Waiting on Wednesday / Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog that I really enjoyed blogging about in the post, so I thought I would bring it back!  Below is this week's pick!

A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times-bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a novella trilogy.

Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.

But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but he’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late…

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

Expected Publication:   6th August 2024

Publisher:  DAW

Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203914630-full-speed-to-a-crash-landing

Series or Stand-Alone:  Chaotic Orbits, Book 1 

Genres:     Science Fiction and Romance 

Book Review / In A Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern

Finding your way is never a simple journey…

Alice sees the worst in people.

She also sees the best.
She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.
Every. Single. Day.

But it’s the dark thoughts.
The sadness. The rage.
These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her.

Where will the journey to find herself begin?

Published:  13th April 2023

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Goodreads :  Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Fiction, Contemporary and Romance

MY REVIEW

I wish I would have loved this more than what I did.  I have been following this author right from the beginning and loved most of her novels, but there's something about the newer novels that are just not 'my thing' and I'm struggling to put a pin in exactly why.  I struggled to get into this one and found it hard to keep my interest to be honest.  That's not to say that the writing style wasn't good, it was, but it was just the story wasn't for me.  Immediatley after finishing reading this, I forgot all about it and what was going on in it.  

Would I recommend...  If you wanted to try a Cecelia Ahern book I would recommend starting with some of her earlier work rather than this one.  That's not to say you shouldn't give this a go but start somewhere else first to get a feel for her writing style. 

 

Book Review / Zero Days by Ruth Ware

 

Ruth Ware returns with this adrenaline-fueled thriller about a woman in a race against time to clear her name and find her husband’s murderer.

Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their suspect—her.

Suddenly on the run and quickly running out of options, Jack must decide who she can trust as she circles closer to the real killer.

Published:   20th June 2023 

Publisher:   Simon & Schuster / Scout 

Goodreads :  Click here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Thriller, Suspense and Mystery

Pages:   356 pages, Hardcover 

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  A very interesting read indeed.  For me, the suspense was the best part of this thriller.  You follow, mainly, Jack who breaks into buildings to test companies security systems, with her husband working the tech side of it.  There were certainly a lot of twists and turns in this story and certainly a few that I weren't expecting.  Anyone is a suspect!

What I didn't like about this story...  This took a bit to get into at the start but once the suspense stated to build up I was fully invested.

Would I recommend...  A great thriller, with a slow start but great twists in the story.  Would recommend but if you are reading Ruth Ware for the first time I would probably start with her backlist first.  

Book Review / The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies

A stolen sister. A daughter determined to uncover the truth.

Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a host of sophisticated new friends and admirers. But Belle is haunted by a mystery from the past - a 25 year old newspaper clipping found in her parents' belongings after their death, saying that the Hattons were leaving Rangoon after the disappearance of their baby daughter, Elvira.

Belle is desperate to find out what happened to the sister she never knew she had - but when she starts asking questions, she is confronted with unsettling rumours, malicious gossip, and outright threats. Oliver, an attractive, easy-going American journalist, promises to help her, but an anonymous note tells her not to trust those closest to her. . .

Belle survives riots, intruders, and bomb attacks - but nothing will stop her in her mission to uncover the truth. Can she trust her growing feelings for Oliver? Is her sister really dead? And could there be a chance Belle might find her?

Published:  28th February 2019  

Publisher:  Penguin

Goodreads :   Click here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Historical Fiction, Romance and Mystery

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  There is just something about this author's writing that both draws me and keeps me in its grasp with its beautiful descriptions and plot that I never want to leave it.  This is one of those books.  The best part of this book (and, honestly, every book I've read so far by this author) is the atmosphere she builds with the descriptions of locations and characters that paints such a colourful picture in my head.   Also, with this story, you have the added mystery of what happened to the sister that Belle never knew that she never had.

Would I recommend...  Absolutely!  If you are fan of historical romance and mystery pick this one up now!  If you are new to this author, this book is a good a place than any to start.

 

Book Review / The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jefferies

 

Dinah Jefferies' stunning new novel is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds...

1952, French Indochina. Since her mother's death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family's involvement shocks her to the core...

Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she's always dreamed of. But who can she trust in this world where no one is what they seem?

The Silk Merchant's Daughter is a captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam.

