Middle of the Night Riley Sager
Goodreads blurb: In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood. The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again. Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle? The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate. The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.
My take: 3.5 out of 5. I absolutely loved The Only one Left so I ran to read this as soon as it came out. I was both disappointed and confused. It is a solid thriller but a little too convoluted. Its not a bad book its just feel average compared to the past. Don’t want to spoil too much, but when there is so much things thrown at you sometimes the simplest answer is the right one but it also feels like a let down. I would highly recommend doing this in audiobook as the narrator is Santino Fontana and I love his voice!
Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Goodreads blurb: Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance. Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner. After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance. When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…
My take: 3.5 out of 5. I guess this month we had a collection of second books that fell a tad short of its predecessors. In my book club we were great fans of Forget me Not, so the expectations were high for this one and it was a solid effort but did not reach as high as I wanted it to. There are some beautiful images and scenes in the book, mixing music and romance is a great combination. I loved when they were composing together, Howe well they complemented themselves musically and how they use composition to express their feelings. On the other hand I did feel they were quite young for the vast amounts of pressure they were under and their positions so that felt somewhat uncomfortable. I really enjoyed how interconnected all the characters were in the end and how slowly we got to see those threads.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
Goodreads blurb: recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up. If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her. As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife. When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious stranger, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start at life. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind…
My take: 3.75 out of 5. This is officially a very bizarre book. The premise is crazy and in a way so is the execution. I had my ups and down with the book as some things were really annoying but in the end I kind of got in Delphie’s corner and rooted for her happily ever after. I think one needs a complete suspension of disbelief to get into it, but its a sweet romantic ride to go on.
The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin
Goodreads blurb:I n the wake of tragedy, a group of friends make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be. Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted. As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, a pact is made to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance. Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance. In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides to help pick up the pieces?
My take: 3.25 out of 5. This was a bit of a disappointment for me in terms of Emily Giffin books. this premise, of getting together to help others in their worst times, was done in the Celebrants, and better. There are good aspects to it, and its a sweet friends finding their new lives together story but i feel it just scratched the surface. I wanted to get more involved in their story. I did love the ending even if it came our of left field. Please be warned, this is not a light summer read. You might think Emily Giffin and a book with Summer in the title and think there’s my light summer beach read romance, and this is not it. There is some strong discussion of mental health and it is a deep book, so be forewarn that you are going for strong emotions and not light reading, even if parts of the book are spent on a beach.
‘Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai
Goodreads blurb: Diamond necklaces, billionaires, Mafia bosses, and student loans—it’s all in a day’s work for Simi Chopra and her ragtag heist crew in the next romantic-comedy caper from Sara Desai.It’s been a year since Simi Chopra’s motley crew pulled off a high-wire diamond necklace heist with the help of sexy rogue Jack Danger. After living it up on the reward money, they’re back where they started, struggling to pay their bills. So when a Chicago Mafia boss demands they return the jewels—plus interest, or else—they need to get the team back together…and fast.Unfortunately, Simi soon discovers that the necklace is in the hands of Jack’s nemesis, a highly-skilled and supremely vengeful master thief who is not above a little blackmail to get even. (Did Jack really have to piss her off?) Now, the crew is forced into her working her con in order to get the necklace back. As if Simi needed any more complications while trying to rob a billionaire’s mansion, she and Jack are on the rocks, someone else is after her score, and a gorgeous detective is hot on her tail. Simi better be careful or she’ll end up in the less fun kind of handcuffs.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 3 out of 5. This is the continuation of to Have and to Heist. I was happy to revisit the cast of characters which you learned to love in that book. I however found it much harder to get around to all the crazy things happening a second time. I think the first book worked because it was so implausible it made sense and you ran with it. But here, it feels more of a stretch and that made it a little bit less enjoyable for me. I did like having Jack & simi’s relationship explored further. Also I definitely give mayor props for the out of left field ending, I loved it and it was a great twist. If you enjoyed To have and to heist this is a great follow up and closure of the story, but i would say lower your expectations a tad.
Tati's Tidbits 