1. What Kind of Paradise – Not my usual thriller genre but I really loved this story. Jane grew up in an isolated cabin off the grid in Montana. She remembers very little about her childhood and the only remaining parent is her father who is very elusive about their past. Now that Jane is nearing adulthood, she is beginning to wonder more about her life and why her father doesn’t want them to be part of traditional society. After Jane becomes complicit in a horrific crime perpetrated by her father, she realizes she can’t continue living like this and runs away. With nothing to her name and no idea where to go, she heads west to California based on the little information her dad gave her about their life before Montana. When she arrives in San Francisco, the internet is beginning to take off so she quickly gets a job working at a tech company. Once she gets settled, Jane decides that she must learn the truth about her past and why her father kept her so cut off from the rest of the world. The truth turns out to be more devastating than she imagined. Rating: 8.5

2. The Vanishing Place – I was so excited to read this book after seeing a ton of great reviews but sadly it was not a favorite. It was ok but dragged on at times so it took me quite a bit to get through the entire story. Effie grew up in the New Zealand bush, cut off from the rest of the world and from civilization. Her childhood was traumatic which caused Effie to flee at age 16, finding refuge in Scotland with a family friend. It’s been nearly two decades since Effie escaped the bush but after an urgent phone call from a childhood friend, Effie must return to New Zealand in order to help a little girl who is in danger just like she was as a child. Rating: 8

3. Forget Me Not – Good but not great is how I would describe this book. It’s a thriller but didn’t hook me like others in this list. There were some twists and turns but overall it felt somewhat lacking in depth. Claire is trying to carve out a life for herself in NYC but after years of climbing the investigative journalism ladder, she is feeling lost and unsure what is next. After an unexpected phone call from her father about her mother’s health, Claire heads back to her small town in South Carolina to be closer to family. This small town holds so many painful memories though because nearly 20 years ago, Claire’s sister went missing and authorities believed her to have been killed by an older man. There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding her sister’s disappearance so while Claire is home, she visits the farm where her sister worked and spent her last days. As soon as Claire steps foot onto the property, she senses the family who owns it is hiding something. Using her skills as an investigative journalist, Claire decides to see if she can find out what this family may be hiding and how that relates to her sister’s death. Rating: 8

4. My Husband’s Wife – Alice Feeney has become one of my favorite authors when I want to read a book with an unbelievable and shocking twist. This is her newest book and it did not disappoint. Eden Fox goes out on her morning run like she does every day only to return home to a stranger at her front door. This stranger says SHE is Eden Fox and lives at the home Eden shares with her husband. Honestly, this is one of the wildest openings I’ve read so I knew I would be in for a crazy ride with this book. There are so many loose ends in this book that it’s hard to comprehend how they will all weave together but by the end they do. And the biggest twist comes in the last few pages of the book – you will not see this one coming!!! Rating: 9

5. Annie Bot – This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for nearly 3 years. I wasn’t sure I would like it since it was so different from anything I typically read. For the first quarter of the book, I was considering quitting it altogether but decided to stick with it. I ended up really enjoying it though it is hard to explain why I loved it. LOL The ending felt unfinished so that definitely let me down but there was so much more depth in this book than I anticipated. Annie is a customized AI robot designed to act like a real life girlfriend for her partner Doug. A tech company has created this lifelike robot model and sells them to the public. As expected, it became very popular with men looking for companions that they can essentially control. But Annie is different. Her knowledge and intellectual capability is developing more each day making her question if she really wants to live like this. The entire book explores the concept of AI capability and if higher intelligence can really be possible with a robot. In Annie’s search for answers, she must come to terms with the idea of what it means to be human. I went through so many emotions reading this book and had so many conflicting thoughts surrounding this idea of AI robots living among us. Ultimately I really loved the book and enjoyed that it was such a departure from my regular genre. Rating: 8.5

