Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Title: Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Charlie Colbert is the editor-in-chief of a major magazine who seemingly has the perfect life. She's successful at her job and engaged to a wealthy heir to a publishing empire. One thing she's hell-bent on forgetting is an event from her past. A survivor of "Scarlet Christmas", Charlie suffers from memory loss and survivor's guilt. She wants nothing more than to move on but a relative of one of the victims wants to dig everything up. They want to release a movie about the events of that night.

Charlie doesn't want that to happen. She's afraid that the truth will come out about that night and the lies she has built her life on will unravel. She's desperate to stop the films release and is worried about the lengths she will go to.

Told from Charlie's point of view, the book alternates between the present and through the past. The past is told as Charlie has sessions with her therapist in an effort to recover the pieces of the past that she's forgotten. As the movie's release is announced it's a race to figure out what happened, and figure out why she's carrying so much guilt. Will the answers crumble her carefully constructed life?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were a few twists and turns that kept me guessing. The ending was okay, with everything tied up neatly, but it worked for this book. It's a solid debut novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for an advance reader copy of this book.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Title: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: August 6, 2024

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney that represents children involved in custody cases. She takes on 9 year old Rose Barclay as a client as a favor to her mentor, Charlie. Rose witnessed her nanny's fall from a window and possible murder and immediately stopped speaking. Charlie believes that since Stella went through a traumatic childhood herself that she is the only one who can reach Rose. Stella is reluctant but still vows to do all she can to help Rose.

As Stella starts her investigation at the Barclays home, she learns that everyone is a suspect, even little Rose. The father had affair and impregnated the nanny. The mother is uptight and has a sudden fear of anything glass so there is nothing glass in the house. The paternal grandmother seems to carry a hatred for her son. Rose has a collection of sharp objects. Stella has a feeling of dread every time she visits the home but she can't quite put her finger on the cause of it.

The more Stella investigates, the more memories of her own past trauma start to resurface. She decides to start looking into the circumstances surrounding her mother's death. Will she finally learn the truth? Will she be able to save Rose? Or is Rose the murderer?

This book was a real page turner and I finished it in a day. Stella's flaws make her a very believable and likeable character. The contrasts and conflicts between the mother and father were relatable as well. The ending was good.

The only complaint I have is regarding Stella's association with a police detective. I wish it had been fleshed out more. It felt a bit rushed and almost like an afterthought.

All in all this book was a great read. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance reader copy. 

The Intern by Michele Campbell

Title: The Intern by Michele Campbell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Madison Rivera is a law student with a problem. Her idol and mentor, Judge Conroy, has offered her an internship. It will look outstanding on her resume and bring her even closer to her dreams of becoming a lawyer. The problem? Her younger brother Danny has been arrested and the judge in his case is Judge Conroy. Does she divulge the truth to the judge and risk losing the internship? 

Madison lies. She has numerous opportunities to come clean but she doesn't. She tells herself she's doing it to help her brother but in reality she's being a bit selfish and looking out for her future career. While I appreciate the sentiment of doing anything for a sibling, Madison was also looking out for herself.

We soon learn that the judge and Madison had similar upbringings, and they form a strange bond over it. It's also revealed that the judge has her own secrets and Madison finds herself drawn into the intrigue whether she likes it or not.

The story is told from both Madison and Judge Conroy's point of view, in both past and present day. Both women appear to be fairly intelligent but are plagued by impulsivity and resulting bad choices. There were a few times I paused in reading to shake my head at them. Both characters are flawed and it's hard for Madison to accept that the judge isn't as perfect as she had thought.

This book is a fast-paced, easy read. Hints of lies, corruption and even a mob-like feel will keep you reading. It wasn't my favorite book this year but it's definitely a solid read.

Many thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

 

The Second Home by Christina Clancy

Title: The Second Home by Christina Clancy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Six months after her the death of both of her parents, Ann "Ann with a Plan" Gordon wants to sell the summer home that has been in her family for generations. There's no will but she has appointed herself the executor of the estate. She has only one thought, and that is to keep her estranged adopted brother Michael from having a benefit from the sale.

The book is told from the perspective of Ann, Poppy. and Michael and tells the events from the summer of 1999 and back to the present day. Ann is the take charge daughter, Poppy is the flighty free spirit, and Michael is the golden  boy who never quite feels as if he fits in. It is a bit too much about how much they fit into their neat character boxes, but not unbearable.

Something happens to Ann in the summer of 1999 and like a stone thrown in a pond, the ripples extend out and touch everyone and everything. The incident in question made me angry and had it been a physical book instead of a digital copy I would have thrown it. A well known and somewhat overused plot device was employed here. I understand that it was used to further the story and fuel the plot but I didn't like it at all.

Barring those two things, the overall story was good. It was a quick read, dark enough to keep you invested (because trust me, after that one plot point I almost wanted to give it up) but light enough to be a summer read. 

