Category Archives: Standalone

Dark, Psychological Thriller, Standalone

#REVIEW – The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

Leave a comment
A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.
A page-turning debut of suspense about a young couple desperate to have a child of their own—and the unsettling consequences of getting what they always wanted.
Christopher and Hannah are a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. All that’s missing is a child. When Janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, Christopher forms an instant connection with her, and he convinces Hannah they should take her home as their own.
But Janie is no ordinary child, and her damaged psyche proves to be more than her new parents were expecting. Janie is fiercely devoted to Christopher, but she acts out in increasingly disturbing ways, directing all her rage at Hannah. Unable to bond with Janie, Hannah is drowning under the pressure, and Christopher refuses to see Janie’s true nature.
Hannah knows that Janie is manipulating Christopher and isolating him from her, despite Hannah’s attempts to bring them all together. But as Janie’s behavior threatens to tear Christopher and Hannah apart, the truth behind Janie’s past may be enough to push them all over the edge.



This book was insane!
I kept messaging a friend, losing my mind over this story. I tried predicting things and for the most part, I was wrong.
This book left me enraged at parts. I have to say that I haven’t had an emotional response to a book like this in such a long time, it was nice and definitely needed.
The story follows Hannah and Christopher who foster-to-adopt a little girl. Janie had been neglected and abused to the point you feel sorry for her right? Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
Without giving too much away, I have to say that this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Yes there were parts that made me mad, I yelled at the characters, had to put the book down at times to collect myself and was ripping my hair out (not literally) trying to figure out what was going to happen next. I couldn’t read fast enough.
This book is one that will stick with me for a while. So much so that it even gave me nightmares, which has only ever happened one other time while reading.
If you have triggers, please please please go into this book with caution. It’s not light and fluffy. It’s not a romance. Things happen and things are mentioned in detail, so please be careful while reading this book.
My only beef is how it ended. But I’ve come to learn that most of Lucinda’s books end in a certain way. I’m still so used to romance books that I find that I’m always looking for an epilogue. So that’s just me and it doesn’t change my love of this book at all.
If you’re looking for an unputdownable read, a book that will have you guessing and unable to turn the pages fast enough, pick up this book.
My mind is still reeling from it.

Apocalyptic, Review, Sci Fi, Standalone, Suspense, Writers on the River Attending Author, Zombie

#WOTR21 – #Review – Outbreak: A Zombie Novel by L.C. Mortimer aka Sophie Stern

Leave a comment

Outbreak: A Zombie Novel

Emily thought she could survive the apocalypse and save her sister from hordes of undead. She was wrong. By the time she found her sister, it was too late. All hope was shattered. Heartbroken and disillusioned, Emily returns home. There’s just one problem: her haven is no longer empty. Someone has moved in.

Neil was a leader long enough to know when to cut his losses. Surviving in the city was one major loss. He gathered his friends and hoofed it to the forest. He knew there would be abandoned farmhouses and plenty of land. The fewer inhabitants before the apocalypse struck, the fewer zombies to deal with after.

The house they find is incredible. It’s isolated, well stocked with food, and Neil even finds a few loaded guns. Soon it becomes obvious that the home isn’t as empty as they originally thought, however. When the owner returns, she demands that Neil and his friends move out. She seems to have no problem with the idea of tossing them out on their asses, but there’s a major problem.

A storm is coming, and it carries with it a greater threat than just zombies.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I received this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Zombies! Need I say more? This is a standalone novel that gives you a bit of everything. There are so many emotions that are part of this journey, and everyone has their own story with their own demons to fight. This story brought a rag tag group of travelers together and they almost made it work. You know that saying “When it rains, it pours”? Well, just when this group seems to catch a break, the sh!! hits the fan. The characters are very relatable. They are regular people like you and me who were trying to figure life out. Then, BAM! They are forced to survive. Each character’s back story will humble you. It’ll really make you wonder what would really happen and how would you handle it. Each had their vices and crazy as it may seem, they even had some happy times during the Z apocalypse. This story will make you laugh, will give you the warm and fuzzies, and some of it can be a bit gory. Best of all, you will NOT see what is coming and are definitely not ready for the end. I swear that when I finished this book, I had one of these moments that just made me sit there, like wow, that happened. I had a book hangover! I am still going over this in my head going, how could that have happened? Seriously, you need to read this!

