She Started It by Sian Gilbert

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

I'm so lucky.  Our wedding was beautiful.  Small and sweet.  We had it in upstate New York, several of hubby's southern friends attended.  My parents took care most of the major arrangements, since we were 500+ miles away.  They talked to the church.  You had to attend multiple counseling sessions and had to agree to have no booze at the reception.  That was a deal breaker for my parents.  Instead, we got married in a little white church we had passed for years.  Built in the 1800's it was exactly what you picture when I say, "little white church".  The female minister was wonderful.  We had one counseling session, which was not only enjoyable but actually really helpful and at that point we had already been together for six years. Then there were the bridesmaids.  Four with an addition of a maid of honor.  That maid of honor and I were ready to leave for the church when she discovered she has lost my husband's wedding ring, of which she had been the custodian.  Mass panic ensued.  Me racing around the house, fully dressed in the poofy dress, vail flying everywhere.  Five women in full pink taffeta dresses and white gloves, scouring my parents' house for the ring while the limo waits to take us to the church. Did you ever see the movie "Clue" where they are all running around like nuts...that was pretty much it.  Only add my frantic parents, grandparents, cousin and photographer. When we were finally at the church waiting to go down the aisle when one bridesmaid announced when she saw my husband to be show up.  By that time, his attendance was the least of my worries!

I recently read She Started It by Sian Gilbert. This is the first book for this author, hopefully not the last.  I picked this out of my tbr pile, intending just to flip through it.  I was pulled into the story immediately.  This is about a group of girls who, as children, tormented another child named Poppy.  Years have passed and currently the girls are all grown women with careers and families.  Out of the blue, the tormentors as grownups received invitations to be Poppy's bridesmaids.  To start the festivities, they are invited to a hen party...an American version would be a Bridal Shower.  They are all invited with a first-class plane ticket to a private island, where everything will be luxurious. Suspicious but unable to resist a free trip, they all go. While the women attempt to not only figure out why Poppy would include them, they also try to move past previous deeds.  The reader becomes anxious to know when these mean girls did, which is discovered through Poppy's journal entries showing us their school days.

This book not only drew me in, but it surprised me.  This is the second "island" book I've read back-to-back.  I literally groaned when I realized the setting, yet I kept reading. There is a big twist at the end, which you may or may not see coming. I didn't.  What this book does that is so interesting is that it changes who you root for, sometimes back and forth.  Not necessarily easy especially when doing it by showing deeds of the past and present. I'm tempted to say more, but fear it is a bit of a spoiler.  The story while interesting and amusing from the very beginning, the pleasing part for a constant thriller reader will be the misdirection.  Done through the passage of time, and not unreliable narrator, it is an enjoyable read.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great day.

Have you ever been asked one of those "if" questions?  I'm sure you have.  One of the most popular is: "What would you take if you were on a deserted island?"  People always say something stupid, like my curling iron or my boyfriend or chocolate.  Ask me.  Go ahead.  Ask me.  "April, what would you take on a deserted island?"  A BOAT! Hmmm maybe a satellite phone, water, food, tools.  I shouldn't make fun of how people answer.  If you asked my nerdy but hunky husband, he would take his model trains and relish the idea of finally having peace and quiet to run them. Now THAT is the way to clean out a bunch of the house in one shot!

I recently read One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware.  I've been a big Ruth Ware fan.  I've read everything she has written and liked almost all, in fact, one of my all-time favorite books is The Death of Mrs. Westaway.  However, I realllllly disliked One by One. Thankfully, that was a fluke with me and my affection for Ruth Ware continues. 

One Perfect Couple is about couples that are going to a private island that is being made into a resort.  It hasn't opened yet and the structures and infrastructures aren't completed. Still, it's isolated and the tropical setting is considered optimal for a reality tv show. While the contestants don't really know what to expect, they are excited and happy to get started.  Everything appears bright as they are moved to the island on a yacht, then begin to experience the stunning island.  

The location quickly loses its beauty when a terrible storm hits, causing injuries and damage.  Suddenly the contestants find themselves cut off from any contact with the outside world.  The yacht with the production crew on board can't be found.  Their cell phones and all electronics had already been confiscated for the show.  Isolation quickly becomes very real, so does the need not to become a TV star but to actually survive.

While this book has a gracious plenty of characters, we begin by following, scientist, Lyla and boyfriend, actor, Nico.  The reader sees their audition process and their interworking as a couple.  While you might think the story as a whole has too many people to keep track of, don't.  You get the feel for who is who very quickly, as the characters are pretty unique from each other. The story moves quickly and like The Death of Mrs. Westaway, the setting becomes the biggest character.  Ware places you there giving just enough description to allow you to make the location your own, drawing you back into the story every time you stop reading.

