I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, however I ended up listening to the audiobook. All opinions are my own.
This was a good political thriller full of social commentary. The book is full of secrets, some stemming from the main character's past and some that she must uncover to save her future. Ellice Littlejohn is a lawyer at a transportation company. She has worked hard to get where she is from the small town she is from. She doesn't like to talk about her past or her personal life. In fact, most of her friends and coworkers don't really know anything about her. Ellice likes to have her life in order, so when her entire life is thrown headlong into chaos when her boss is murdered she isn't sure what to do. Ellice quickly finds herself in the middle of the executive suite and in the middle of a shady corporate business deal. As she begins to question the business dealings of her new peers, they begin to question everything about her and the secrets she has worked so hard to keep may not be secret much longer.
The main character is supposed to be extremely smart and well educated, yet she was portrayed as having no common sense. Not that there aren't real people like that out there, but in her inner monologues she knew what the right choice was and made the wrong one anyway. I'm not a fan when this technique is used in writing to make the main character, especially a female MC look lesser. This just goes to show that secrets and lies always backfire in the end. At times it felt as if her image was more important than saving her own life and solving the crime.
Overall this was an entertaining listen. The audio narrator did a good job and the story kept me engaged.
I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
Emeline wants nothing more than to be a professional musician. She's got the talent and things are finally coming together for her. When her grandfather goes missing, she realizes that her plans might be in jeopardy. Emeline returns home to look for her grandfather, but she is pulled into a fantasy world that she thought was made up. The silly stories and superstitions she grew up with turn out to be true, and she has to enter that world and restore something that was lost to save the ones she loves.
I think alot of YA readers are going to love this. It is a quick and easy read, and has alot of YA tropes that I think younger readers will enjoy. For me it was a bit underdeveloped. The magic system was never really explained and I never really connected with the characters. Emeline is a bit immature for my taste and kept me from fully connecting with this. With this being so heavily character driven versus plot driven, connecting with the characters is really important. I will say that the author did a good job setting the scene, the creatures and scenery were explained with good detail.
I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own. I can see I'm in the minority here, but I didn't love this. It is lacking in the suspense and horror elements I expected to find in a book that features such a unique and creepy house in the woods. I love a good haunted house story and the premise of this was really promising. The Octagon House is situated in the woods, it is the scene of a murder, and for some the house call out to them. The basement is the setting for the creepier parts, but I feel those scenes lacked the detail that would have taken this book to the next level. I never felt any suspense for the characters. The house and the basement should have made me feel something, and they didn't. There is a bit of a supernatural element to the story, but I didn't find it scary.
There were many scenes about loss and grief. If discussions about loss of a loved one and miscarriage are upsetting to you, I'd skip this book as they are a main focus for the main character. I felt like this story was more about Clare and her personal losses and grief than it was about the horror and suspense.
I was provided an ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.
This is a companion novel to The Lie, as they can both be read independently. This follows Lydia, younger sister of Faith, and daughters of Allie and Luke who you may know from the Washington Wolves series. Lydia is suffering from a bit of PTSD after a run in with the paparazzi and a car accident that has left her with a broken arm. She has quite the social media following, and while it makes her good money, the accident has left her questioning her goals for the future. Her parents are happy to have her stay at home while she heals and decides her next steps, however they want her to feel safe when she goes outside. Enter Erik Wilder. Erik is a former Wolves player, and perpetual grump. He left football after an injury and to deal with some personal issues, which you have to read the book to learn about. They explain alot about his personality and are worth waiting for. Erik has found himself in the personal security business, so Luke gives him a call and a generous offer to protect his daughter until she feels safe in the world again. The two of them don't initially enjoy each others company, but they begin to grow on one another. Lydia slowly finds herself able to reenter society without being scared she is going to be attacked, and Erik realizes it might be time to let someone in again.
This is a slow burn, opposites attract, age gap romance. The age gap isn't huge she is 22 and he is 30. Lydia mature for her age and you often forget she is 22. She's a good fit for Erik and since they are both consenting adults the age gap doesn't at all feel taboo in anyway. THeir relationship has the forbidden aspect more because she is the boss' daughter. Lydia's playful side evens out his serious broody side. Erik feels alot of guilt for what happened at the time of his injury and the fallout that occurred within his family. Some of that was self imposed and some of it was not his fault. It takes him quite a bit of time to work through his feelings and guilt over that, all the while Lydia is trying to figure out her life and how to move forward from the accident. I adored Lydia's relationship with her parents. I especially loved her conversations with her dad. The Wilder family was pretty fun too.
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it.
Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump.
To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be.
He’s suspicious, never talks about his past and has the comfort skills of a cactus. I’m a happily ever after kinda girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life.
Erik’s words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me.
He’s just as stubborn as I am, but when our fake dating plan starts to feel a lot more real, it's only a matter of time before his professional walls come crashing down.
I just have to hope my heart doesn't get buried in the rubble.
Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job.
I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob.
If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies.
I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever.
"Tijan delivers on the fun, edge, and angst. Her books never fail to please!"―Kylie Scott, New York Times bestseller
The Damaged, the next unputdownable romantic suspense in The Insiders Series from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is now available!
No longer an outsider, Bailey has a family and love that she never could’ve imagined.
Used to living in the shadows, Kash will now do anything to protect his family and his woman.
They will take on the world together…
In the meantime, stunning motives, lies, and explosive secrets continue to unfold.
1. Quinn is in jail, awaiting trial.
2. Friends might actually be enemies.
3. And what is Calhoun plotting? More importantly, will Kash discover it before it’s too late?
Everything will come to a head as passion and danger ignite in The Damaged.