L. C. Mortimer

L.C. Mortimer likes zombies, shifters, and things that go bump in the night. When she’s not busy dreaming up her next story, Mortimer can be found dancing, traveling, or curled up with a cozy mystery.

Part of a Series, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Mister Manhattan (Cocky Hero Club) by Alexandria Sure

Leave a comment

My Thursday afternoon meeting was a no show. Imagine my surprise when a drenched, flustered brunette slipped into the booth across from me, acting like she was supposed to be there.

When she slipped back out with a snappy goodbye, I never thought I’d see her again.

Until I walked into my Friday morning meeting.

At first, I didn’t recognize her—she was dry this time. But from the look on her face, she recognized me.

When she gave the worst pitch I’ve ever sat through, I thought my boss, and mentor, was going to show her the door—except he accepts the proposal and tells me we have to work together.

I didn’t anticipate I would like her, let alone be interested in her. Sure, she was hot and sassy.

But something about her rubbed me the wrong way.

And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

So, when she leaves the room and her phone chimes with a new text, I knew I wasn’t supposed to look.

I also knew I wasn’t supposed to cancel her date for later that evening.

And I definitely knew I wasn’t supposed to delete the entire exchange, so she had no idea what I’d done.

But I did. And then I showed up at the restaurant, pretending like this was all a big coincidence.

When the date is over, I want more. I need more.

We start pretend-dating because she needs practice, and I tell myself, New York’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, that this is just a bit of fun.

What could possibly go wrong?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53153433-mister-manhattan?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=j3wNrNKlEI&rank=4

Amazon https://amzn.to/37fR1DQ

Review by Twinsie Dee

I was given this book by the author for an honest review

Jurnee went to New York to experience life and practice date for 6 weeks he to try and pitch an idea of opening a single coffee shop. After getting caught in the rain on her way to her first blind date and then him being rude as can be she doesn’t even know what to do. Well when she lands a business meeting with a huge firm over her coffee shop she runs into her date there and wonders what i going on. Anderson is a high most influential bachelor in New York, and tried very hard not to end up in the tabloid so he live a very low key life if at all possible. But when Jurnee coming into his life and she has no idea who he is and he starts to wonder if she is real at all he has never met a woman who didn’t know who he was or wanted his money. Will they both be able to lower there walls that were built after past breakups and things that were said to them and be able to actually be happy or will it blow up in their faces. Thi book was so good i loved it from the beginning Jurnee’s sass and determination just files off the pages and Anderson’s cocky swag flies off as well i loved it so much.

Alexandria Sure is from Michigan and adores her supportive family, her two rescue pups, and her mighty Spartans. Her coffee obsession leads her to writing in local coffee shops where characters come alive between salted caramel lattes and large cups of “cold brew extra cream two Splenda,” which are usually on the counter when she walks in because the baristas know her car. (Thanks, Biggby!)

When she is not writing, she spends a great deal of her time perfecting her craft. She is an active member of Capital City Writers Association and attends several writing conferences each year.

Sure’s first novel, Before Him Comes Me, is an unconventional romance of self-discovery, described by readers as “the first BDSM book with no sex.”

Psychological Thriller, Standalone

#Review – The Best Of Friends by Lucinda Berry

Leave a comment
An unthinkable tragedy forever changes a group of teens and turns family against family in this edge-of-your-seat thriller that begs to be read in one sitting.
Best friends Lindsey, Kendra, and Dani endure every parent’s nightmare when a tragic accident befalls their teenage boys, leaving one dead, another in a coma, and a third too traumatized to speak.
Reeling from the worst night of their lives, the three mothers plunge into a desperate investigation of the bizarre incident. How could something so horrible happen in their wealthy Southern California suburb?
They soon discover that the accident was just the beginning, and troubling discoveries lead to chilling questions: Do they really know their children? Do they even know each other? As more secrets surface, a fog of doubt and suspicion threatens to poison their families, their friendships, and the whole community.
With the illusion of happiness and safety long gone, these women must now confront the hazards of heartbreak, the consequences of jealousy, and the dangers of living double lives.

