In order to get all caught up on the SIXTY TWO books I read while I was taking my break from blogging, I have decided that it would be best if I just gave a sentence or two review for them. It would take me forever to catch up on all those reviews and still stay current with my recent reads. I am going to be working backwards so these will be the five books I read right before I got back into blogging.
A woman stumbles onto a dark road in rural Oregon–tortured, battered, and bound. She tells a horrific story about being kidnapped, then tortured, until she finally managed to escape. She was the lucky one–two other women, with similar burns and bruises, were found dead.
The surviving victim identifies the house where she was held captive and the owner, Alex Mason–a prominent local attorney–is arrested. Although he loudly insists upon his innocence, his wife’s statements about his sexual sadism and the physical evidence found at the scene, his summer home, is damning.
Regina Barrister is a legendary criminal defense attorney, known as “The Sorceress” for her courtroom victories. But she’s got a secret, one that threatens her skill, her reputation, and, most of all, her clients. And she’s agreed to take on the seemingly impossible task of defending Alex Mason.
Robin Lockwood, a young lawyer and former MMA fighter, has just left a clerkship at the Oregon Supreme Court to work for Regina Barrister. The Alex Mason trial is her first big one, a likely death penalty case, and she’s second chair to Regina. Increasingly, she’s worried her boss’s behavior and the details in the case against their client don’t quite add up.
This was a decent crime thriller even though I figured out the twist pretty early on. The amnesia part of the story line was intriguing but I feel like there were some character’s perspectives that were unnecessary to read from.
Rating: 3/5
Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves.
And she does, every single day.
After finding herself stuck in a relationship with the dangerous and morally corrupt Asa Jackson, Sloan will do whatever it takes to get by until she’s able to find a way out.
Nothing will get in her way.
Nothing except Carter.
Sloan is the best thing to ever happen to Asa. And if you ask Asa, he’d say he’s the best thing to ever happen to Sloan. Despite Sloan’s disapproval of Asa’s sinister lifestyle, he does exactly what he needs to do in order to stay a step ahead in his business. He also does exactly what he needs to do in order to stay a step ahead of Sloan.
Nothing will get in his way.
Nothing except Carter.
From New York Times bestselling author, Colleen Hoover, writing as C. Hoover.
This book was originally written as a side project by the author. It previously appeared on other platforms under the same title, but has since been slightly edited from its original content and formatted specifically for kindle. Please note that the content of this book is more graphic than the content of other books written by this author, hence the distinction between the names. This title is recommended for mature audiences only due to extreme graphic content. Recommended for readers 18+.
Warning: For readers who might be triggered by sensitive subject matter, this book contains scenes which depict rape, murder and other graphic violence.
I really didn’t like this. There was no believability in any of the actions that the characters took and what really cemented my low rating of the book was the excessive epilogue. It was not needed and really brought down whatever good stuff this book had going for it. There is one scene in particular that really made me hate this book and I am annoyed now just thinking about it.
Rating: 1/5
A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica
She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can’t get the girl out of her head…
Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family’s objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.
Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow’s past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she’s willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated.
This was an average domestic thriller. The main character, Heidi, could be annoying at times but her character arc in this book is brilliantly written. I also was shocked by the twist and I thought it was really well done. Some parts of the book dragged on but overall that was an enjoyable read.
Rating: 3/5
Clare Henry’s snowy Star City, Utah, oasis turns deadly in the third Dangerous Type Mystery from the New York Timesbestselling author of Bookman Dead Style and To Helvetica and Back.
SOMETHING’S AFOOT….
The visit of quirky world-famous horror author Nathan Grimes to Star City is especially thrilling for Clare Henry and her grandfather Chester. As the owners of The Rescued Word, a charming boutique shop in town, Clare and Chester specialize in restoring old typewriters and repairing beloved books. They’ve invited Nathan to their shop to use their equipment for his next book.
But all plans to work on the book take a step in the wrong direction when a tourist discovers an abandoned ski boot on the slopes–and the only sign of the owner is the dismembered foot he left inside! Nathan’s writer’s curiosity for all things horror is further piqued after the body of Clare’s high school friend Lloyd Gavin is discovered sans one foot. When all toes point to a class reunion gone wrong, Nathan can’t help but join Clare and her best friend, police officer Jodie Wentworth, as they hurry to track down the killer before more former classmates become Most Likely to Be Killed.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries and like learning a bit about the history and types of typewriters then this is definitely a book for you. This book is part of a series but I was still able to fully understand everything.
Rating: 3/5
Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?
I really wanted to like this but sadly this was another Colleen Hoover book that I really didn’t like. Sometimes the plot of this book worked and other times it was so unbelievable and just bad. Also, I didn’t see the point of the twist at the end. The one thing this book had going for it was that I really did believe in the romance between Ben and Fallon but that just ruined it for me. I also felt that there were times when Ben was too aggressive towards Fallon but she always made excuses for it and all I wanted was for her to stand up to him and take ownership of her body. It would have been different if there was some sort of dialogue in the book that made it clear that this kind of behavior for guys is unacceptable but there was none of that.
Rating: 2/5
So there are my first five books I wanted to review. If you have any questions or want to know more about my thoughts on them then just let me know and I will be happy to talk more about them.
~Cassie
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