Book Review / Happy Place by Emily Henry

 Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

MY REVIEW

Published:   25th April 2023

Publisher:  Berkley

Genres:   Romance, Contemporary and Chicklit

Pages:   400 pages (Hardcover)

What I loved about this story... This story was so much fun to read.  I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting on a cloudy and rainy English summer afternoon.  What I am loving the most about the majority of the books by Emily Henry, including this one, is the fact that she makes me feel.  Feel for the characters and the situations.  I was so invested in both the main characters and the other characters that were along for the ride also I really wanted to see things work out in the end.  

What I didn't like about this story...  Honestly, there's nothing.  I loved this book.

Would I recommend...  Yes!!  If you are looking for a fun non-complicated read about romance and drama this is one to pick up.   If you haven't tried a Emily Henry book before, honestly I would recommend you try Book Lovers first as that one is an excellent introduction to her writing, but read this one straight afterwards!

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Book Review / Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

 

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 the Truetts’ 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.

Goodreads Link:-   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55711642-such-a-quiet-place

Genres:-  Mystery, Thriller and Suspense

Publisher:-  Simon & Schuster

Pages:  337 pages (Hardcover)

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  The best part of this story would have to be the suspense build up for me.  So many questions going on that I needed to have the answer to, which made it very difficult to put the book down!  Just following all the drama with Ruby and what she was going to do next, or finding out all about her strange behaviour...

What I didn't love about this story...  Honestly, this was such a slow reading book I did find it frustrating at times when I wanted the plot to move faster (as most thrillers usually do to pick up the pace) it just didn't go any faster.  It may be me and not the book but also it may be the book and not me.  

Would I recommend...  This was good fun and definately worth a pick up, but do be aware of the slow pacing which may distract from the plot at times.  

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Book Review / The Dead Zone by Stephen King

 

Stephen King's fan-favourite thriller. Also available in audio for the first time, read by Academy Award nominee James Franco.

The two things that conjured up that horrible night, were his run of luck at the Wheel of Fortune, and the mask...

Meet Johnny Smith. A young man whose streak of luck ends dramatically in a major car crash. Followed by blackness. A long, long time in cold limbo.

When he wakes up life has been turned upside down. His fiancée has met someone else. And Johnny is cursed with the power to perceive evil in men's souls. He's had these hunches since he had an ice-skating accident as a child. Now he has an ability to see into the future. An ability which will bring him into a terrifying confrontation with a charismatic, power-hungry and dangerous man...

Goodreads Link:-   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11356787-the-dead-zone

Genres:-  Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal and Mystery

Publisher:-  Hodder & Stoughton

Pages:  530 pages - Kindle Edition

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...   I just could not put this book down.  The plot sucked me in right from the beginning when we meet Johnny and everything was going right, when he went on a date to the crash right the way through to the very last page.  The suspense in this story, for me, was everything.  I needed to know what was going to happen next and whether Johnny was going to get back the luck he had at the start.  At 530 pages it was certainly a challenge but I managed to read this in 2 sittings over 2 days and that's an achievement for me!  

What I didn't like about this story...  Absolutely nothing.  Loved this from the first page to the very last

Would I recommend... Yes 100%  For those who are not so keen on the style of graphic horror you get with Misery, this is an ideal one to pick up.  I would call this more of a triller, science fiction mystery rather than a horror to be honest.  

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