Here’s my reviews of all the books I’ve recently finished:

1. One by One – I love an easy mystery thriller and this one was so fun to read. A trendy London start-up takes its employees to an expensive chalet in the French Alps. Employees get to enjoy the amazing accommodations while also bonding with each other and working. But then something horrific happens and the group is left with one less member, and then another. It feels like the people at this company are dying tragically in a sequence and everyone wonders who will be next. Rating: 8.5

2. Negative Space – I enjoy a good memoir and while this one had great reviews, I was not a fan. Lily Dancyger shares what is was like growing up with two addicts as parents, one of whom was an integral part of the East Village art scene in the 1980’s. I kept waiting for the story to get better or to become more interested in it, but sadly it wasn’t a hit for me. Rating: 3

3. Pretty Things – Another mystery that is enjoyable and easy to read. Not a page turner but a great thing to read when you just want to be entertained. Nina had hoped for a different life for herself but is stuck in a cycle of conning rich people out of money and scamming them for goods that her and her boyfriend, Lachlan, can resell for a profit. When Nina’s mom is diagnosed with cancer and must undergo a very expensive treatment, Nina knows she needs to attempt her most lucrative and dangerous con on someone from her past. Tables are turned on Nina and she must figure out how to navigate through it without being caught. Rating: 8

4. The First Day of Spring – This one is a bit of a dark thriller and can be triggering because it involves the death of a child. However the story is really good and I couldn’t stop reading! Chrissie grows up in a neglected household with a mother that isn’t fit to parent and as a result she acts out in horrific and terrifying ways. She ends up killing a neighborhood toddler and gets away with it. The story then fast forwards decades later to Chrissie as an adult and how she struggles to move past her trauma and be a good parent to her own daughter. The book oscillates between time periods but does so effortlessly so I found it very easy to follow along. Rating: 8.5

5. Don’t Look for Me – If you are going on vacation soon, there are a few books in this list that are quick and enjoyable to read. This is another mystery that really kept me guessing as to who exactly is the kidnapper of Molly Clarke. Molly is a mother that is struggling with the death of her youngest daughter and feels lost ever since the accident. Her other two children and husband have seemed to move on in a way, but Molly is stuck in a pit of depression. When she suddenly disappears one day, her family wonders if she walked away from her life willingly or was in something more sinister. Rating: 8.5

6. 28 Summers – Get out your tissues because this book is a major tearjearker! Mallory and Jake meet during Mallory’s brother bachelor party over Labor Day weekend 28 years ago. They have a connection that is undeniable but Jake is in a relationship and Mallory does not want to leave Nantucket where she lives. So they decide to meet every year on Labor Day weekend and have a blissful romantic weekend together. It’s complicated and their lives take them in many different directions as the years go by, but that weekend is always theirs and they stay in love with each other from afar. Until Mallory learns that she is dying and Jake has to come and say goodbye. Ugh, I tear up even writing this review! Rating: 8.5