6. Best Offer Wins – I was absolutely obsessed with this book from the very beginning! It had me hooked and took me on the craziest ride imaginable. Margo and her husband live in an apartment in DC though they are hoping to finally find their dream home in the near future. The housing market is crazy with all the best homes in the most desirable areas getting snatched up almost immediately. Margo is getting desperate to find something and catches wind of a new home hitting the market soon. She convinces her husband to drive to the home so they can scope it out and see if they would want to put in an offer. As soon as Margo sets eyes on this house, she knows it has to be hers. She even tries to sneak around back to see more of the home and backyard. When the homeowner catches her snooping around, Margo tries to play it off like she was running in the area and lost her way. After she gets home, Margo decides to research everything about the home owners in order to increase her chances of getting her dream home. Things take a very dark turn when the owners get spooked by Margo’s aggressive tactics and she must find other ways to convince them to sell her the home. This story will take you on the wildest ride in the best way! Rating: 9

I’ve always been someone who likes to invest in a “coat wardrobe” because it’s one of the easiest ways to instantly look pulled together with minimal effort. Keep the base outfit simple with a tee and jeans so you can let your jacket be the focal point. There are some really gorgeous spring jackets out there right now so I thought I would round up my favorite styles in today’s post.

Spring Jackets I’m Loving

Farm Rio Sea Garden Scarf Soft Jacket

Farm Rio is one of my favorite brands to go to for unique and gorgeous prints. I love the mixing of prints on this one with the floral panels edged with the sharp diagonal stripes.

Sezane Dakoty Jacket

This patch jacket is very boho and whimsical which is perfect for someone who loves lightweight fabrics and dainty details.

Maeve Retro Floral Cropped Trench

Nothing screams spring more than a pink floral trench. If wearing something like this seems daunting, the easiest way to style it is with a simple base. Perhaps a white tee and jeans? Or even a silky cream blouse with black trousers which will create a nice contrast and tone down the overly feminine print.

Avec Les Filles Short Trench Coat

This is exactly the type of coat I would wear when I used to work on office job. I LOVE a belted jacket and a leather belt makes this even more chic. You could even wear this as a blazer with a crewneck cashmere sweater underneath, wide leg trousers and pointy toe pumps.

Boden Embroidered Utility Jacket

I love all the colorful details on such a utilitarian jacket.

RAILS Lucien Jacket

If a simple trench bores you to tears but you want something chic enough to wear to the office, this is the jacket to buy. The tie waist gives it shape while the plaid collar and cuffs gives the jacket some character.

SEA NY Karmen Jacket

Totally quirky but there is something about this SEA NY jacket that I LOVE! Even though it’s quite bold, this isn’t necessarily a very trendy piece. The shape of the jacket is classic while the print makes it unique and special. It is a jacket that you can pull out in 10 years and everyone will stop you about it.

Barbour Bleached Olive Icons Cropped Jacket

The overall look of this coat is quintessential Barbour but it’s the contrast of the pink collar that really make me stop scrolling. I’m not typically a pastel person but that pink combined with olive green is perfection.

Tuckernuck Reversible Quilted Townsend Jacket

Honestly, you need to see this jacket on the Tuckernuck site because it shows the interior of the jacket which really made me pick it for this roundup. The striped side is very simple but the other floral side is so gorgeous! I would personally cuff the sleeves each time to show the contrast of the other side.

Boden Lightweight Rain Coat

Years ago raincoats were so boring and tragic yet served a useful purpose. Thank goodness we have moved past the boring stage and brands are embracing creating rain coats that are more enjoyable to wear. While the color blocking makes this stand out from other raincoats, the neutral colors will allow for easily styling in your closet.

Apiece Apart Long Selva Jacket

The draping of this utility jacket is absolutely gorgeous. Often I gravitate towards a stiffer jacket shape but this fit looks so polished and chic in an effortless way. Imagine this worn with all white underneath and some fabulous statement earrings!

Farm Rio Dark Blue Embroidered Pockets Jacket

Another Farm Rio discovery that is a bit more a subtle pattern/print but still quite impactful. Because the base of the coat is dark, this would easily work throughout fall/winter as well as early spring.