Book Review: Envy by Amanda Robson

Description:

She wants your life – and she’ll do anything to get it…Erica has always wanted to be exactly like her neighbour, Faye: beautiful, thin, and a mother. But Faye’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems – she has a terrible secret, and slowly but surely, it is threatening to destroy her and everything she holds dear. When Faye’s daughter Tamsin goes missing after school, the police turn to Erica. But is Erica the only one who has been enviously watching Faye? Or is there another threat hiding in the shadows…?

Review: 2.5 Stars

I’m really hoping that with this book done I’m at the end of a triad of books I haven’t liked. 

This was an average, predictable and banal read. The plot by itself is nothing very unique. The characters are all unlikable. The ending is disappointing. 

When you first start reading this book you think there are 2 narrators but as you read further you realize that there are more! Each narrator unfortunately had a very similar voice and you had different people’s commentary in another person’s narration, making it hard to remember whose narration you are reading! However the chapters are short enough to go through them fairly quickly.  All the narrators are unreliable but the fact that you can’t empathize with even one of them makes this book difficult to enjoy. 

About the plot, well to sum it up: Erica stalks Faye, wants to be like her, then sees that Faye is far from perfect, keeps stalking her, craziness ensues, we find another sinister stalker who knows what Faye is up to, more madness, ends unrealistically. 

I did like the author’s writing style but all in all this was something I was tempted to quit reading multiple times. I didn’t simply because it was quick enough to get through. 

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley, #Envy

Book Review: The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney

Description:

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He's an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science. But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives--and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to Abbie half a decade ago?

Review: 3.5 Stars

Disclaimer: this rating is based on me treating this book as sci-fi and not a thriller. 

I’ve read other books by this author and liked them so when I saw this one I was really hopeful. However this one was not for me. This book is a mix of sci-if and thriller genre and somehow it just doesn’t blend too well for me. I almost gave up since sci-fi isn’t  my preferred genre but carried on due to the fact that it was authored by J.P. Delaney. 

Overall its not a bad book. It’s in the wrong genre maybe, or maybe I’m not ‘with’ the times to enjoy this genre amalgamation much.  In the day of Black Mirror I do think this book will have many fans. 

But it wasn’t a book I’d recommend to someone looking for a thriller. A robot for a wife? Dominating much? I’m all for artificial intelligence and the self learning abilities of Abbie the bot were interesting. The robot’s learning of human Abbie’s secrets was very unique and added some mystery to the plot overall. It was suspenseful but again I had a hard time reading a thriller where the premise was completely unreal, for now. 

Tim was not likable at all and there is no plausible reason why the human Abbie was with him to begin with. The character development in this book was sub par, I had higher expectations on that front from J.P. Delaney. The ending did not leave me satisfied and only reinforced my reluctance to read to sci-fi.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley, #ThePerfectWife

Book Review: Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

Description:

Beth Murphy is on the run…For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for this day. A day some people might call any other Wednesday, but Beth prefers to see it as her new beginning—one with a new look, new name and new city. Beth has given her plan significant thought, because one small slip and her violent husband will find her.

Sabine Hardison is missing…A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she’s taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play.

As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine’s carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home, and a husband who would be better off with her gone. The detective on the case will stop at nothing to find out what happened and bring this missing woman home. Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that’s certain is that someone is lying and the truth won’t stay buried for long.

Review: 5 Stars

The plot of this book starts right from the first word. It engages the reader quickly and keeps up the pace. The narration alternates initially between Beth and Jeffery and both have a very distinct voice. Both the plot lines are equally interesting and you become eager to find out where this is headed. You know instantly that this is a domestic noir and you can only imagine the depth of the domestic violence to come if the book starts with 2 women disappearing. 

The plot flows very smoothly and you can’t help but wonder how these 2 couples are connected. Each character is very well developed and adds to the thick plot. Even the most careful reader will be surprised with the plot twist at the end. 

The multiple points of view help keep the narration fresh and intriguing. You do at times believe that you have figured this out but the twist in the tale is surprising and dark. This is a hard to put down book. It’s filled with tension and keeps you biting your nails all along. It’s a twisty novel that has many many surprises and revelations all along. It keeps you guessing and guessing wrong at that. While reading this book I was completely trapped in it. It made me forget everything around me and pulling myself away to even grab a bite was the hardest thing to do. I racked my brain to try and figure out the missing pieces, to assess who Beth and Sabine were, if and how they were connected and it ended up making my mind even murkier. The sudden subtle revelation that creeped up on me around the 70% mark in the book actually gave me goosebumps! I don’t want to say too much about the book and give something away inadvertently, so I’ll say this much, don’t try to ‘figure’ the plot. Read it, absorb and enjoy the dark twisted path Kimberly Belle has laid for you. 

This is the first book I’ve read by Kimberly Belle and for sure won’t be the last! This is an author to watch out for. Her writing is easy to read and leaves you with many thoughts to chew on. This book is the work of amazingly talented author and I can’t wait to read more by her. 

This is one of the must reads of 2019 and I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishingfor giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley, #DearWife

Book Review: The Girl Across The Street by Vikki Patis

Description:

You’re hiding a secret that only she can see.

Her name is Beth. She came into my life when I needed her the most. We lead very different lives, but she’s the only person who understands me. She was the only other witness to the terrible accident on the street between our homes. The only person who saw the cracks in my perfect life before I had the chance to cover them up. It’s been so long since I’ve had a friend. Someone to talk to, to listen to, to laugh and dream with.

Beth would never do anything to hurt me.

She only wants what’s best for me, for my marriage. Doesn’t she?

Review: 2.5 Stars

This one is a hell of slow burn, yet a quick read. The plot keeps getting thicker but nothing is happening! There is a lot of suspense and drama, and the plot seems like a domestic noir. It’s interesting and you want to find out more but even by 50% you have no idea what is going on or where this is headed. You can certainly make some guesses but there’s hardly any basis to what you are guessing.  Beth alludes to ‘knowing’ Jake in her narrations but we don’t know how. Why Isla is married to Jake is beyond me. Her narration portrays him as a controlling, judgmental and maybe even slightly abusive husband. There are enough red flags there to make you wonder what is making her stay married to Jake. Same is the case with Beth and Kyle. No apparent reason for them to be together except habit. 

The thing with a slow burn is that once it’s all heated up it starts to boil over pretty quickly and a lot of things happen rapidly. Yet the mystery remains and the pieces don’t fall in to place very quickly. Hiren how little movement there is in the plot the reader can easily guess what’s going on, there is enough confusion there to not be 100% certain right till the end but most readers of this genre will have figured it out. The last 15% of the book is where everything comes to head and you know what’s going on and how accurate your guess was. 

Overall this isn’t a book I highly recommend. It’s pretty boiler plate and there is nothing that particularly stands out. It’s an average read. 

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley, #TheGirlAcrossTheStreet