THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B
Lisa Unger
A new couple has just moved into the building. It’s impossible to tell who holds more secrets, the building or its new tenants.
In THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B, we are following the new couple, Rosie and Chad. Rosie is a writer and spends her time coming up with fictional stories with her editor, Max. Chad is an actor who spends his time practicing lines and acting in plays, looking for his next big break.
They have just inherited a beautiful apartment in Windermere. Windermere has a long history and has lived many lives. At first, everything is great, and the couple is overwhelmed by the beautiful apartment. But then over time, things start happening at the Windermere that has Rosie asking a lot of questions.
Will she get the answers she is looking for before it’s too late?
This is not my first Unger and won’t be my last. Although I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I wanted to, I still consider it a success.
A few pages in and I had already named the culprit. The aha was too basic and much too soon in the book. Much of the time spent reading was in anticipation of finding out why, not who. The why was unfortunately a paragraph long and extremely anticlimactic.
At some point I got frustrated and then it got ridiculous. There were a lot of tangents and Unger had a lot to tie together and make sense of by the end. It all wrapped up, but I was left with an empty feeling. There isn’t much to the story and it felt that way.
Because of that, I gave THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B three stars and although it wasn’t my favorite of hers I still think it was a success.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Netgalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Park Row for the advanced copies and the opportunity to provide feedback!
THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B…⭐⭐⭐
THE GUEST
B. A. Paris
B. A. Paris is back with another thrilling domestic suspense novel.
In THE GUEST we follow a group of friends. Iris and Gabriel are good friends with Laure and Pierre. Iris and Gabriel live in the country and Laure and Pierre live in Paris. All four of them often travel and go on vacation together.
One day Laure arrives at Iris’ doorstep claiming that Pierre has been having an affair and there is a child involved. The story does not sound good for Pierre or Laure, but Iris tries to be a good friend to Laure and insists she stay there with them until everything gets sorted out.
Laure is a tiresome guest with bad habits and indefinite plans to stay. She starts to do little things around the house that get under Iris’ skin and soon becomes THE GUEST that no one wants. As the story about Pierre’s affair comes to light and more is revealed about their marriage, patience is tested, bonds are strained and every attempt to keep secrets hidden is thwarted.
I have read everything B.A. Paris has published and this one feels like a domestic Final Destination movie. The more ridiculous it got the more my enjoyment rose. It is set in Paris for just enough of the book to make it part of the setting and I enjoyed that aspect.
There is a secondary story that I haven’t even mentioned yet. The secondary story was not as interesting as the one between Iris and Laure. Everything got tied up in the end between the two, but it felt unnecessary and distracting.
I’m still a follower, still a fan. Paris is an auto-buy author for me. Her books remind me that I love reading in part because it is an escape.
THE GUEST comes out next Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Will you be picking it up?
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy and the opportunity to provide feedback!
THE GUEST…⭐⭐⭐
ORIGINAL SINS
Erin Young
Erin Young showed us where we were going with THE FIELDS and with ORIGINAL SINS we arrived.
We went from small town, big politics, to bigger town, BIGGER POLITICS as we follow Fisher as she starts her first year as an FBI agent. She is tasked with looking into threats made against a local politician and there is a killer on the loose.
She has a new place of work and a new partner. There are a lot of edges to smooth out.
As the new work dynamics get complicated, Fisher must deal with a more personal issue. We see a new side of her and solve a crime at the same time. The series you’ve probably never heard of should be at the top of your to-read list.
Riley Fisher is complicated and multifaceted, and one of my favorite fictional characters. Young misses the sophomore slump by keeping it exciting and holding onto the best elements from THE FIELDS while introducing fresh and new concepts, keeping me on my feet.
ORIGINAL SINS is smart, quick, and thoughtful. It has a depth that sometimes gets missed in crime procedurals. I also love the way she creates atmosphere. She can make Iowa sound like a place I want to visit, just to see if the details line up.
I recommend ORIGINAL SINS to crime procedural fans and thriller lovers alike. For fans of Jane Harper and Tana French. It’s a great way to pass the time and I cannot wait for the next one in the series.
ORIGINAL SINS comes out on February 13, 2024.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!
ORIGINAL SINS…⭐⭐⭐⭐