I just…wow….I have no words. This is my 3rd book by Lucinda Berry and I’m obsessed. I thought I loved the other books I read by her but this one is my absolute favourite thus far.

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare and more.

This book follows three families. They were all friends since they were kids. Grew up in a small town together. Everyone knows everyone, kind of thing. Their kids played together, grew up together too, went to the same schools, played on the same teams, etc.

One night a horrible accident takes place and it’s a case of “Who did it and why??”

As the story unfolds, we of course find out that these families are harboring secrets outside of the horrible accident that took place.

An abusive husband.

A husband looking for a companion outside of his marriage and kids.

A wife who gave her kid meds without her husband knowing.

So many secrets.

So many lies.

I enjoyed the different perspectives and I also liked seeing the hidden drama outside of that accident. It showed how real they are. As the chapters went on, I found I was glued to the pages near the end, trying to figure out what was going on. I can’t even tell you how many times I gasped. The characters’ raw emotions bled onto the pages.

But when I read that last paragraph, I was like “Whaaaaat????” I did not see that coming. It’s one of the many things I love about Lucinda’s books. I can’t predict them. At all. And I’m not complaining in the least.

Standalone, Thriller, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Amusement by Albany Walker

Leave a comment

She’s everything I shouldn’t want, but exactly what I crave.

She bleeds innocence the way I radiate darkness. The moment she walked into my club, she was mine. She just didn’t know it. I’ll be the one to ruin her, and she will love every second.

Innocence lost can’t be regained.

My life seems rather simple from the outside. I’m the devoted daughter to a former rodeo champion. I never wanted to follow my mother’s footsteps into the arena. My boots are firmly planted in the dirt on our family farm, but an accident changed everything.Now I spend my nights on a stage, and my days in the barn. Dancing has paid the bills for the past two years, but no one knows my secret. Or so I thought.

Amusement is the darkly sweet duel POV stalker romance you didn’t know you needed

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53908799-amusement?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=eupSRY9UgG&rank=9

Amazon https://amzn.to/3wvVrBI

Review by Twinsie Dee

I bought this book and this my honest opinion

Oh my i can’t even put into word how amazing this book was. So Lucy is the sole provider for her family after her mom was in a car accident and couldn’t work so at 18 he did what she had to do she just didn’t know it would be working at a strip club, but the rule was they could look but couldn’t not touch her. She was doing whatever she could to make sure she could pay the bills to keep her family ranch. One day at the store she ran into Rafe and he was determined to get to know her to get her to be his. Little did Lucy know that he already knew way more about her then she knew and he was stalking her to make sure no one else would have her. Will Rafe get what he want without her finding out who he truly is or will Lucy run in the other direction. This story was wow it kept me in on my toes with each page, I’m so glad I choose to get this book it definitely wont be the last time I read Albany’s books

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters

Age Gap, Part of a Series, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #seriestarter Makin’ Bacon (homegrown cafe 1) by Mellanie Szereto

Leave a comment


The women of The Homegrown Café Book Club are over 40, single, and loving it. Fate, however, has a different plan with a younger man for every last one of them.

Divorcée Tate Madison wasted fifteen years of her life with a liar and a cheat. Now she’s returned to her hometown to open The Homegrown Café, find a sperm donor, and spend time with her family and new friends. Encouraged by her fellow middle-aged book-club buddies, she begs a favor from her younger brother’s best friend—father the child her ex-husband denied her. Complications abound when she discovers she’s attracted to the man who wasn’t supposed to be more than an anonymous profile at the clinic.

Pig farmer Jim Cochon knows all about in-vitro fertilization, but he’d rather do things the old-fashioned way with the irresistible redhead he’s wanted to marry since he was five. Too bad she refuses his proposal the morning after their attempt to make a baby. He’ll have to convince her second chances are worth taking when happily-ever-after is at stake.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55738894-makin-bacon?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IrzaId05VG&rank=3

Amazon https://amzn.to/34Q7pK7

Review by Twinsie Dee

I bought this book and this my honest opinion

Tate just got out of a 15 year long relationship/ marriage after trying hard for a child but finding out not only had her husband been lying to her, and cheating on her but he also went and got a vasectomy without her knowing. No wonder she wasn’t able to get pregnant, so she got divorced and went back home to open a restaurant. Well little did the pig farmer who had a major crush on Tate since he was 5 know that she was back in town. Jim was Tate’s little brother’s best friend and was head over heel in love with her and she thought he was the perfect donor for her to get a kid from. Will she get the sperm she’s hoping for or will he think she’s crazy and run for the hills. This was such a cute small town story.

