead. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it felt like, but I knew the moment I woke up that I wasn’t alive anymore. It was a sort of inner silence, the lack of my body’s natural mechanisms ticking and tocking – no heartbeat, no gurgling stomach, no wheezy lungs.

Scattered around my casket were bouquets of flowers – rich golden marigolds and butter yellow chrysanthemums. The air smelled of their sweet perfume, and of sugar.

I sat up, my body stiff and cold. Looking around, I saw I was surrounded by headstones, each garnished generously with orange flowers, fine decanters of wine or brandy, and plates of cookies shaped like skulls.

The cemetery was also full of people. Men and women with brightly painted faces, in lavish clothing, knelt by the headstones, chatting, drinking, and sharing food. As far as I could tell, mine was the only open grave.

Curious, and tired of sitting in a hard casket, I tried to stand. But my body wouldn’t co-operate. It was like I had no balance. Grabbing onto the sides of the casket, I carefully got my legs under me, and then used the side of the hole to pull myself up.

It was easier than I expected to haul myself up over the lip of the hole and onto the grass. It was as if the muscles in my arms didn’t care how much I weighed.

Sitting on the edge of my own grave, I looked around to see if anyone had noticed me climbing out of the hole, but nobody was looking my way.

 

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About H.G.:

H.G. Lynch is a Paranormal Romance author from Scotland. She is an avid reader, and cat-lover. She spends most of her days writing, while wrestling her cat off her laptop. She loves horse-riding, Star Trek, and snow.

 

Her books are dark paranormal romances.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a sugar skull clutch.

Enter HERE!

 

Wicked Reads Blog Tour: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Dia de los Muertos spotlight

 

Welcome to a spooctacular time called the Wicked Reads Blogger Campaign!

PeguinTeen is running such the fun blog tour Wicked Reads Blogger Campaign. Perfect for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos. Bloggers had to pick from a selction of candies, which each candy had a book associated with it. We had to wait for our package to see what book correlated with our candy. I picked jolly ranchers and got the book Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and it’s sequel.. surprise!

Thanks to @PenguinTeen for this amazing WickedReads package!

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Let’s take a look at the book!

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng (pronounced She-fung) is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her.

Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng’s majestic future. But is the price of greatness too high? To claim her place beside the Emperor, Xifeng must cast aside Wei, the young man who has longed to marry her since childhood. And darker still, she will have to embrace the callous magic that runs through her veins–magic fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed–for the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is complete.

Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with both breathtaking pain and beauty, FOREST OF A THOUSAND LANTERNS possesses all the hallmarks of masterful fantasy–dazzling magic, heartbreaking romance, and a world that hangs in the balance.

Order the book here!

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Today is a special day, not only is it my birthday…

but it is the Mexican Holiday Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead.  The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere, especially in Arizona where I’m from. It is a multi-day holiday, starting with October 31st All Saints’ Eve, November 1st All Saints’ Day and ending November 2nd All Souls’ Day, that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to support the spiritual journey of friends and family members who have died. It is a time for prayer and rememberance of loved ones. If you have seen Disney’s Coco then you know about Dia de los Muertos. (I LOVE THIS MOVIE)

This holiday honors the dead and shouldn’t be associated with Halloween. It is not for scare or horror but for remembrance of loved ones lost. Recently it has become popular for people to dress up in painted skull faces and decorative outfits to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.

Families make colorful alters in their homes for their deceased loved ones. It can be decorated with flowers, candles, and favorite food of the deceased.

The festivities can continue to the cemetery where families have picnics, play music or even spend the night to celebrate the loved ones they lost.

Living in Arizona has made me fall in love with the Mexican culture and this holiday. It’s even special because it’s our birthday and my twin sister and I love to celebrate it and remember our loved ones.

 

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for letting me be part of this!

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Follow the rest of the tour here by candy!

Sour Patch Kids

October 29 – A Warrior’s Library – Creative Instagram Picture

October 30 – Jo Loves to Read – Creative Instagram Picture

October 31 – Under the Book Cover – Characters: Costumes and Trick-o-Treat Candy

November 1 – The Page Mistress – Unboxing + Creative Instagram Picture + Sour vs. Sweet Post

November 2 – YA Bibliophile – Halloween Recipe

Twizzlers

October 29 – Read with Allison – Dream Halloween Party + Guests

October 30 – The MegaNerd – Inspired by the book: Pumpkin Decorating

October 31 – Bookbabe88 – Creative Instagram Picture

November 1 – Jena Brown Writes – Creative Instagram Picture + Halloween costumes based on a few characters from the book

November 2 – Treestand Book Reviews – Unboxing + Spooky Game

 

Jolly Rancher Sticks

October 29 – A Court of Coffee and Books – Spooktacular Book Reading Party

October 30 – Cheyenne.Reads – Photoshoot in a historical cemetery

October 31 – The Bibliophagist – Creative Halloween Picture +  Characters: Friends or Enemies

November 1 – Book Fidelity – Snack + Drink Recommendations

November 2 – Twinning for Books – Dia de los murtos: Day of the dead spotlight with fun gifs and spooky facts about the holiday

Swedish Fish

October 29 – Bookwormgram – Spooky Halloween/Autumn Creative Instagram Picture

October 30 – The Review Room – Moodboard + Playlist

October 31 – Books coffee and repeat – Creative Graphic

November 1 – Page travels – Creative Instagram Picture

November 2 – Kat’s Books – Horror Movie Listicle

Snickers

October 29 – Bookish Lifestyle – Haunting Creative Instagram Picture + Truth or Dare Game

October 30 – Tenacious Reader – Digital Blackout Poetry

October 31 – live.laugh.love.library – Halloween themed picture + Listicle

November 1 – Sarcasm & Lemons – Aesthetic Board

November 2 – Fangirl.Bookgram – Halloween themed Creative Instagram picture

 

What They Don’t Know Review

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
• ISBN-10: 1492672653

 

Three secrets. One decision. A friendship that will change everything.

Mellie has always been the reliable friend, the good student, the doting daughter. But when an unspeakable act leads her to withdraw from everyone she loves, she is faced with a life-altering choice―a choice she must face alone.

Lise stands up―and speaks out―for what she believes in. And when she notices Mellie acting strangely, she gets caught up in trying to save her…all while trying to protect her own secret. One that might be the key to helping Mellie.

Told through Mellie and Lise’s journal entries, this powerful, emotional novel chronicles Mellie’s struggle to decide what is right for her and the unbreakable bond formed by the two girls on their journey.

Order Here!

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Tawney’s Review: This was a very emotional book that drew me in immediately.

 

I will warn readers that this book does discuss rape and if you have a hard time with the subject it might not be for you. In the first chapter you find out that Mellie was raped and is pregnant. She is considering her options but belonging to a large family with a father running for mayor and part of a very strict Christian church who is pro-life she might not have many. She has always followed her family beliefs but after the rape her eyes are opened to a whole different world.

Lise is fierce with her beliefs and standing up for people. She used to be friends with Mellie until they were driven apart due to Mellie and her church’s belief. Now Lise wants to help Mellie. Told in alternating views of each girl the reader follows a journey of two very different girls that are brought together under tragic circumstances.

This book was very realistic on a horrid subject and the struggle teenage girls go through each day. I deeply connected with both girls. Lise and Mellie both had to deal with different problems but in the end they came together to help one another. The author does a wonderful job at making the characters real and playing with the reader’s heart.

Should you read it? Yes! A beautifully tragic book every teenager should read regarding some tough subjects with a dramatic story of friendship and how we are not alone in the world.

 

FYI: I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own