TBR Thursday – June 3

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is A Pho Love Story by Loan Le.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898.png

Goodreads Synopsis:

If Bao Nguyen had to describe himself, he’d say he was a rock. Steady and strong, but not particularly interesting. His grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ pho restaurant, and even there, he is his parents’ fifthfavorite employee. Not ideal.

If Linh Mai had to describe herself, she’d say she was a firecracker. Stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She loves art and dreams pursuing a career in it. The only problem? Her parents rely on her in ways they’re not willing to admit, including working practically full-time at her family’s pho restaurant.

For years, the Mais and the Nguyens have been at odds, having owned competing, neighboring pho restaurants. Bao and Linh, who’ve avoided each other for most of their lives, both suspect that the feud stems from feelings much deeper than friendly competition.

But then a chance encounter brings Linh and Bao in the same vicinity despite their best efforts and sparks fly, leading them both to wonder what took so long for them to connect. But then, of course, they immediately remember.

Can Linh and Bao find love in the midst of feuding families and complicated histories?

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: The Hunting Wives

Title: The Hunting Wives
Author: May Cobb
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 18, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behavior in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder.

Sophie O’Neill left behind an envy-inspiring career and the stressful, competitive life of big-city Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It seems like the perfect life with a beautiful home in an idyllic rural community. But Sophie soon realizes that life is now too quiet, and she’s feeling bored and restless.

Then she meets Margot Banks, an alluring socialite who is part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Sophie finds herself completely drawn to Margot and swept into her mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. As Sophie’s curiosity gives way to full-blown obsession, she slips farther away from the safety of her family and deeper into this nest of vipers.

When the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, Sophie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and her life spiraling out of control.

Review:

Sophie O’Neill left behind her busy life in Chicago to move to the Texas small town, where she went to high school, with her husband and toddler son. Soon after, she becomes obsessed with the socialite Margot Banks. Margot is gorgeous and seems to have it all. One day, Margot invites Sophie to join her small group of friends, called the Hunting Wives, at her lake house. They like to drink and do target practice with shotguns. However, they get up to other secret wild and dangerous activities. When a body is found on the lake house property, Sophie ends up being one of the main suspects. Sophie has to save herself as her life spins out of control.

This was such an intense thriller. It had short chapters, which I always find makes me read the book faster. There were so many twists and unexpected events that I couldn’t predict where the story was going. I was completely surprised at the ending. I thought I had figured out what was happening but I was wrong. I love it when a story can surprise me like that.

There were some very intense and potentially triggering scenes. There were instances of alcohol abuse, drugging someone, and having affairs. There were also mentions of suicide and abortions. These things made the story very intense and dramatic, but these scenes could be triggering to some readers.

The Hunting Wives was an intense and surprising thriller!

Thank you Berkley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Where to buy:

Bookshop: http://bit.ly/2KcI6v3  

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XG4tMu

B&N: http://bit.ly/35DV3Wi

BAM: http://bit.ly/2N4yQKD

Target: http://bit.ly/39s9QVf

Apple Books: http://apple.co/3ibYw3B

Google Play: http://bit.ly/3skvovw

Kobo: http://bit.ly/39u1LiT

Have you read The Hunting Wives? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – June 2

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian. The expected publication date is July 6, 2021.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898.png

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Lady of Shalott reclaims her story in this bold feminist reimagining of the Arthurian myth from the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess. 

Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come–for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future.

On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends–countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic.

When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle.

As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change fate–and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way. 

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3)

Title: The Tea Dragon Tapestry (Tea Dragon #3)
Author: Kay O’Neill
Genre: Children’s, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, LGBT
Publisher: Oni Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!

Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng’s care, Greta still can’t chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.

Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth.

Review:

Greta’s Tea Dragon, Ginseng, is having trouble adjusting to life without her former owner. Greta tries to help Ginseng while also figuring out how to impress a master blacksmith enough to take her on as an apprentice. Her friend, Minette, receives a gift from the monastery where she used to live, which brings back some old memories of her ancestors. Greta, Minette, and their friends and family have to learn how to adjust to the changes in their lives.

This is the final book in the Tea Dragon series. This is a great series because it has so much diversity. Some characters are non-binary. Most of the characters are like humans in behavior, but some have animal-like features. This gives them a diverse variety of appearances.

An important theme in this story was adjusting to life changes. Greta had to figure out how to make her Tea Dragon feel comfortable enough with her. Minette was adjusting to her new place with this group of friends. She had to learn to accept her history to be able to move on with her future.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry is a great conclusion to this graphic novel series.

Thank you Oni Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Princess Princess Every After by Kay O’Neill

Dewdrop by Kay O’Neill

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Tea Dragon Tapestry? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Upcoming Releases I’m Excited About

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is a Freebie, so I decided to do Upcoming Releases I’m Excited About. Here’s my list:

1. Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon

2. Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua

3. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

4. Instamom by Chantel Guertin

5. The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning

6. The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison

7. The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

8. Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

9. Isn’t It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

10. Safe in My Arms by Sara Shepard

(All book covers from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Happy Pub Day – June 1

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Simone Breaks All the Rules by Debbie Rigaud

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez

Better Together by Christina Riccio

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow

The Coming Storm by Regina M. Hansen

Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

A Sisterhood of Secret Ambitions by Sheena Boekweg

We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Pizazz by Sophy Henn

Speak for Yourself by Lana Wood Johnson

Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park

The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver

What books are you most excited for this week?

Blog Tour Review: You Will Remember Me

Title: You Will Remember Me
Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: MIRA Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898

Goodreads Synopsis:

Forget the truth.

Remember the lies.

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can’t remember who he is. Everything–his identity, his life, his loved ones–has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

Shared fates intertwine in a twisty, explosive novel of suspense, where unearthing the past might just mean being buried beneath it.

Review:

One day in Maryland, a man woke up on a beach with no memories. He couldn’t remember who he was or why he was there, but he makes his way to his hometown in Maine to find the answers. Lily Reid’s boyfriend has gone missing. When she starts searching for him, she learns that he had been lying to her about his real identity. At the same time, Maya Scott has been searching for her stepbrother for the past two years when he disappeared without a trace. Now, he’s back, but he isn’t the same. They all have dark secrets to hide that threaten to destroy everything.

This was such an amazing thriller! It was so hard to put down. There were loads of secrets and hidden pasts in each of the three narratives, which kept me hooked. The story slowly unraveled to reveal a twisted secret at the end.

The story ended abruptly but it worked really well. One character seemed suspicious from the beginning, and I was right in suspecting them. I couldn’t figure out all of the secrets though, so I was still surprised at some parts. Even though I suspected one character, it was a suspenseful read that I couldn’t put down.

You Will Remember Me is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon

About the author:

Hannah Mary McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favor of writing, and is now the author of The Neighbors, Her Secret Son, and Sister Dear. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons, and is delighted by her twenty-second commute.

Where to buy:

BookShop.org

Harlequin 

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Books-A-Million

Powell’s

Have you read You Will Remember Me? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – May 30

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Hunting Wives by May Cobb.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – May 30

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… You Will Remember Me

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898.png

Goodreads Synopsis:

Forget the truth.

Remember the lies.

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can’t remember who he is. Everything–his identity, his life, his loved ones–has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he’s been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he’d purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

Shared fates intertwine in a twisty, explosive novel of suspense, where unearthing the past might just mean being buried beneath it.

What book are you in bed with today?