In Cold River, sometimes forbidden love is the sweetest of them all...

Perennial good girl Amanda Kittredge knows that her longtime crush on Brady Everett was never really supposed to go anywhere. But when Brady comes home to Cold River during Amanda's first attempt at independence, well, who better to teach her about rebellion than her older brother's bad-boy best friend?

Brady's plans did not include being forced to work the family homestead for a year--and yet, here he is. And, to make matters worse, his best friend's innocent little sister is making a menace of herself in the most grown-up, tempting ways. When Amanda begs Brady to teach her about men, he knows he should refuse. But could Brady's greatest temptation be his salvation? (from the book blurb)

My thoughts:
This is book three in the Cold River Ranch series which focuses on the lives of Gray, Ty, and Brady Everett after their abusive alcoholic father dies.  All books in this series can be read as standalones, so I will try to avoid giving any spoilers, apart from this one: the last one is absolutely the best!

Like his older brothers, Brady Everett had a very unhapy childhood. His mother Bettina left with no explanation and planted a seed of doubt deep in his soul. Was it something he did? Was he so unworthy of mother's love? What kind of woman leaves her children to fend off a mean, manipulative man like their father Amos.  When Brady got a full college scholarship, he just laughed it off. When Brady sent to checks to help financially, his father tore them in pieces. It was as if Brady didn't merit his love or attention. Not surprisingly, Brady decided to stay in Denver after graduation and make his life there. When Amos died and Gray and Ty needed Brady's help, he came back home running. This was what he had been waiting for for years, but it isn't easy to change attitudes and relationships that have been ingrained for such long time. The brothers continue treating Brady as a teenager and dismiss his ideas on how to modernize the ranch to ensure its future prosperity.

Brady himself isn't sure whether he is going to stay. His best friend and neighbour Riley Kittredge asks to keep an eye on his 22-year-old sister Amanda to make sure she doesn't attract wrong kind of attention or get in trouble in the dodgy bar where she has just started working as a barmaid. It does seem like a reasonable request. After all, Brady and Riley once changed Amanda's diapers. The only problem is Amanda has grown up intoa very attractive young woman and suddenly Brady is aware of it.

Amanda is the baby of the family. The yongest child and the only girl in her family, she has been sheltered and protected...and denied any kind of independent experience. Tired of everybody thinking she is a twelve year old child, Amanda gets a job which comes with a little apartment  and moves out to her brothers' dismay. Amanda wants to live her own life and make her own mistakes, and that includes falling in love and dating. The man she has her sights on is her brother's best friend...Brady. Charming, reliable, good-looking, and safe. A perfect man to teach her things she only heard of. Brady's dilemma is clear.  But Amanda is his best friend's little sister, so by definition she is off-limits...unless his intentions are serious.

Despite Amanda and Brady's ten year age difference, they do have something in common - both have an eerily similar experience of being ignored and undervalued by their older siblings. Brady knows he needs to work out his feelings towards his father, the ranch and his brothers- his character is very well-rounded. But Amanda just comes across as very young and naive for a twenty-two year old, even taking into account the fact that her brothers are indeed overbearing and patronizing.

I loved the advice Amanda gets from her friends, including Abby and Hannah Everett, who let her show that there are many factors to take in consideration in romantic matters. The important thing for Amanda is to make her own choices, whether they turn out right or wrong. But is Brady the right man for her, will their relationship, based on chemistry and undeniable attraction, become a solid foundation for anything more than just a fling?

I loved the small town setting and all the descriptions of nature and people who live and work in harmony with it. A very satisfying conclusion to a great romantic series with unique characters and complex family dynamics. I will be looking forward to reading any future novels written by Caitlin Crews.

Thank you to Edelweiss and St.Martin's paperbacks for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

A wickedly entertaining and utterly absorbing modern take on the life and marriages of Henry VIII...if he were a twenty-first-century womanizing media mogul rather than the king of England.