Published:   1st January 2016

Publisher:   Penguin

Goodreads :   Click here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Historical Fictional and Romance 

Pages:   400 pages, Hardcover 

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Yet another absolutely beautifully written story by Dinah Jefferies.  At the fear of repeating myself too much with this author but what draws me in each and every time is the beautifully written descriptions of locations and characters.  This time we are in Vietnam, a place that I have not visited but certainly feel like I have now with the way this book was written!  A wonderful story about family dynamics and love amongst the backdrop of the lead up to the Vietnam war...

Would I recommend...  100%  If you love historical fiction or would like to try - get this in your hands now!

Book Review / Cujo by Stephen King

 

Librarian note: An alternative cover for this ISBN can be found here.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine . . . He was not a werewolf, vampire, ghoul, or unnameable creature from the enchanted forest or snow wastes; he was only a cop . . .

Cujo is a huge Saint Bernard dog, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. Then one day Cujo chases a rabbit into a bolt-hole. Except it isn't a rabbit warren any more. It is a cave inhabited by rabid bats.

And Cujo falls sick. Very sick. And the gentle giant who once protected the family becomes a vortex of horror inexorably drawing in all the people around him . .

Published:  1st January 1981

Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton

Goodreads :   Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Horror, Fiction, Thriller and Suspense

Pages:  432 pages, Paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this book...  I am going to be completely honest here, I am not a big fan of dogs.  It's not that I don't like animals, I do, but I've never gravitated towards dogs that much ever since I was a kid and having been constantly chased down by the neighbour's dog!  So, with that in mind, I wasn't too hyped about picking up this book and reading about dogs but it's Stephen King so I completely trusted his writing to not let me down and he didn't!  I felt all the emotions for this poor dog - happy, sad, frustrated and horrified.   If ever I was tempted to put a book in the freezer because it was too creepy and scary, this one was it for me.  That said, I didn't want to put this down and at a reasonable size of 432 pages for Stephen King I nearly did that had it not been for the fact that I needed sleep!

Would I recommend...  Absolutely!  Very sad, creepy and horrific in places (and sometimes all at the same time)!

Waiting on Wednesday / This is Why We Lied by Karen Slaughter

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog that I really enjoyed blogging about in the post, so I thought I would bring it back!  Below is this week's pick!

The next thrilling suspense featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton from Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and After That Night!

Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer…

A secluded cabin retreat

For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.

A murderer in their midst

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying….Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves.

Who killed Mercy McAlpine?

It soon becomes clear that normal rules don’t apply at McAlpine Lodge, and Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step at every turn. Trapped on the resort, they must untangle a decades-old web of secrets to discover what happened to Mercy. And with the killer poised to strike again, the trip of a lifetime becomes a race against the clock…

Expected Publication Date:  20th August 2024 (UK)

Publisher:  William Morrow

Pages:   464 pages, Hardcover

Genres;  Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense and Crime

 

Book Review / Memories of the Lost by Barbara O'Neal

 

An unsuspecting artist uncovers her late mother’s secrets and unravels her own hidden past in a beguiling novel by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Months after her mother passes away, artist Tillie Morrisey sees a painting in a gallery that leaves her inexplicably lightheaded and unsteady. When a handsome stranger comes to her aid, their connection is so immediate it seems fated, though Liam is only visiting for a few days.

Working on her own art has always been a refuge, but after discovering a document among her mother’s belongings that suggests Tillie’s life has been a lie, she begins to suffer from a series of fugue states, with memories surfacing that she isn’t even sure are her own. As her confusion and grief mount, and prompted by a lead on the painting that started it all, Tillie heads to a seaside village in England. There, she hopes to discover the source of her uncanny inspirations, sort out her feelings about Liam, and unravel truths that her mother kept hidden for decades.

The fluidity of memory, empowering strength of character, beauty of nature, and love of family braid together in this artful tapestry of a novel.

Publication Date:  30th July 2024

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing

Goodreads : Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Netgalley Review Copy 

Genres:     Fiction, Contemporary

Pages:  279 Pages, Ebook

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  I had to read this novel in one sitting.  I could not put it down.  An excellent start with introducing all of the characters both in the US and in England and the twists in this story truly surprised me both in following Tillie as she discovers a secret that had long been buried and the way the story ended in the last few chapters.  I loved every part of this novel.