A fun, gasp worthy book. Perfect for summer vacation, particularly a trip to the beach. 

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great day.

You already know that I don't discuss politics here, that I believe the people of a country are separate from their government.  We all essentially want the same things. There are good and bad people everywhere. Sometimes my mental list of bad people grows based on the quality of Christmas gift, but that is another story. Now, let us all take a deep breath, especially if you are in the United States, and sing Kumbaya, My Lord (yes, I had to look up the spelling). I want to discuss Disney. I hear your gasping! Oooh, what a bold, brazen, edgy topic.  Okay, I'm mocking myself but seriously, the company has been an issue here.  Anyway, Disney World, the park in Florida, is an amazing place. I love handmade things, so the creativity there just amazes me. It is a complete escape. If you can afford to go, just once, swallow your pride, put your politics aside, and go.  We have been several times.  You can do it from a value point of view, a moderate cost, or deluxe.  We didn't take any children so have been able to go the deluxe route (that and the fact that we rarely go anywhere). The hotels, while unbelievably pricey (like $745 a night minimum for deluxe), are vacation sites on their own.  What hotel do you know of that has a huge waterfall and a geyser?  Or what about animals roaming freely, where you wake up, wander out to your balcony and are faced with a giraffe? Rides are rides, but a small part of the whole experience. There are great rides everywhere, although Pirates is my favorite. You won't be bored. Next, the food. The quick serve, for a theme park, the cost is reasonable and the choices, many.  Not all cheeseburgers and fries but grilled salmon, rice and green beans, or grilled shrimp, or turkey, or tacos.  Yes, at a theme park. Then there are the sit-down restaurants.  Some have James Beard nominated chefs. One restaurant even has a Michelin star. The best part is the people.  The employees, I'm certain, don't get enough thanks. I can't tell you the kind treatment we have received. Waiters, giving up their tips in turning the table because they wanted us to see the fireworks from the California Grill when we were celebrating our anniversary. An employee taking special care of a fragile real gingerbread house I had purchased, allowing me to go into the parks. The people that have roles to play, even as wait staff.  The server yelling at my husband from across the restaurant, calling hubby "elbows" and telling him to get them off the table (it is part of the schtick).  Even though they are at the job they do every day, they recognize that you are on vacation, perhaps the only one you'll have that year.  Kindness and caring...it goes a long way, and surely creates wonderful memories. To the employees, a sincere Thank You!

I recently read Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren. This story is the loose retelling of Disney's Tangled. Ren, a 22-year-old with long beautiful blonde hair, was raised on a farm.  She has never experienced the things most young women have at her age.  She has never been to school, never had a cell phone, and never had a boyfriend.  Despite being well read, she is awkward with social situations. She lacks basic street smarts. When finally able to attend college, Ren jumps at the chance, despite her parents' stifling rules.  At school she meets shallow playboy, Fitz.  His wealthy, oppressive father holds tight reins on his son's activities.  Upset by something learned in a school experiment, Ren and Fitz travel across country.  As their horizons literally expand, so does their understanding of each other, leading them down unexpected paths.

This romantic comedy was enjoyable from beginning to end.  It grabs you from the first page and keeps the reader hooked and highly entertained throughout.  The characters are surprising yet well developed and the plotting is at a consistent pace.  Great when you need an escape and a chuckle, this book would make a great beach read. Very fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the review copy and the smiles. 

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having an enjoyable day.

I never sleep anymore.  I don't enjoy it.  I think it started with my mom insisting I take a nap when I was a kid.  I was old enough to be outside in the neighborhood playing with friends, when my mom would give a dinner bell ringing-ish yell to come home and take my nap.  Humiliating.  Not to mention I could hear my friends outside continuing to play without me.  Now, I can't sleep and I think it is stress and age related.  