Excerpt
Swish, swish. The windshield wipers were busy at work this morning. It’d been raining since late the night before, and now there was just a whole dreary feel to the day. Dark and gloomy, matching my mood. It was perfect. Swish, swish. “Are you nervous, miss?” I wasn’t responding, because this isn’t how things were supposed to be. I wasn’t supposed to wake up in the middle of the night and find the bed empty. And I wasn’t supposed to have to be escorted by one of our guards down to the apartment building’s gym to find my boyfriend , the guy I loved, the guy who was so not a secret from the entire world anymore, pummeling a boxing bag so hard that his knuckles ripped open every night. It was not right that I had to stand on the side, waiting for him to fight through his haze before he noticed I was there, and then watch as blood dripped from his hands to the floor. But all of that was happening. Because three weeks after there’d been a kidnapping attempt on me, after he had saved me, everything was just, simply, not okay. To be more frank, everything was shit. And here I was. In the back of an SUV being driven by one of my two personal bodyguards, to a school that I used to daydream about attending, while my boyfriend, that guy I had come to love so much, was heading into his own personal nightmare. Fitz, my guard, clued in on my state and didn’t ask again, but his eyes were on me . He saw. He more than saw, and I knew I’d be getting a call from Kash about two minutes after the first chance Fitz had a moment to text his boss that I was not okay. Because I wasn’t. Today was the day all my dreams were supposed to come true. Instead, I was a week late going to my graduate program and I wanted to be anywhere except where I was going. And I had no say, because the world found out in a big way I was the daughter of Peter Francis, a tech legend that I’d grown up idolizing until I found out myself, this past summer, that he was also my father. And then there was my boyfriend, Kash Colello, whose grandfather was one of the richest men in the world, but that came with strings and dangerous alliances with the dark underground of the world. My boyfriend, with his inherited wealth, now that he had come out of the shadows to the world, and whose “coming out” was even bigger than mine because of his connections and his family, was now the ninth wealthiest man in the world. Life as Peter Francis’s daughter, life as Kash Colello’s girlfriend, was a whole lot different than life had been as Bailey Hayes. There were rules and expectations and lots and lots of people watching you. So no, I was not okay.
About Tijan Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.
“I can always count on Tijan to write an action-packed, intense, emotional story that will have me invested until the very last page.”—Helena Hunting, New York Times bestselling author
The Damaged, the next highly-addictive romantic suspense story in The Insiders Series from New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is now available!
No longer an outsider, Bailey has a family and love that she never could’ve imagined.
Used to living in the shadows, Kash will now do anything to protect his family and his woman.
They will take on the world together…
In the meantime, stunning motives, lies, and explosive secrets continue to unfold.
1. Quinn is in jail, awaiting trial.
2. Friends might actually be enemies.
3. And what is Calhoun plotting? More importantly, will Kash discover it before it’s too late?
Everything will come to a head as passion and danger ignite in The Damaged.
About Tijan Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.
About Tijan Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new series from north Minnesota where she lives with an English Cocker she adores.
I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, all opinions are my own. This book comes out tomorrow, February 8, 2008.
This was ok but it was missing the intensity and suspense that The Insiders had. The suspense kicked up towards, but I would have liked a bit more throughout the entire book. Much like the first book, this has the feel of Tijan's other mafia themed books. This installment reminded me alot of Canary, especially when it comes to how the characters deal with trauma and emotions. Our main character Bailey has been pretty traumatized after teh events that took place in book one. She has been raised to not cry or show emotion as it is a sign of weakness. She is doing everything she can to push down her emotion and avoid dealing with her trauma. As you can imagine this is not going well for her especially as she is starting a challenging masters degree program at her dream school and her life as Peter Francis' daughter and Kashton Colello's girlfriend is now public information. She is social media fodder and that is stress she doesn't need. Much like her emotions, Bailey's character is kind of all over the place in this book. She's still insanely smart when it comes to her school works, then in the next second she is completely insecure when it comes to her relationships with her family and Kash. That being said Kash while part of the story spends alot of time off of the page making moves and keeping Bailey in the dark. Matt and Bailey are building on their relationship and I liked that they are getting closer and can lean on each other.
As with book one there are some graphic sexual scenes, alcohol consumption, and violence. This was a fast, easy read. It is full of drama, and sets us up for what is sure to be an epic showdown between Kash and his grandfather.
I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. This may have teenage main characters, but it is pretty dark. The author herself states that this is an adult social horror book but it could go either way. A mature young reader may find this entertaining, but it is geared toward the adult reader. If you enjoyed A Song Below Water it has her same beautiful writing style, but it is not the same.
This follows Farrah in the wake of parents unfortunate change in financial situation. She is used to living at a certain standard, so naturally she feels personally attacked and like she has lost control when her home is put up for foreclosure. Her best friend Cherish is the only other Black girl in their country club community and private school, but Cherish was adopted by white parents. While Farrah is used to a certain level entitlement that her parents wealth affords her, Cherish is a whole different level of spoiled and protected from the world. Farrah is determined to regain control of her life, and she has decided that she is going to manipulate her way into Cherish's family to do it. The longer she stays with Cherish, the more she finds that something is not quite right. The control she thought she had continues to slip away day by day as Farrah is plagued with illness and injury that have no explanation. To say more would be a spoiler.
I thought the characters were wonderfully portrayed here. Farrah comes off as a spoiled brat, while Cherish is portrayed as naïve. They are both spoiled in different ways, and their parents have tried to protect them from the horrible things in the world. Their relationship as best friends is complicated and intense. None of the characters are very likable, but you are quickly drawn into the story. The story starts of a bit slow but as things progress they get pretty dark.
This is a wonderful yet dark exploration into class and race. It is suspenseful and as far as psychological thrillers go, I had no idea what was going on until it happened. The story progresses fairly slowly. It keeps you on your toes waiting for things to happen. I enjoyed it!
All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris
