1. Summer of ’69 – I really enjoy Elin Hilderbrand books and this one was no exception. The story is told from the various perspectives of the Levin family, a wealthy family from Boston living in Nantucket for the summer in 1969. The struggles, family secrets and massive change that the country was going through really shaped their lives and who they were becoming. 4 siblings all at different stages of their life are grappling with personal issues and trying to figure out how to navigate their life apart from their wealthy upbringing. Rating: 8.5
2. Just One Look – Sadly this book was quite disappointing and really left me wanting more. Cassie Woodson is a temp at a prestigious law firm after getting fired from her permanent position at another competing law firm. She feels lost and depressed at the turn her life has taken and while combing through internal documents as part of a case she is working on, she comes across personal emails from one of the top lawyers at the firm to his wife. The emails are seemingly innocuous but Cassie begins to obsess over their relationship and imagines it’s as perfect as their emails make it sound. She takes her obsession too far and she finds herself in a situation she may not be able to get out of. Rating: 6.5
3. Dear Child -Could not get into this book at all. Ugh. It had a ton of buzz but feel flat for me. Lena escapes from being held captive in a cabin in the woods, but can’t remember how she got there. She escapes with two children who call her “Mommy” but she has no knowledge of giving birth to them. Her captor was never caught and she is concerned he will try to come for her again, though she still doesn’t know who he is. The children hold much of the truth, but are not willing to share what they know about the man they believe to be their father. Rating: 5
4. The Good Sister – This took me a bit to get into because I was trying to decide if it was a mystery or drama/fiction, but the beauty of it is that it doesn’t really fit into any category for me. Fern and Rose are twin sisters who could not be more different. Rose has always looked after Fern because Fern has difficulty in social situations and must lead a very structured life. A childhood trauma bonds them together though both sisters seem to recall things differently. Rose is having trouble getting pregnant so Fern decided to try and get pregnant and give her baby to Rose. As the due date for the pregnancy gets closer, Fern realizes that maybe Rose isn’t as trustworthy as she seems and past family secrets threaten to destroy their relationship. Rating: 8.5
5. The Best of Friends – THE BEST!!! My favorite book of the bunch!!! I immediately went to find more books from this author because I was OBSESSED. Caleb, Jacob and Sawyer have been best friends their whole lives because their mothers are all best friends. But when tragedy strikes and a horrific accident leaves one of the boys dead and one in a coma, the families must try and figure out what really happened that night. The surviving boy is too traumatized to speak so the mothers try to understand what they may have missed leading up to the that night. Their lifelong friendship is tested as well as their trust in themselves as mothers. Rating: 9
6. Hidden Pictures – I really thought I knew where this book was going but it took quite the turn and surprised the heck outta me! Mallory is newly sober and out of rehab and lands a fantastic paying babysitting job with a wealthy family in New Jersey. She loves the little boy, Teddy, and is so grateful to this family for giving her a chance after her challenging past. However, when Teddy begins showing her some of his disturbing drawings, Mallory wonders where he is getting these images from. After learning of a past murder that happened decades ago in this home, Mallory is convinced the spirit of the deceased woman is trying to communicate through Teddy’s drawings. What’s actually happening is so much more shocking. Rating: 8.5
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