What I didn't love about this story...  This is more than likely something that I have missed in the story but there's something that is mentioned at the beginning about discovering something buried but I don't remember hearing the outcome of that.  It may be that there was no outcome and nothing further mentioned apart from the discovery but I think I missed the part where we found out what happened.  I may have to re-read this at some point to figure out what I missed...

Would I recommend... Most definately!  If you are a fan of Kate Morton and Lulu Taylor do pick this up and give it a go.  Although this does not have a split story between past and present, it does have a split story between characters that I would highly recommend.  I will absolutely be picking up more books by this author.

Book Review / Yellowface by R F Kuang

 Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang's novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

Published:  16th May 2023 

Publisher:  William Morrow

Goodreads :  Click Here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Thriller, Contemporary and Mystery

Pages:  336 pages, Hardcover 

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  This was such a fun quick read.  I read this in one sitting, in one afternoon.  I don't think I've come across many novels where I both really dislike and like a main character, at the same time.  Although June knows what she is doing is morally wrong, she does it anyway, so when things start to not go so well she kind of deserves it to be honest but that doesn't mean I don't want things to work out well for her.  There were not a lot of surprises in this book but I still had a really great time.  

Would I recommend...  A fun thriller to read on a rainy afternoon.  Nothing complicated but great.  

Book Review / The Thousand Lights Hotel by Emylia Hall

 

The Thousand Lights Hotel is the gorgeous new novel from Emylia Hall, author of Richard & Judy Summer Pick The Book Of Summers. Set in idyllic Italy, it's the perfect holiday read, for fans of Louise Douglas and Hannah Richell.

When Kit loses her mother in tragic circumstances, she feels drawn to finally connect with the father she has never met. That search brings her to the Thousand Lights Hotel, the perfect holiday escape perched upon a cliff on the island of Elba. Within this idyllic setting a devastating truth is brought to light: shaking the foundations upon which the hotel is built, and shattering the lives of the people within it.

A heartbreaking story of loss, betrayal, and redemption, told with all the warmth and beauty of an Italian summer.

Published:   1st January 2017

Publisher:   Headline Review

Goodreads :   Click here

Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone

Source:  Bought

Genres:     Romance

Pages:   304 pages, Paperback

MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...  The description of both the location and the characters that transported me directly to Italy and want to stay there.  Such a beautifully written story.  There's just something about a family drama or mystery that always draws me in and this story was no different.

What I didn't like about this story...  This was one of those stories that immediately when I finished it I couldn't quite remember what I had just read.  There was no staying power with the story with this one.  If I picked this up to read again I probably wouldn't have remembered much.  This may be a me thing rather than the story, though.  Also, at 304 pages I would have loved to have more of the story and follow the main character for a bit longer...

Would I recommend...  This was an ok read.  If this is your thing, do pick it up.

Waiting on Wednesday / By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Waiting on Wednesday was a weekly memo that is hosted by Breaking the Spine Blog that I really enjoyed blogging about in the post, so I thought I would bring it back!  Below is this week's pick!

Two women, centuries apart--one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare's plays--are both forced to hide behind another name to make their voices heard.

In 1581, Emilia Bassano--like most young women of her day--is allowed no voice of her own. But as the Lord Chamberlain's mistress, she has access to all theater in England, and finds a way to bring her work to the stage secretly. And yet, creating some of the world's greatest dramatic masterpieces comes at great cost: by paying a man for the use of his name, she will write her own out of history.

In the present, playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. Although the challenges are different four hundred years later, the playing field is still not level for women in theater. Would Melina--like Emilia--be willing to forfeit her credit as author, just for a chance to see her work performed?

Told in intertwining narratives, this sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire asks what price each woman is willing to pay to see their work live on--even if it means they will be forgotten.

Expected Publication Date:  20th August 2024 (UK)

Pages:  544 Pages, Hardcover

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Book Review / Song of the West by Nora Roberts

 

Former Olympic gymnast Samantha Evans and her twin sister Sabrina have chosen very different directions in life, but they are still as close as sisters can be. So when Sabrina begs her twin to help out during her pregnancy, Sam leaves her big city life behind for the countryside.

Sam thought she knew what to expect on her sister's ranch. But she wasn't expecting to find gorgeous but infuriating Jake Tanner - or have to deal with his teasing. Sam tries to keep her distance, something keeps pulling her back. Perhaps there's more to Jake than meets the eye . . .