Master of the universe Harry Rose is head of the Rose Corporation, number eighteen on the Forbes rich list, and recently married to wife number six. But in 2018, his perfect world is about to come crashing to the ground. His business is in the spotlight--and not in a good way--and his love life is under scrutiny. Because behind a glittering curtain of lavish parties, gorgeous homes, and a media empire is a tale worthy of any tabloid. (From the book blurb)

My thoughts:
Olivia Hayfield takes on the challenge of retelling the lifestory of one of the most powerful and notorious English monarchs- that of Henry VIII and his six wives. We've all heard about their fate: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived, but what would these marriages have beeen like if Henry Tudor was somehow reincarnated in our times?  Would he have been able to get away with the way he treated the women in his life or would he have got his punishment?

There is no doubt the book is well-researched and a lot of thought has gone into how to translate the historical context to make it both entertaining and relevant. For example, Henry's obsession with begetting a male child and an heir to his kingdom or Henry beheading two of his spouses is impossible to recreate, so the author resorts to other plot devices: Katie Paragon (Catherine of Aragon) has a severe depression exacerbated by miscarriages and stillbirths, while her husband seeks comfort in the arms of other women; Ana Lyebon (Ann Boleyn) is all about ambition and climbing the career ladder. Part of the charm of this book is following how the author reimagines the historical figures and what modern life circumstances she endows them with. I must say however hard I tried I still could not come round to liking Harry, but the wives?- I liked and sympathised with all of them.

The book is quite long with its 430 pages, but we are talking about a lifetime here coupled with a very large cast of characters, so the length is quite justified. Similarly, the pace is a bit slow at times, picking up at others. Again, we have to remember that in real life the first marriage of Henry VIII lasted for twenty four years, while the following five marriages happened over fourteen years and ranged in length from three and a half years to six months.

Overall, enjoyable, entertaining, recommended for fans of historical romantic fiction in general and Tudor times in particular.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Debut author Sarah Kozloff offers a breathtaking and cinematic epic fantasy of a ruler coming of age in A Queen in Hiding, and all four books will be published within a month of each other, so you can binge your favorite new fantasy series.

Orphaned, exiled and hunted, Cérulia, Princess of Weirandale, must master the magic that is her birthright, become a ruthless guerilla fighter, and transform into the queen she is destined to be.

But to do it she must win the favor of the spirits who play in mortal affairs, assemble an unlikely group of rebels, and wrest the throne from a corrupt aristocracy whose rot has spread throughout her kingdom. (From the book blurb)

My thoughts:
My initial reaction is very simple- good, good, good. This is the series I have been waiting for.
The writing is very engaging. Epic fantasy books require a special mindset, focus and time to get into. With this one I was hooked straightaway.
The worldbuilding is very thorough and ...seemingly effortless. You are in the middle of events at the Nargiz castle, home of Weirandale queens, and yet, I was not confused or baffled for a single moment. I trusted the author to provide the necessary background information at the right moment. Sarah Kozloff lets you experience this complex world as if it is your own and when an explanation comes it's just a piece of a puzzle that fits in the overall picture. E.g. hair colour shows old distinctions between various lands, and we get our first glimpse of this particularity through observing  the members of the Queen Council. one of them has amber hair. Whenever a brown hair shows up, she asks gets her maid pluck it out. Later through a child song Princella Cerulia tells her mother about we learn that brown hair colour is the colour of common folks, that all lands have or rather used to have their own distinct shade, that there was a lot of intermarriage, trade and travelling, we see that old prejudices may run deep, but the Queen is a person who would like to promote unity and peace and so on.
The characterization is absolutely fantastic, and let me tell you, there is a large cast. The author pays attention to give every character- main or secondary their own distinct voice, appearance and personality. There is also depth that comes with the additional background and showing the characters' motivations. We meet Princella Cerulia at the age of eight when the elders are trying to define her special talent (all previous queens possessed one). It is blatantly obvious to us that it is communicating with animals and that like it was the case with her mother, Cerulia's talent will develop in future and will manifest itself at the times of need. Then we are plunged into the world of court intrigue. Queen Cressa is surrounded by treacherous nobles, one of whom Councellor Matwyck stages a coup to kill the queen in order to rule the country as a regent. Betrayed by her Council, Queen Cressa fears for her own life and life of Cerulia and is forced into an exile. Cerulia is disguised and given a new identity as a commoner. Gradually she will master her own magic abilities and grow into a strong and intelligent contender ready to reclaim the throne for her family.
There is an original magic system based on elements, but the book is so well-researched and well-written that the magic aspect feels secondary to the realistic descriptions of court politics and everyday life.
I am very glad that the books are being released over the next four months (January 21, February 18, March 17, April 21), as I am really looking forward to reading the second instalment of this fast-paced fascinating epic series.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies? (From the book blurb)

My thoughts:
This was my first book by Diane Chamberlain and what a compulsive read it turned out to be! As soon as I finish this review I'm off to see if I can borrow any other books by this fabulous writer.

