"Everything We Didn't Say" by Nicole Baart

Photo Credit: Netgalley

I'm always thrilled to get to read another Nicole Baart book, and Everything We Didn't Say (Atria Books), was no exception.

Our main character Juniper left her small town after she graduated high school when her brother became the main suspect in her neighbor's murder.  She comes back nearly 15 years later to help an ill friend, but also to repair her relationship with her daughter, and solve the murder case once and for all.

This is a dual time-line story with a lot of parallel and family drama. It's 4 stars instead of the usual 5 for me because the pace was slow at times making it difficult to stay fully engaged. However, Baart brilliantly hits you with the her signature plot twists right up until the end of the story.  I can't wait to see what she does next.

I recommend for any domestic suspense fans.

 

"The Last House on the Street" by Diane Chamberlain

The Last House on the Street (St. Martin's Press), by Diane Chamberlain, just came out this past January. Chamberlain is an author in one of the book groups I'm part of but I've never read any of her work before. I went into this book blind as to what it was about; which is something I like to do as often as I can as to not ruin any of the stories suprises. 

      This is a dual time-line/dual POV story. Our first main character is Kayla. Kayla and her husband are building their dream home when her husband tragically dies. All of a sudden those around her are advising her not to move into the house, including an eerie stranger. These warnings bring about decades old secrets that Kayla will soon unravel. 

      Our second main character is Ellie. Ellie is fighting for social justice in the 1960s. Ellie is also a side character in Kayla's POV which merges the two stories nicely at the end. As Ellie fights for justice she learns empathy, love, and unfortunatley some ugly truths. 

      This story was beautifully written. It hooked me, it made me cry. I love dual timelines, however the 60s timeline is the one that I lived for until the stories merged at the end. This story is really more about Ellie even though it first focuses on Kayla.

     

 If you like a beautifully written story that will haunt you after reading, this is for you.

 A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Made Well" by Jenny Simmons

Made Well, (Baker Books) by Jenny Simmons, is about the journey towards healing and wholeness. We all go through this journey many times in our lives, don't we? I love how vulnerable and open Simmons is about her own experiences. She's so relatable and her words are like poetry. Line after line speaks to my soul. I read this book during a time of crazy turmoil in my life, which is why I'm 100% sure I forgot to post a review, but it was probably also the perfect book for me at the perfect time. I love the way Simmons tells story, and I highlight line after line of her words. Definetely recommend. A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"Things My Son Needs to Know About the World" by Fredrik Backman

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, (Atria Books), by Fredrik Backman is a collection of experiences Backman has had throughout his experience as a father. This book would make an excellent gift for your dad. Backman hits all the points he usually makes with his writing style such as emotion and humor. As you read through his story of fatherhood you'll laugh and cry right along with him. This is a super quick read I think most people would be able to relate to in some way. A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"Wartime with the Cornish Girls" by Betty Walker

I was very excited to read Wartime with the Cornish Girls, (Avon) by Betty Walker, as I have a long history of loving WWII era novels. This novel follows Violet as she flees the city to the country side of Cornwall with her two nieces. There she meets Eva and Hazel. The novel really takes turns telling all three women's' stories and eventually they interlock. They come together to fight the war in their own way. To be really honest I rated this 2 stars. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it, I just found it quite boring. It appears that this is the first of a series that I won't be continuing. A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"The Spires" by Kate Moretti

Photo credit: Netgalley

The Spires, (Thomas & Mercer) by Kate Moretti, just came out September 21st.  I was super excited to read this one as Moretti is a "Tall Poppy" and I've heard great things about her stories. This is the first I've read, and I started it on the plane during my honeymoon.

Our main character Penelope ("Pip") has a demanding job, two teenagers, and an unemployed husband. She's dealing with all the stress that brings when unexpectedly one of her college room mates, Willa, knocks on the door asking for a place to stay as she escapes a dangerous marriage.  Pip of course says yes, two weeks tops, to the disapproval of her husband.
 

As Willa seems to infiltrate every part of Pip's life, all of the memories of the year after college come rushing back. During this year Pip and Willa lived with 3 other room mates. None of them have seen each other since some sort of tragedy at the end of that year.

As Penelope's family quickly warms up to Willa considering her the perfect guest, Penelope becomes increasingly frustrated. Willa not only crosses the line multiply times but she is heavily gaslighting Pip.  What happened the last year together may shine line on what's going on now so Pip starts to try to figure it out.

This dual timeline is quickly paced and the end is twisty. I typically enjoy dual timelines as they read so quickly.  The chapters weren't super short but they weren't super long either. There were multiple surprises through out the story, which I always love because I usually can figure at least part of it out. I  thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend.

A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

"Under the Whispering Door" by TJ Klune

Picture credit: Netgalley

 

TJ Klune's latest novel, Under the Whispering Door (Macmillan-Tor), just came out last week.

This novel is about a man who is picked up at his own funeral by a reaper and taken to a tea shop where he meets a man who will help him "cross over." Our main character has to not only accept his death but go through all the stages of grief, twice actually. 

The story starts with all the hope of the whimsy that Klune gave us in Cerulean Sea, but he just didn't keep it up.  For that reason I just didn't love it, because it wasn't the style of writing I was looking for. And maybe that's unfair as it is a completely different work.

He does nicely work through acceptance and the stages of grief, and the character goes through quite the journey.  The romantic relationship in the book again felt forced to me as it did in Cerulean Sea, but not quite as badly.  This one ended up at least having some ground to stand on.

Should you read it?  Do you want to read book that has a sad undertone the entire time? If so, then go for it. Check trigger warnings first as the book does discuss multiple paths to death.

A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review