Published:  1st April 1982 (republished 4th March 2021)

Publisher:  Piatkus

Pages:  141 Pages, Paperback

Genre:  Romance, Contemporary, Westerns and Fiction

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  The romance.  Full stop.  There's just something about a Nora Roberts romance that always get me, every single time.  Even though this story is only 141 pages, it still packs a punch in the romance department.  For me, this story was all about the characters.  You have sisters and then you have the introduction of Jake Tanner...

What I didn't like about this story...  I would have loved for this story to have been longer with the relationships and romance being drawn out longer, or even if this was a series of books following each character, that would be amazing.

Would I recommend...  Highly!  A great romance ideal for a rainy Sunday afternoon (or any other day of the week that takes your fancy!)

Book Review / The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson

 

Book 2 in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner Series

In this spectacularly devious novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson—featuring the smart and complex Lily Kintner from his acclaimed novel, The Kind Worth Killing—a private eye starts to follow a possibly adulterous husband, but little does he know that the twisted trail will lead back to the woman who hired him.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity becomes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a “for sale” sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth.

Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive.

Published:  7th March 2023

Genres:  Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense and Crime

Pages:  303 pages, Hardcover

Publisher:  William Morrow

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...    Peter Swanson is one of those authors that I get so excited about a new book coming out and an author that I will always buy his books to read irrespective of whether or not I know what the book is or not.  As with most of Peter's novels, I could not put this down and needed to know what would happen next.  The best part of this novel was following the characters and seeing how they dealt with the roadblocks thrown into their path on their journeys.    

What I didn't like with this story...   I went into this story pretty blind and without having re-read the first book in this series, A Kind Worth Killing.  Although I don't think that you necessary need to read that first book to appreciate this second one but, from my experience, I would recommend it.  I felt that since it had been a while since reading the first book I had forgotten a lot about it and the main characters, so would have probably enjoyed this story a lot more if I had.  That's not to say there isn't a really good 'summary' in this book to catch you up but, for me, its not the same as actually reading the books together.  I do play to re-read both at some point. 

Would I recommend...   This is a great novel, but I would strongly recommend reading book 1 first before delving into this one.  

Book Review / The Hike by Lucy Clarke

 

Wish you were here?
Think again . . .

Maggie, Liz, Helena & Joni. Old friends bound by history, adventures, old secrets.

And now, bound by murder.

They lace up their hiking boots for the adventure of a lifetime in the Norwegian wilderness: a place of towering mountains, glass-like lakes, log cabins and forests stolen from a fairytale.

It’s the perfect place to lose yourself – until a broken body is found at the bottom of a ravine.

Somewhere out there, someone knows exactly why a woman has died. And in this deep, dark wilderness, there’s a killer on the trail . . .

Published:   27th April 2023

Pages:  384 pages, Hardcover

Genre:  Thriller, Mystery, Suspense and Crime

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...   For me, the suspense was the best part of this book.  What were the old secrets between the friends?  What was going to happen on the hike?  Had something else already happened?  Just could not put this down.  Honestly, I read this in one sitting!  There's something about this author's writing that makes me just not want to stop reading!

What I didn't like about this story...  Despite being extremely addicting and the fact that I had so many questions, there were no real surprises for me in this story.  What I had suspected turned out to be right.  

Would I recommend...  This was a great story.  I would recommend picking this up with no knowledge of the story before going in like I did.  

Book Review / Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

Published:  31st March 2022

Publisher:  Doubleday

Genres:  Historical Fiction, Romance and Feminism

MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  There's something about a historical fiction novel that keeps drawing me in and attracting my curiosity.  This was such a fascinating book to read.    I wasn't sure what to expect when I first went into this but this story is so much more than just a woman who wants to work in Science and Chemistry and because of circumstances out of her control she ends up working in a cooking show applying science to cooking.  For me, the most fascinating part of this book is the interactions between the characters and how men in that time period perceived what women should be (seen and not heard) and that they should not be in the work place.  Of course, this book made me very angry reading about the main character being treated this way but loved how Elizabeth dealt with this.

Would I recommend...  A very serious subject dealt with in a very light hearted and humorous way.  Would highly recommend.