 

When her fingers aren’t attached to her keyboard, Mellanie Szereto enjoys hiking, Pilates, cooking, gardening, and researching for her stories. Many times, the research partners with her other hobbies, taking her from the Hocking Hills region in Ohio to the Colorado Rockies and the Adirondacks of New York. Sometimes, the trip is no farther than her garden for ingredients and her kitchen to test recipes for her latest steamy tale. Mellanie makes her home in rural Indiana with her husband of thirty-four years and their son.

 

Psychological Thriller, Standalone

#REVIEW – Appetite For Innocence: A Dark Psychological Thriller by Lucinda Berry

Leave a comment
Be careful what you post online. Your next check-in might lead him right to you…

A serial rapist is kidnapping teenage girls. But he’s not interested in just any teenage girls—only virgins. He hunts them by following their status updates and check-ins on social media. Once he’s captured them, they’re locked away in his sound-proof basement until they’re groomed and ready. He throws them away like pieces of trash after he’s stolen their innocence. Nobody escapes alive.

Until Ella.

Ella risks it all to escape, setting herself and the other girls free. But only Sarah—the girl whose been captive the longest—gets out with her. The girls are hospitalized and surrounded by FBI agents who will stop at nothing to find the man responsible. Ella and Sarah are the key to their investigation, but Sarah’s hiding something and it isn’t long before Ella discovers her nightmare is far from over.

Fans of The Butterfly Garden and The Girl Before will devour Appetite for Innocence

Warning: Contains sexual violence which may be a trigger for some readers.



This book was insane. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen and how it would end because I knew that there was going to be a twist of some sort.
The book is written in both Ella’s point of view along with Sarah’s. We learn how Ella was taken by “John” and how Sarah was conditioned over the years. Both of their stories are tragic in the same way but also different. Sarah had been with John for four years, ever since she was 12 years old. So of course, it makes sense for him to have control over her in a much different way than he does with the other girls.
Parts of the book were quite frustrating but I also understood as well. I’m not a mom but I know that if it had been my child who was taken and I finally got them home, I would want to do everything I could to help them get through it. I would probably do what Ella’s mom did as well, even though it drove me crazy at times and I felt like she wasn’t listening to her daughter until it was almost too late.
I do like the desperation Ella’s mom faced when trying to make her daughter feel better. And to try and get things back to normal for her. While it was a little much at times, I get it and would probably do the same. You can be the strongest person and something like this could still break you.
This is only my second book by Lucinda Berry but I’m loving this journey into her the worlds she creates and I can’t wait to read more of her words!
Part of a Series, Review, Standalone

#review #standalone #partofaseries Perfect Escape (Mason Creek 6) by Cary Hart

Leave a comment

 



Charlee was looking for a place to nurse her broken heart, and Mason Creek was the picture-perfect escape. Small town life was just a temporary Band-Aid, until sexy single dad Grady gave her a reason to stay… and a second chance at happiness.



Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57280527-perfect-escape

Amazon  https://amzn.to/2SEO8Jc

Review by Twinsie Dee

I was given this book by the author for an honest review

Charlee had the worst thing you could ever imagine happen to her she found her on to be husband banging her cousin who was a bridemaid on their wedding day. So her best friends and sister helped her escape and break the news to a church full of people that there wasn’t going too be a wedding that day while Charlee was on her way to the airport to go off the Mason Creek, Montana. After some drinks the girls were at a hot spring on the neighbors property were they got caught by the sexy cowboy and it all started from there. Grady the single dad was hook from the moment he caught Charlee in the spring and his world was flipped upside down and backwards but not only did he have his heart to protect but he also had his 4 year old daughters to protect to. Will they all get their happiness the deserve or will the past, karma and gossip of a small town tear them apart. Omg i loved this book and anytime a kid is involved its the best type of story if you ask me. I want to travel to Mason Creek to find a cowboy now lol.

