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BOOK REVIEW: THE BREAKDOWN BY B. A. PARIS

The Breakdown

by B. A. Paris

Published: July 18th 2017

Hardcover, 336 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 5/5 STARS

(Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgally, I received an advanced copy of this book to review)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS

THE NEW CHILLING, PROPULSIVE NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

MY THOUGHTS:

     Let me start off by saying I read B. A. Paris' first book, Behind Closed Doors and absolutely fell in love with it. When I heard a new book was coming out I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. A lot of the time when a book is extremely hyped, I tend to be disappointed. Luckily that was in no way the case with The Breakdown.
    The character building in this book was amazing, I felt like I got a wonderful idea of who each character was while also questioning them all throughout the book. I found myself immediately drawn in because the book was written with an extreme air if mystery. I physically felt as though I had to keep turning each page and find out immediately what was going on. I love the fact that it touches on the subject of early on-set dementia, which I don't hear or know much about.
     Overall this book was a great mystery that was so unpredictable I couldn't stop reading if I wanted to. It flowed so well and kept me guessing until the very end. I would highly recommend this book if you like psychological thrillers.

BOOK REVIEW: EVERY LAST LIE BY MARY KUBICA

Every Last Lie

by Mary Kubica

Expected Publication : June 27th 2017

Hardcover, 288 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 3/5 STARS

(Thanks to Netgally & Park Row Books, I received an ARC of this book to review)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche. 

"The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us."

Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon. 

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. 

Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

MY THOUGHTS:

    This book really sucked me in within the first paragraph.  I love thrillers that make you question the plot from the very beginning and this book definitely did that for me. I loved the fact that there were multiple points of view, I feel it really added to the overall feel of the story. Another thing I loved was that the Points of view of the characters went from then chapters to now chapters. I feel that really helped keep a nice air of mystery throughout the book.

I thought the storyline of this book was very unique, which is what a good thriller needs. I also found that I was thinking the book was predictable throughout reading it, but by the end found out it wasn’t predictable at all.

The characters were interesting, at some points I loved them and at some I questioned their motives, sometimes I even flat out disliked them. I feel this definitely is helpful while reading a thriller.

Overall the book was good, I enjoyed the characters, storyline, and twists, but I felt like something was lacking. I’m still not sure what is was, but I left the book feeling a bit unfulfilled.

BOOK REVIEW: COMING UP FOR AIR BY MIRANDA KENNEALLY

Coming Up For Air

by Miranda Kenneally

Expected Publication : July 4th 2017

Paperback, 320 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 3/5 STARS

(Thanks to Netgally & Soucebook Fire I received an ARC of this book to review)

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

MY THOUGHTS:

     I’ve pretty much read all of the books in the Hundred Oaks series, so I was extremely glad to get to review a copy of this one. These books are absolutely adorable summer reads, and this one was no exception. I could picture taking this to the beach and just enjoy it. I thought the story line was cute, but maybe had a bit too much emphasis on sexual experience for my taste. 

   The characters were enjoyable and quite predictable, which was OK by me. Maggie seemed to think like a typical high school girl who had FOMO (fear of missing out). Levi was a typical high school boy, but did so many things that just made me smile.

   I really enjoy her writing style since it makes the books so quick and easy to read and just enjoy. I must say I’m sad to hear this is the last Hundred Oaks book.

BOOK REVIEW: THE ROANOKE GIRLS BY AMY ENGEL

The Roanoke Girls

by Amy Engel

Published: March 7th, 2017

Hardcover, 279 pages

MY GOODREADS RATING 3/5 STARS

(Thanks to Bloggingforbooks.com, I received a copy of this book to review)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS

Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.

After her mother's suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mother's mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran fast and far away.

Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist his pleas, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer. But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.

As it weaves between Lane's first Roanoke summer and her return, The Roanoke Girls shocks and tantalizes, twisting its way through revelation after mesmerizing revelation, exploring the secrets families keep and the fierce and terrible love that both binds them together and rips them apart.

MY THOUGHTS:

     I really liked that the book was set up in then and now chapters. I felt like it up the intrigue level because when you got to the end of a cliff hanger type chapter you were pulled away to another time. I thought the writing style flowed easily which made it a very quick read, plus I was questioning things so much I had a hard time putting the book down. I almost had a need to finish the book as quickly as I could so I could know how everything played out.

I found myself questioning the motives of each character throughout the whole book. I also found that I hated each character at different parts of the story. I did really enjoy Lane's character though. She was so blunt and almost had no filter. Sometimes she would say things and I would just gasp at her blunt delivery.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I was slightly uncomfortable with some of the topics brought up, which is the main reason I didn't rate it up one more star. I thought it was a great portrayal of how things that happen in people's childhood affects certain aspects of their adulthood. If you are in the mood for a quick read that may make you slightly or more than slightly uncomfortable, I say go for this book. 

SEPHORA PLAYBOX MAY 2017

MY EXPERIENCE WITH AGORAPHOBIA