The characters, even though predictable, were well fleshed out. Where this author excels though is the setting descriptions. You can almost smell the salt and sulfur of the Cape. You can almost see the changes of the season in the landscape. You can almost feel the sand between your toes.

The Second Home is about coming home and reliving memories that may have been brighter when seen through the eyes of a child but are dimmed a bit as an adult. The memories are still yours and just as special. The Second Home is about more than just the house and the sale of it. It's about how "home" is really more your family and the connection you have to one another than a building.

I'm glad I stuck with this book until the end. The ending was quick but the plot was tied up nicely. This book will make a good summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to have a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

Mail Surprise

I checked my mail this morning and found a plain white package from a company simply labeled as TSI. I haven't been ordering anything but my birthday is coming up so I thought it was possibly a present. And what a present it proved to be!

I opened it and found this:

Cute, but I'm not, nor have I ever been married. That didn't stop me from opening it. I'm very curious at times. What was inside?

What you are looking at is a "letter" from Simon Fitch to his wife. The back of the small card has a recipe with another quick note from Simon. Inside the little tin? A soy wax candle with a heavenly pine scent.

I don't remember requesting this book but this beautiful package is from the creative geniuses in the St. Martin's Press promotional department. This is to promote a new book by D. J. Palmer called The New Husband which will be on sale 4/14/2020. Simon Fitch is one of the main characters.

I absolutely adore the presentation and the snippets of the book. I cannot wait to have #thenewhusband in my greedy hands to review. I sincerely wish all ARCs were sent to me in such a fun way. This also made St. Martin 's Press one of the dream publishers to work with if I ever publish my own work in the future.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press!

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

Title: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books

I was hesitant to read this book because it includes a child abduction and I'm the mom of two. Abduction is one of my biggest fears. I knew I would read it anyway because I liked a previous book from the same author and I am so glad I did.

A few seconds is all it took for Marin Machado's perfect life to fall apart. She's Christmas shopping in a place packed with people with her son Sebastian and is looking to buy that last perfect gift. He's tired and cranky and he wants a treat, she's tired and cranky and she just wants some caffeine. She lets go of his hand for a minute to answer a text and in an instant he's gone. Surveillance video shows that he left with Santa Claus.

Let that one sink in for a minute. Kids all over the world love Santa and think he's safe. Some wouldn't give leaving with him a second thought.

Move forward a year and a half later and the case is cold. The FBI has no new information. As frustrating as that is, it's the reality for many across the country. Marin and Derek are more like roommates than husband and wife. Derek seems to have given up on Sebastian as well as giving up on Marin. She is determined to find out what happened to her son, good news or bad. She hires a P.I. who comes to the same conclusion as the FBI, they simply have no leads to go on.The P.I. has discovered Derek's little secret however. He's having an affair with a younger woman named Kenzie.

This energizes Marin and gets her moving out of the rut she's been living in. The anger of betrayal fuels her. Her son may be gone and her life may be in shambles but no one is going to take her husband. This is one thing she CAN fix.

This book goes through a series of twists and turns from there. Marin goes about taking care of this younger woman in an unexpected way and once she sets the ball rolling the pace of this book kicks into high gear. All sorts of secrets are uncovered, from Derek to Marin to her best friend Sal to Kenzie. 

You simply cannot skim this book. There are a million little "secret" details hidden along the way that will make sense as the ending gets pulled together. This book was a well written puzzle that I read in one sitting because I just HAD to keep going. Mystery and thriller fans, this one is for you!

Many thanks to Netgalley.com, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for giving me and advance copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Next by Stephanie Gangi

Book Review: The Next by Stephanie Gangi

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

I requested this book because it said that it as a tale of love, revenge, and ghosts. That seemed to be right up my alley because I am such a horror nut. I’m disappointed to say that this is not what I got at all.

We start with Joanna DeAngelis who is at home dying from her second bout of Stage 4 cancer. As someone who’s had a mother with cancer this hit close to home. You would figure that at this time she would be home amongst her two adult daughters and trying to soak in their love while she still can. Instead she is obsessed with her phone, social media, and her ex-love Ned. Ned went out for groceries one day and never came back. When he turns back up he has a new celebrity girlfriend and a baby on the way and has become a minor celebrity himself.

When she passes away, all the rage and anger about her loss of Ned brings her back as a ghost. She’s a nasty ghost. She is selfish and heartless and bent on revenge. She is not a likable character at all and it makes me dislike the book that much more.

Instead of checking in on her adult daughters and basking in a second chance to get some more love from them she is intent on destroying Ned. It gets exhausting and draining to read.

I’m not going to spoil the ending of the book and will only say that I was dissatisfied. The last chapter or so did not redeem the whole of the book like it could have.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.