Big lies in a small town alternates between two timelines, both of which I found enthralling. In 2018 a former art student Morgan Christopher is serving a prison sentence for a crime she didn't commit. When Lisa Williams, daughter of a famous painter Jesse Williams, and Andrea Fuller, a successful lawyer make her an offer to restore an old mural in exchange for being released from the the prison, Morgan is extremely surprised. Jesse Williams was known for helping young people who found themselves on the wrong side of the law or in other difficult circumstances to find a way out and get again on their feet, but all his previous 'projects' were Afro-American, and Morgan isn't. Neither does she know anything about art restoration, but she's been threatened, cut and severely beaten in the prison, and this is her chance to get to if not freedom, at least to relative safety. She will just have to learn as quickly as possible to bring the damaged painting back to life. The mural was supposed to hang in the post office of a small town of Edenton, North Carolina, but something happened to the artist Anna Dale and it was never installed.
In 1940 twenty-two year old,recently berieved Anna Dale wins an art competion and is commisioned to paint a mural. Only she won't be able to use her preliminary sketch, because it will depict the history and essence of a completely different town she has never been to, Edenton, North Carolina. Anna decided she needs a research trip, but when she meets the town 'movers and shakers', local political and business elite, they tell her that a local male artist also participated in the competition and they would have prefered him. Anna is persuaded to stay in Edenton. Very soon she begins to realize how hard it will be to complete her work amidst prejudices, misogyny, secrets and lies that will lead to tragic events.

The narrative moved easily between the two timelines and soon it was impossible to put the book down until I found out why Jesse Williams had chosen Morgan to restore the mural and how the two protagonists were connected. There is a mystery element, of course, but the issues the book deals with go way beyond it - racism, prejudice, gender equality, alcoholism, family ties, love and forgiveness are all explored in this beautifully-written story. Both protagonists are young, vulnerable women who face a lot of adversity and show a lot of inner strength and integrity.

Big lies in a small town is a powerful and thought-provoking story which I highly recommend to all lovers of general fiction.

Thank you to Edelweiss and St.Martin's Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Shocking, tense and sharply written, The Poison Garden is the gripping new novel from the international bestseller and Edgar award-winning Alex Marwood.
Where Romy grew up, if someone died you never spoke of them again.

Now 22, she has recently escaped the toxic confines of the cult she was raised in. But Romy is young, pregnant and completely alone - and if she is to keep herself safe in this new world, she has some important lessons to learn.

Like how there are some people you can trust, and some you must fear. And about who her family really is, and why her mother ran away from them all those years ago.

And that you can't walk away from a dark past without expecting it to catch up with you...

My thoughts:
There is a good reason why the book blurb describes this novel as 'shocking and sharply written' - the writing in 'The Poison Garden' is beautiful, multi-layered and emotional. As the book delves into the strange and fascinating world of cults and brainwashing, we learn what it's like to live 'normal' life after you leave behind your dark past and face unfamiliar future. The protagonist of the book Romy is a fascinating character. She is young, vulnerable, and unusually observant, as she needs to learn who she can trust and who she needs to be wary of if she wants to continue surviving.
Romy's story alternates between present and past and we find out how the Arc cult appeared. There is also another narrator: Romy's Aunt Sarah whose point of view lets us see where Romy's mother Alison/Somer was coming from and how she ended up in the cult.
Believable, albeit uncomfortable and disturbing, The Poison Garden is a compulsive read. I will definitely be looking forward to Alex Marwood's future books as she is clearly a very talented storyteller.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Dry meets Silence of the Lambs in this intoxicating tale of literary suspense set in the relentless Alaskan landscape about madness and obsession, loneliness and grief, and the ferocious bonds of family …

It’s 1941 in small-town Alaska and Elisabeth Pfautz is alone. She’s living far from home, struggling through an unhappy marriage, and she spends her days tutoring her precocious young daughter. Elisabeth’s twin sister disappeared without a trace twenty years earlier, and Elisabeth’s life has never recovered. Cryptic visions of her sister haunt her dreams, and Elisabeth’s crushing loneliness grows more intense by the day. But through it all, she clings to one belief: That her sister is still alive, and that they’ll be reunited one day.