Last night in the wee hours I was poking around Goodreads.  I noticed something odd.  People are putting reviews on books without having read them.  Some people were rating books five stars because they were really looking forward to reading it.  Seriously?  You haven't read it. What if I am considering the rating when I am picking a book?  I don't, but I'm sure lots of people do. Wait, strike that, reverse it.  I will consider reviews, not ratings.  I will still read books with a low rating.  What I am looking for in reviews are something that irritates me that I know will ruin the book for me, like repetitiveness, over and over (see what I did there...repeated the idea...sheesh...chuckle now, this is as good as it gets.... I don't sleep. Remember?). People were also rating a book one star when they don't have the book.  Rating it down because it was lost in the mail or arrived damaged.  Hellllllo, that has nothing to do with the author.  If you DNF (did not finish) a book because it wasn't for you, don't rate it low, just don't rate it.  Every book is not for every reader.  Now, if you DNF'd because of something specific, boring, slow pace, bad characters, etc., then you have a reason to rate lower. Once again, I'll get off my soap box.  You would think with all this complaining that my reading life is terrible, but by far the majority of books I read are fantastic.  The book review today is by hubby.  He has developed quite an affection for Beatriz Williams books.  They usually have a historic component, which he enjoys.  This one he grabbed before I could read it.

I recently read Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams.  Once again, this author takes us to New England beaches and exotic locales. The stages are set from pyramid to gilded age mansion and we have a front row seat as the lives of more of her strong women characters love those in their lives and fight for their loved ones and beliefs, in some cases no matter the dangers. As the back stories are revealed, often with a few surprises, we root for them and keep reading, hoping for happy endings along with them.

The pacing was good and the players well-composed.  Returning Williams fans will not be disappointed, and first timers will be searching for more of her titles.

Many thanks for Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. (And for keeping hubby happy!)

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great day.

Have you ever been a person who has been affected by infidelity in a relationship? If so, I'm sorry.  If you were the infideliter (yes, I'm making up new words, but you cheated, so naah...), anyway if you were the scoundrel who cheated, was it fun?  Just kidding.  I have to admit, I am tempted to say my husband cheated so that if my sisters read this, their heads would explode.  My husband is a big fan of "family". However, he has been ...let's see, how do kids put it these days?  Hubby has been hit on a lot, approached by women for you oldsters (like me). He grew up at the beach, had sandy brown hair, always had a tan, and was born oozing sand and salt water.  Catnip to Yankees. I remember once, he was approached by a woman in the dog toy aisle at PetSmart.  Good thinking, you get someone who is kind enough to have and care about a dog.  Settled enough to have a dog.  Genius really.  I aways thought if I was single, I would hang out in a bookstore.  Hey, at least you know the man can read.  Well, I didn't consider the magazine section, where I suppose you could just look at the pictures. Maybe I better stay married.

I recently read The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. This is the sequel to the book The Last Mrs. Parrish. While this current book is written as a standalone, your appreciation of the story will be greatly improved if you have read the first novel.  The first was a huge hit and a fun ride, so why wouldn't you?  In this next and final telling, we follow Darlene, Amber and Jackson again.  We learn about a new character from Amber's past, who also has an interesting history. Both books are about mental abuse, wealth, betrayal, and control.  

I don't want to say too much about the storyline, in case you want to read the entire two book series.  However, if you like psychological thrillers, you will be very intrigued. Both stories are well plotted, character driven fights for actual survival. Regarding The Next Mrs. Parrish specifically, it was a joy to be reunited with Darlene and Amber as justice is pursued, amongst the twists and turns. Very entertaining from beginning to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.  It was a pleasure to read and give you my views.

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a wonderful day.

Sometimes people and things aren't what you think.  The other day I was telling hubby about a trend that is driving me bonkers.  So many cooking videos claim to be the absolute best of something, like the best banana bread, the best meatballs, the best apple pie.  First of all, it strikes me as so arrogant to think you have the absolute best.  Second, it ticks me off that it is kind of insulting to my recipes and those I have inherited.  I mean, you put your cooking up against either one of my grandma's and we are going to have a huge problem.  The best?  You have no idea what good is, let alone the best.  Then these "cooks" give these methods that are a "must", often incorrect. Some take their hands from raw chicken and put them in another ingredient, like salt.  If you are a new cook, don't do that. Salmonella will have you puking for a week. Speaking of spreading illness.  There is this whole new thing where people say not to wash your whole chicken, that the force of the water spreads Salmonella all over the kitchen.  Tip one, turn down your water.  Blasting the heck out of a poor bird is not necessary. Next, have you ever seen what happens when chickens are killed?  They are often thrown in a vat with water, bodily fluids and feces.  Yes, I know you don't want to talk about poop in a book review and I completely agree I've gone off the deep end.  I have the new Peter Swanson book, so I know you'll stay.  My point is, if you don't GENTLY wash your chicken, your dinner is roasted chicken with a side of poop. Then there is the argument about salted verses unsalted butter.  How salted butter has more water.  It does, but if half a teaspoon of water throws off your cooking or baking, you've got way bigger issues. Okay, I know...the book, April, the book.  I'll get off my soap box.  I'll just say if there is one thing I've learned as I've been getting older, is that despite what I think I know, I actually know nothing. As far as your YouTube banana bread being the best, you are deluding yourself.  Something better is always out there.  Mostly my Grandma's!!!

