 He did it again! An atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page. This one includes all of my favourites: Unreliable narrator, family secrets, red herrings, gothic undertones and a complex plot, filled with psychological suspense. This is the perfect summer read!
The Last Time I Lied is one of those stay up all night and read no matter how early you have to get up in the morning for work. I was lost in the pages of this haunting story that spans generations. As we learned from Final Girls, Forests + Riley Sager = a terrifying experience. Releases in July. • Thank you @duttonbooks and @riley.sager. Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips. Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends. Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price. • 📷: @mariahmilliephotography
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 I just finished Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella.
“Love is finding one person infinitely fascinating. And so…not an achievement, my dear. Rather, a privilege.” Witty, emotional, and extremely entertaining, I loved the message at the heart of this story: marriage is work, marriage is commitment, and marriage is putting your spouse before yourself. I laughed, I got emotional, and I smiled…a lot. This is the perfect Spring/Summer read, and as I’ve found, Kinsella never disappoints. Let me know what you think! Thank you @penguinrandomhouseand @netgalley for this ARC.  I am a HUGE fan of Mary Kubica. I have a copy of all of her books, and was so excited to receive an ARC from @netgalley and @harlequinbooks. I was immediately invested in When The Lights Go Out. I really enjoyed Pretty Baby, which came out in 2015, and this story follows the same theme of motherhood. I loved the plot, and the unreliable narrator, which provided the same riveting suspense and stress that The Woman in the Window and Girl on the Train provided. The storyline was amazing, with alternating POV’s which kept me furiously flipping pages well into the night, trying to uncover the “bizarre case of stolen identity.” When I finally got to the ‘twist’ I was really disappointed, and actually flipped back to re-read because I was so surprised and unsure if I read incorrectly. I felt that my questions were never answered and wish the ending had gone in a different direction. I’ve read some very positive reviews with 5 stars, so maybe I am in the minority here. Excited to see what the bookstagram community thinks!
Synopsis from Goodreads: A woman is plunged into a bizarre case of stolen identity in this ambitious and riveting thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that forces her to question everything she’s ever known. Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined. Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key.  I just finished Bone Music, and my initial thoughts are 'Wow, this has all the makings of a great Netflix series!' This book is the backstory of Charlotte Rowe, which reminds me of why Marvel is so successful. A thriller that is both vivid, intelligent, and intensely moving, with a strong female protagonist. There is LOTS going on, and I don't want to give anything away. The book synopsis really doesn't do this book justice. Superhero, meets vigilante, with a mix of sci-fi, murder mystery, and the supernatural. It's LONG. I'm talking 450 plus pages long, and at first it deterred me from starting this. But with many hours to spare yesterday and today due to an unexpected knee injury, I was able to finish it in a few sittings. When I first saw the cover of this book, the title threw me off. But after getting half way you understand that the title refers to the symptoms of a powerful drug - "the shaking hands, the throbbing in her bones." What I loved most about this book, was the reason the drug was created in the first place - to wipe out sexual sadism. rape, and domestic violence. A unique approach to the thriller genre. It will not disappoint!
 Usually, when a book has adaptation deals before before its publication, you assume it will be good. In fact, exceptional, especially when Kerry Washington is involved. I was really excited that The Perfect Mother was part of Book of the Month's May selections. I've seen a few of my favourite Bookstagrammers post about it, and read positive reviews. So I will say that I seem to be in the minority here. I found this book to be the complete opposite of the genre it's been marketed to. It claims to be a "riveting", and "fast-paced" thriller, but I found that it ultimately fell short. I wouldn't categorize this as a thriller, nor fast-paced. The plot sounds intriguing, especially when a missing child is involved, and you're taken through the various character's point of view of what actually happened that night. I had a difficult time keeping track of the assortment of mom's, and found their storylines weren't clearly separated. I didn't connect to any of them, which often has me losing interest quite quickly. When I finally did get to what happened to baby Midas, I just didn't care. I have a feeling the movie will be better then the book (first time I've ever said this), because the storyline is appealing.
 Circe, in one word, was spectacular. Madeline Miller's first novel, 'The Song of Achilles' was the winner of the 2012 Orange Prize for fiction, and splashed across the bestselling charts. As a fan of mythology, I'm surprised I haven't read it. Circe was one of Book Of The Month's April picks, and it sounded intriguing, so I chose this, alongside The Girl Who Smiled Beads. I started it last week on a sunny afternoon, taking full advantage of my patio for the first time this year. Before I knew it, the sun was setting, and I was half-way through this masterpiece. For a story that spans a thousand years, this one does not disappoint, or cause you to feign interest. I loved the character of Circe, who is strong-willed, determined, and fiercely loyal. This book is intricately woven, providing an in-depth look at many mythology characters, and the myths that sealed their fate. Growing up, my sister and I were enamoured with the many approaches to mythology, specifically the Xena and Hercules plot lines. Circe blew my memories out of the water, providing intensely visual depictions of famous battles, character transformations, and prophetic utterances. This one is not to be missed!
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