And that day may be coming soon. Elisabeth’s world is upended when Alfred Seidel — an enigmatic German bush pilot — arrives in town and murders a local man in cold blood. Sitting in his cell in the wake of his crime, Alfred refuses to speak to anyone except for Elisabeth. He has something to tell her: He knows exactly what happened to her long-missing sister, but he’ll reveal this truth only if Elisabeth fulfills three requests.

Increasingly isolated from her neighbors and imprisoned by the bitter cold and her own obsession, Elisabeth lets herself slip deeper into Alfred’s web. A tenuous friendship forms between them, even as Elisabeth struggles to understand Alfred’s game and what he’s after.

But if it means she’ll get answers, she’s willing to play by his rules. She’s ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to be reunited with her sister, even if it means putting herself — and her family — in mortal danger.


My thoughts:
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adored the Alaskan setting of this debut thriller from Raymond Fleischmann. A small isolated town in the midst of wild and harsh nature... Couldn't find a better place for a dark mystery.
Elizabeth Pfautz lost her twin sister Jacqueline twenty years ago, but time hasn't healed the wound. Elizabeth's predominant feeling is desperate loneliness, despite being married to a local teacher and having a smart daughter who Elizabeth homeschools. A mysterious stranger, Alfred Seidel, appears in the town and revives Elizabeth's hopes that her sister may be alive after all this time.
Gradually, through the use of flashbacks we discover Elizabeth's relationship with her sister and the guilt that is consuming Elizabeth over the events. How far will she go to fulfill Alfred Seidel's requests in order to get clues that will allow her to solve the mystery?
There is a lot of suspense and building of tension. No character is particularly likeable, but Raymond Fleischmann manages to let the reader glimpse the dark side of their personality and how it grows under the pressure of isolation and obsession.
Eery, dark, full of mind games, How Quickly She Disappears is an atmospheric thriller that is going to be liked by readers who like to explore the nature of guilt, obsession and manipulation and enjoy complex, flawed characters.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

How Quickly She Disappears is out on January 14th, 2020.

 Dora and Dallas couldn't have been more different if they tried. Dora Ramos is a quiet volunteer at an animal shelter. She comes from a very supportive family of two fathers who taught her unconditional love. Dallas Van Zant is a madly attractive, rich as croesus, wild, wild water polo god whose parents went through a bitter divorce and taught him that love has to be earned. And yet, it is Dallas Dora has a long term crush on, and it is Dallas Dora kisses at a sorority party. What? Kisses? A sorority party? her roommates would be speechless if they ever found out that she gave in to her cousin's pleas, got herself a sexy costume of Catwoman and, worst of all, stumbled on the object of her wild desires, drunk and lonely, and even shared a passionate kiss with him. Luckily, Dallas wouldn't be able to recognise her even if he could remember anything from the party. Or would he?
The events of second part of the Malibu University series happen at the same time as the events of the first book, Nothing but Trouble, and we see a few scenes that focused on the development of Alice and Reagan's relationship with a different pair of eyes. Or rather two pairs of eyes, because this is also a dual POV book. I already loved Dora, so I was very happy to read her story. Dallas...well, I needed some convincing, but P.Dangelico did a marvellous job of making the readers see beyond the pretty face of this golden boy.
What I loved about Dora was her quiet strength and determination, the way she doesn't let her speech impediment stop her from expressing herself, the way she never loses her faith in her relationship. I'm not a big fan of insta-love, so I was glad to see that Dora and Dallas take plenty of time to get to know each other working in the shelter before their friendship becomes something more. Another thing that I never get tired of in YA and NA novels is showing the importance of consent. You might say, well, this book is primarily going to be read by female readers, but you need to clearly understand what is right.
This series keeps getting better ad I am already looking forward to reading Zoe and Brock's story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.