Blog Tour Review: Good Girls Lie

Title: Good Girls Lie
Author: J.T. Ellison
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 30, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

Review:

This was an amazing thriller!

The narrative switched between first person and third person perspectives between chapters. At first, I was confused as to who was narrating. I prefer it when the chapters have the narrators labeled when it alternates. However, this was a clever way of telling the story. This narration style had a purpose in the story, and it couldn’t be told any other way.

There were so many twists throughout the story. I kept gasping at what was happening. I was surprised right until the last page. It was a fantastic thriller!

I loved this book! It’s a great thrilling read!

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

What to read next:

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

The Finishing School by Joanna Goodman

About the Author:

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 novels, and the EMMY-award winning co-host of A WORD ON WORDS, Nashville’s premier literary show. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and has been published in 26 countries. Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.

Have you read Good Girls Lie? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – January 2

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 The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. 
When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her–freedom, prison or death.
With The Testaments, the wait is over.
Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story more than fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

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

Review: Cub

Title: Cub
Author: Cynthia L. Copeland
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A laugh-out-loud funny and empowering graphic memoir about growing up and finding your voice. 

Twelve-year-old Cindy has just dipped a toe into seventh-grade drama—with its complicated friendships, bullies, and cute boys—when she earns an internship as a cub reporter at a local newspaper in the early 1970s. A (rare) young female reporter takes Cindy under her wing, and Cindy soon learns not only how to write a lede, but also how to respectfully question authority, how to assert herself in a world run by men, and—as the Watergate scandal unfolds—how brave reporting and writing can topple a corrupt world leader. Searching for her own scoops, Cindy doesn’t always get it right, on paper or in real life. But whether she’s writing features about ghost hunters, falling off her bicycle and into her first crush, or navigating shifting friendships, Cindy grows wiser and more confident through every awkward and hilarious mistake.

Review:

I really enjoyed this book!

It is set in the 1970s, but there were many parallels with today’s world. There were many news headlines that are similar to the ones today, like the Watergate scandal, women’s rights, and environmental concerns. This could make the story more relatable for kids today, even though it is set decades ago.

There were also universal parts of growing up in this story. Cindy had her first boyfriend, and she also had to deal with bullying and losing friends. At the same time, she made new friends, who she didn’t expect to like.

This was a great graphic novel!

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Real Friends by Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Have you read Cub? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – January 1

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 Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith. The expected publication date is January 28, 2020.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw

Title: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: November 13, 2018
Rating: ★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Noah Shaw confesses all in this second novel of a chilling new companion series to Michelle Hodkin’s New York Timesbestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!

Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance.
He does.

Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions.
There is.

Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer.
He does not. 

Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred.

Review:

I was looking forward to this book after the cliffhanger of the previous one, but it was so disappointing.

The main problem with this story was that it didn’t progress the plot. There were some interesting flashbacks to what happened when Noah was in the hospital, which was in the Mara Dyer series. However, there were also flashbacks to Noah’s ancestors, which could have been explained in a couple of sentences, rather than multiple chapters.

I had a hard time keeping track of the characters by the end. There were some new people, but they all seemed the same. They had long drawn-out conversations about the same things over and over. There wasn’t much that actually happened in the story, other than many conversations.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my expectations. I expected a lot more from the book.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Shatter Me (Shatter
Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) Maggie Stiefvater

Other Books in the Series:

Have you read The Reckoning of Noah Shaw? What did you think of it?

Best Books of 2019

I’ve chosen my favourite books of 2019! This year, I picked one book from each genre that was published in 2019, that I loved! I used the Goodreads Choice Awards as the basis for these genre categories.

Fiction

The Rosie Result (Don Tillman #3) by Graeme Simsion

Review

Mystery/Thriller

The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley

Review

Historical Fiction

The Temptation of Gracie by Santa Montefiore

Review

Fantasy

Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Review

Romance

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Review

Women’s Fiction

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Review

Nonfiction

The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly

Review

Graphic Novel

Harley Quinn, Vol. 2: Harley Destroys the Universe by Sam Humphries

Review

Poetry

When You Ask Me Where I’m Going by Jasmin Kaur

Review

Debut Novel

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford

Review

Young Adult Contemporary

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Review

Young Adult Thriller

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Review

Young Adult Graphic Novel

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Mariko Tamaki, Steve Pugh

Review

Young Adult Fantasy

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3) by Holly Black

Review

Middle Grade

Tunnel of Bones (Cassidy Blake #2) by Victoria Shwab

Review

Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Review

Picture Book

Ho’onani: Hula Warrior by Heather Gale, Mika Song

Review

(All images from Goodreads)

What are your Best Books of 2019?

Blog Tour Review: Husband Material

Title: Husband Material
Author: Emily Belden
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Graydon House
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: December 30, 2019
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes love is unpredictable…

Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.

Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.

But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

Review:

This story started out as a romantic comedy, but turned into a suspenseful story.

There were so many twists that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had things figured out, there would be another unexpected twist. I liked that so many surprising elements were slowly revealed, such as how Decker died and what had happened in the past between Charlotte and Brian.

I don’t think the title or cover of the book really matched it. From the title and cover, it looks like a fun romance, but there were some dark parts to the story, including Decker’s death.

I really enjoyed this book! I was glued to it until the end.

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

What to read next:

How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway

The Love Solution by Ashley Croft

Author Info:

EMILY BELDEN is a journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novel Hot Mess and Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. She lives in Chicago. Visit her website at http://www.emilybelden.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @emilybelden.

Buy the Book:

Have you read Husband Material? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – December 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 Husband Material by Emily Belden.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading The Reckoning of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #2) by Michelle Hodkin.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison.

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

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – December 29

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 8 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Husband Material

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 Husband Material by Emily Belden.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes love is unpredictable…

Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.

Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.

But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

What book are you in bed with today?