 If you've read anything by Clare Macintosh (I See You, Let You Go, Let Me Lie), you immediately associate her writing with the mystery and thriller genre. I have loved all three of these books and highly recommend them. Her books are captivating page-turning, and stay-up-all-night kind of reads. After the End was a surprisingly emotional read, that explores love, marriage, and commitment. This is the perfect Book Club choice, because this book encourages discussion from an ethics/morality standpoint, the challenges of marriage, and how each person encounters and deals with grief. I LOVED how this book is written in two parts. I found the first half depressing, and actually took a break before starting the second part, probably due to the fact that I recently had a child, and the content really hit home for me. The second part however, gets all the stars, and it is so uniquely written, with an incredible take on the Robert Frost poem 'The Road Not Taken'. One defining moment, and the path you choose to take... Highly recommend this one!
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 Twist, after twist, after twist! I can't stop raving about this book, and I am thrilled that Booksparks included this in their Spring Reading Challenge #src2018. I would categorize this as a domestic drama, but there is mystery and thriller woven throughout. I gave this one a solid 5 stars because of the character development, moral dilemmas, and plot development. I love that you get to see things from different points of view, making each characters decisions more and more complex. I was completely absorbed in a whirlwind of emotion. A problematic love affair, a car crash, and the rollercoaster of grief, makes life more complicated for the neighbours of this street. I highly recommend this book!
Often times I catch myself requesting books based on their cover. This is one of those books. It caught my eye right away, and it's clear that using the word 'wife' or 'girl' in the title is more than a marketing trend. I love this genre that's been sweeping the literacy world since Gone Girl and Girl on the Train emerged. Domestic thrillers, unreliable narrators, psychological suspense, and what is means to be a woman living in today's society. The Wife Between Us was all of this and more. What I loved most about this book was how how the authors chose to leave the description ambiguous: "When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement... assume nothing" (Goodreads, 2018). This book is meticulously crafted. The plot-twist half-way through had me flipping backwards, as this roller-coaster ride is taken to new heights. The shocking revelation had me reading well into the night.  Thank you St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Reader Copy.
Premise from Goodreads: When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife. You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle. Assume nothing. Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love. Read between the lies. It's officially January, and I promised myself back in December when I started my two week break that I was going to get loads of blogging done, read my foot high TBR pile, and paint a piece of furniture...suffice to say, not one was accomplished. So rather than post separate book reviews, I have chosen to summarize two December reads in as few sentences as possible because...#lazy. Roomies by Christina Lauren I've been looking for a romantic comedy to fill the void that The Hating Game (Sally Thorne) left me in. It was my favourite RomCom of the past decade. Roomies has been splashed across the bookstagram community and I had to get my hands on it. I really enjoyed the first quarter of the book, but then it lost me. I am not a 'romance' fan (I actually despise reading steamy explicit content. I'll usually skim pages), and I felt that it went down that avenue and stayed there. This may be for you if you like romantic contemporary.  Bear Town Wow! A solid 5 stars. I don't know why it took me so long to read Beartown. This is a book that has everything, covering many different facets, full of emotion and deeply insightful. The characters are diverse, beautifully detailed, and complex. I could literally write quote after quote because each one resonates, and makes you question and ponder this moral fiction. I actually felt transported to the town as Backman does an incredible job of describing the emotional and physical response the barren land has on this community and the people. Did I mention it's a sports story? I am not a hockey fan, and yet I quickly found myself rooting for the players, until the unspeakable act disrupts their dream. Beartown is the perfect Book Club selection because the discussion's would revolve around moral dilemmas, loyalty, race, and right vs. wrong, "People round here don't always know the difference between right and wrong. But we know the difference between good and evil."  The book starts with the line, "You aren't going to like me very much," and it's true. From the onset, I had major Gone Girl vibes (Gillian Flynn), which was my favourite book in 2012. A husband and wife, both writers, keeping secrets, and a marriage based on lies. Hard to not compare, until you hit the halfway point. Lately I've been reading many domestic thrillers, and I'm starting to love this genre. It keeps me on my toes. This book is binge-worthy, full of suspense, accompanied with muti-layered characters. The only thing I found distracting in this novel, is the way the author titles each chapter... Red herrings? Foreshadowing? I hated it. I've read one other book by J.T. Ellison this past summer, called No One Knows, and I really enjoyed it, however this one trumps it. I was completely absorbed in this twisty, unputdownable story.   I had seen Six Stories posted on numerous blogs for the past year. Ever since seeing the cover (the art work drew me in), and discovering the podcast element, I have wanted to devour this book. After the first "story" I contemplated not finishing, or putting it away for awhile. I just couldn't get into it. I love podcasts, especially Serial, which was quite possibly the greatest murder-mystery I've ever listened to. In my fiction selections I prefer page-turners and whodunnit's, but I also enjoy a slow burn, with the heart of a story dependent on character-development. After the third story I realized this book had little to no suspense, with shallow characters that were unreliable. There are supernatural elements, built upon the superstition and folklore passed down to the characters in the town. I was actually hoping the story would follow this plot line, as it was more interesting then the unsatisfying conclusion that was repetitive and drawn out.
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