 

Cary Hart hails from the Midwest. A sassy, coffee drinking, sometimes sailor swearing, Spotify addict, lover of all things books!

When not pushing women down the stairs in the fictional world, Cary has her hands full. Soccer mom in all sense of the word to two wild and crazy, spoiled kiddos, and wife to the most supportive husband. In addition to writing full time, she enjoys binge watching Netflix, laying around in her hammock and baking up cookies for her family and friends.

 



Psychological Thriller, Standalone

#REVIEW – When She Returned by Lucinda Berry

Leave a comment
One woman’s reappearance throws her family into turmoil, exposing dark secrets and the hidden, often devastating truth of family relationships.
Kate Bennett vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult.
Kate’s return flips her family’s world upside down—her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. Kate herself doesn’t look or act like she did before.
While the family tries to help Kate reintegrate into society, they discover truths they’ve been hiding from each other about their own relationships. But they aren’t the only ones with secrets. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate’s return is more sinister than any of them could have imagined.

So this is actually my first book ever by Lucinda and it definitely won’t be my last. I’ve become obsessed with this genre only just recently and am happy to have given it a chance.

We meet Kate. She’s happily married to an amazing man and they share a daughter together. She’s a journalist and ends up interviewing a local “cult” called “Love International”. Unfortunately for her, she ends up getting sucked into their cause and all they stand for.

We find out that Kate had actually been missing for eleven years. Of course Scott, her husband, moved on. His life with his new wife, quickly unravels when Kate suddenly shows back up after being gone for so many years.

While reading this book, I tried guessing what the why and how but I definitely never predicted the ending.

I find cults fascinating and terrifying both at the same time. Kate never stood a chance with Ray and his charismatic ways. You learn what she went through while being with them. What they all went through.

I think I would have loved to have seen some parts in Ray’s point of view but am happy none the less with how this book ended.

I felt for all of the characters in this book and how they deal with a woman who had been gone for so long and suddenly was back. There was something odd about Kate that I never trusted. But you’ll have to read this book to find out if my hunch was right or not.

Psychological Thriller, Standalone

#REVIEW – Varity by Colleen Hoover

Leave a comment
A thrilling, instant bestseller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. 

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of the night their family was forever altered. 

She decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her. 

Due to extremely mature content, this book is recommended for readers 18+. Sensitive topics that may be triggering to some readers include graphic death/murder, child abuse, graphic sex

What the heck did I just read??? So I haven’t read a Co-Ho book since her Slammed Series. Well…this book, my friends, is nothing like those ones! I’m a huge fan of horror and thriller and anything that can mess with my head, so when I was told that this book is creepy, I was intrigued. But wow…I was NOT in no way shape or freaking form, prepared for that! At all. Like nope. No way. No how was I prepared.

Lowen is a struggling writer, a lot of them are. She just lost her mother and is feeling the impact of that and the weight of the world on her shoulders. One day she ends up having to go to a meeting and something truly awful happens that she witnesses. In walks Jeremy who saves the day by giving her his shirt off his back. Literally.

Lowen arrives at her meeting finally and lo and behold, Jeremy is there. After everything is said and done, Lowen ends up basically moving into Jeremy’s house to finish out the series that his wife can no longer write after being in a tragic accident that has left her immobile.

While Lowen spends her days reading and doing research for this series that she reluctantly agrees to finish, she ends up finding an autobiography from Jeremy’s wife herself. And that’s when the crazy happens.

I don’t want to go into too much detail but wow. Just wow. My mind is reeling. I spent every chapter trying to figure out what the heck was going on and by the end of the book, I was like, WTF that did so not happen. But it left me wondering, what would I do in that situation? How would I react? How would I respond?

This book brought out that old reader in me who could spends days reading books and getting lost in other worlds. That reader hasn’t been around for awhile but thanx to this book, I’ve finally found that reader once again.

Thank you, Colleen, for writing this book. Hands down one of my favourite readers. Ever.