Tag: 2024

  • Book Review: One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

    One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

    Synopsis.

    ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS Araminta Hall Are you ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS? If not, I bet you know one. Cole is ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. His nails are always trimmed and clean, he’d never order for you in a restaurant (unless asked to of course), he’s thoughtful, listens, and hangs on to your every word. He has recently moved from London to a little cottage along the coast where he is trying to recover from a deeply emotional breakup. There along the coastline, he meets Lenora, and the two form a relationship as alluring as the cliffs that surround them. At the same time, two young women are doing a charity walk that has them traversing the very same coastline where Cole and Lenora live. What happens when their paths intersect will surprise you and is the plot for Araminta Hall’s, ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS.
    • I earn commissions from my sponsored links

    The Review.

    Hall livened up my December, put a smile on my face and singlehandedly reinvigorated my love of reading all within around 300 pages. It’s twisty and mind-bending and I couldn’t get enough. ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS is one of the good ones. It is so cool to see someone living out their passion as Hall does here. The writing is smart, the characters are memorable and distinct, and it has great, spot-on commentary running throughout. There are parallel levels of entertainment in ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. It’s thrilling for the novice and reads like candy for the experienced. ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS is one of the best books I’ve read from 2024 and we are just getting started. Thanks to Netgalley, Zando, and Gillian Flynn Books for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure! ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Screen Pairing

    Promising Young Woman (2020) Movie

    Wine Pairing: 21+ Enjoy $30 off of your first box!

    For this title, I recommend: M and MME 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from Pays d’Oc IGP, France

    Book Pairing

    If you liked this review…you might like: And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott
  • Book Review: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

    The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

    Synopsis.

    THE HEIRESS is Rachel Hawkins’s latest thriller. It hits stores nationally on January 9, 2024. THE HEIRESS is about the life, loves, and losses of lumber heiress, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. We also follow Camden and Jules. Camden is Ruby’s son and the reluctant beneficiary of Rubys’ estate. Jules- his loving wife. We learn the story of how THE HEIRESS inherited her wealth, what happened to all her husbands, and what led to her ultimate demise. We follow as Camden and Jules return home to settle the elaborate estate, only to be met with more than welcome arms. It is a BIG story.
    • I earn commissions from my sponsored links

    The Review.

    THE HEIRESS Rachel Hawkins THE HEIRESS and I got off to a rocky start. It took me a few sittings before I could get into the book and into the story. It felt like a lot of effort for what ultimately was the novel. This is the fourth book I’ve read by Hawkins and my ratings and level of enjoyment have been all over the map. But I am a fan. I appreciate her focus on women’s lives and how varied they can be. As different as Hawkins’ books have been I’m rarely surprised by the direction her novels take and I was a little bored with this one. I gave THE HEIRESS three stars and being a completionist I am glad I read it. I hope for more out of the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy! THE HEIRESS…⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Screen Pairing

    The Heiress (1949) Movie Classic

    Wine Pairing: 21+ Enjoy $30 off of your first box!

    For this title, I recommend: Faire Saveur 2020 Grenache Blanc from Pays d’Oc IGP, France

    Book Pairing

    If you liked this review…you might like: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

    Links I LOVE.

    • Try Audible Premium Plus
  • Early Book Review: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

    The Fury by Alex Michaelides

    Synopsis.

    Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides.

    This is a tale of murder.

    Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?

    One spring morning, reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrar invites a small group of her closest friends for a weekend away, on her small private island, just off the coast of Mykonos.

    Beneath the surface, old friendships conceal violent passions and resentments. And in forty-eight hours, one of them will be dead.

    But that was just the beginning…

    You may think you know this story. Think again.

    The Review.

    THE FURY

    Alex Michaelides

    Everything you need to know to be prepared for a five-star experience is in the synopsis. Everything you need for a five-star reading experience is in this book.

    Let’s talk about THE FURY!

    In THE FURY we are following a group of friends on a private Greek Island called Aura. Lana Farrar, the ex-movie star, has invited her very close friends to unwind and relax over Easter weekend.

    By the end of the weekend, plans unravel, secrets are revealed, and someone ends up dead. We learn the who, the what, and most importantly the why, in this spectacular “WHYDUNIT” by Alex Michaelides, out January 2024!

    I spent a weekend reading THE FURY. The first thing I noticed was how intentional the writing was. Thought and time and care went into thinking about what the words were saying, where the sentence was landing, and how the reader was experiencing the book.

    I had a spectacular and unforgettable reading experience.

    Just as the painting was in THE SILENT PATIENT, so is the wind in the fury. It’s a non-human entity that acts much like a character. It interacts with the scene; it has its own behavior and becomes just as vocal and informative as the dialogue between characters.

    There are elements carried over from both THE SILENT PATIENT and THE MAIDENS. THE FURY is synergistic and felt like the culmination of something bigger than itself.

    The sum of many parts.

    There is something here for every reader out there and will be particularly compelling for die-hard thriller fans. This is the one you’ve been waiting for.

    I cannot wait to hear this as an audiobook and I’m 100% rereading this with you when it comes out in January 2024.

    Finally, again a book by Michaelides well worth the price of admission.

    If this is the show, I want a ticket!

    THE FURY…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Thanks to Celadon Books for the advanced copy and the awesome opportunity to provide early feedback!

    You might also like.