I recently read A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson.  I have read and reviewed several books by this author and have enjoyed them.  This story is about a young woman, Martha, who has married Alan.  Although Martha felt she didn't really know her husband when they wed, despite being a little controlling, she felt he was a good man who cared for her deeply.  After approximately a year of marriage, she discovers what looks like blood on one of his shirts.  Alan is a salesman and frequently out of town.  Now Martha's mind is racing about the man she should know better and what happens when he goes to his conferences.  Could he be a murderer or is she the owner of a vivid imagination?  Martha enlists the help of an old college friend to help her investigate the possibility that she could actually be married to a serial killer.

This book frightened me.  Peter Swanson has always been a sure thing, an auto-buy.  This time I really had trouble getting into the story.  I don't know why.  The book was interesting from the first page.  One thing is that for the most part, the story is told by a different person's perspective in each chapter.  The chapters are not labeled, leaving the reader to figure out who is narrating.  Originally, I found it annoying, it broke my reading cadence, broke the spell.  After a while I realized it was being done on purpose and is part of the story.  Don't be like me, appreciate the construction of the story right from the beginning.  While the characters change with each chapter, they are all fully developed, interesting and often surprising.  The plot moves along at a pleasant pace, often hitting the reader with shocking Hitchcockian twists.  Once, about half-way in, I gasped so loudly my husband came running to see what was wrong.  Not that I noticed him, I could not look away from the book.  Now that is a good twist, and it was only one of many.  I learned my lesson, to trust Peter Swanson.  The novel I thought might be my nemesis, turned out to be a super fun, first class thriller.  

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy.  Of course, my views are my own.  (I'll try and channel someone else next time, if you want.) 

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

Hello everyone. I hope your day is wonderful so far.

I'm gonna be honest here.  I have no stories even remotely related to today's book.  Once you read it, you'll consider that a good thing. You know, whenever I say "a good thing" I immediately think of Martha Stewart.  Now that just bugs me.  Why should a few simple everyday words be owned by someone.  Okay, before you shake your finger at me, I know she doesn't own them.  It was just a slogan.  A good one if you ask me, here I am writing about it.  Hubby says I am an advertiser's dream.  I wouldn't say I am that influenced by ads but I am highly influenced by product reviews. This is particularly true at Sam's Club.  Those shoppers know what they are talking about.  I think he means because of jingles, look it up youngsters. I can't believe I'm old enough to call anyone youngsters, being 15 seems like yesterday. Anyway, I can sing you decades old Coca-Cola jingles, Band-Aids, Oscar Meyer, Libby's, lots more, even things like "the new Mount Airy Lodge." Now I want to take the Coke/Pepsi challenge. The other day I looked up who made my parents pretty bar glasses, with gold leaves on them.  Yes, back then in the caveman days, lots of people had a bar in their family room...don't you judge my parents.  If you knew my sisters you would consider my parents saints.  In addition, you'd be surprised that those glasses survive and aren't worn out due to the need for scotch and sodas.  Naturally, I was angelic.  Don't chuckle, that is absolutely true.  My point was the glasses were made by...drum roll please...Libby's. I'll be quiet and stop rambling (no cheering).

I recently read If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay. This is the story of several people and how their lives are connected Everything revolves around a terrible night five years ago.  Ryan and Ali are on a date, when they go to park in a remote area they are attacked.  Ryan is ripped from the car and hit over the head.  When he is lucid, he finds that not only is Ali missing but so is the car.  Ryan becomes encircled in a cloud of suspicion. Now, in the present day, people have moved on.  Ryan has changed his name and is in law school at Georgetown.  While on a group trip in Italy, he sees the man who attacked him and Ali.  Around the same time, Ali's car is finally found at the bottom of a lake in their hometown.  Ali isn't in the car but instead are the bodies of two unidentified men and a note in Ali's handwriting with "If something happens to me..." written on the envelope. Clearly this was more than a simple attack.

This wide and varied story comes together smoothly and easily.  It features short chapters, encouraging reading "just one more section." This makes for a quick read.  The book features several major twists, leading to a satisfying end.  An entertaining novel, Finlay's best so far.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy and fun ride.

By a show of hands, who remembers Crazy Eddie commercials? If you are a NYer, I know you do.  Afterall, his prices are "insane."  Okay, I'll stop...really... but I'm humming "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony...".