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Everything I Read – April 2025 (part 1)

1. The Liar’s Wife

This wasn’t groundbreaking but a good ol’ mystery/thriller read. Palmer is married with a new baby and hoping to feel like herself again now that she is back to work. Her husband is staying home with the baby which helps to keep Palmer’s mind at ease. That is until her husband begins acting strange – taking phone calls outside, deleting his call log, etc and Palmer feels like he is hiding something. After seeing him out chatting with a strange woman while he said he was at home was the final straw for Palmer and she decides to see what he is up to. This whole time she is worried her husband is hiding something but what if he is hiding HER from something? Rating: 8

2. A Very Bad Thing

Another great mystery/thriller that kept me guessing throughout the entire book. Columbia Jones is a beloved author that has dedicated her life to writing books people love and engaging with her fans all over the world. After a recent book reading, Columbia collapses on stage in front of an entire crowd of people. She is rushed to the hospital for observation but Columbia’s daughter and publicist are worried that someone at the event may have frightened her and caused her to faint. Who was the man that Columbia seemed to see in the crowd and pause in reaction to?

After she is brought back to her hotel to recover, suspicions are raised again when Columbia is found dead in room later that night. And her daughter Darian finds the publicist standing over Columbia’s body when she enters the room to check on her mother. The story has tons of twists and turns and keep me guessing until the end. Rating: 8.5

3. The Three Lives of Cate Kay

I wanted to love this book but the more I read it, the more I just could not get into the story. It was entertaining enough to finish but still dragged on for many parts. Cate Kay is a bestselling author and about to watch her book become a film in the coming months. Though Cate is known around the world, hardly anyone has ever seen her in person. She has tried to keep her anonymity despite her growing fame. Only a select group of people even know who she is and she fights hard to keep herself out of the media.

When Cate selects an actor to play the lead in the movie based off her bestselling novel, she decides that she must meet her in person. They develop a special connection and Cate is faced with having to share parts of her past that she has never wanted to acknowledge. Traumatic events that shaped and forever changed the course of her life. I loved parts of this story but it fell flat at times. Rating: 7

4. The Woman Who Lied

Meh. This was a slow read for me and I had a hard time staying focused on the story. Emilia Ward is an author of the best selling Miranda Moody detective novels. Emilia has decided to end the series but is having a hard time finishing the final book. Then things begin happening to her that she can’t explain. It’s almost as if the plot of her book is being played out in real time. But that is impossible because Emilia hasn’t even finished it and no one has ready  the final draft. How could they know what she is writing or will write? The premise of the book is promising but the actual story fell flat for me. Rating: 7

5. Things We Never Got Over

An easy to read romantic novel that is somewhat predictable but still enjoyable. The story does get racy at times so if that isn’t your thing, you will want to skip this one. Naomi is a runaway bride and escapes to the small town where her twin sister resides in hopes of finding solace after leaving her wedding unexpectedly. The only problem is her sister isn’t anywhere to be found and Naomi is stuck without a plan or place to live. She stumbles into a coffee shop hoping to gather her thoughts and plan her next steps and meets Knox. Knox is a lifelong resident of this small town and a hulking figure not known for friendly small talk.

Knox knows Naomi’s sister and overhears her talking about how she is looking for her and needs to track her down. He reluctantly steps in to help and offers her assistance in finding a place to stay and intel on where her sister could be. You can probably guess it but Knox and Naomi develop a relationship, though it’s a rocky one that goes through a ton of drama and turmoil. It’s an easy story to get through and even though I knew how it would end, I love to see it all come to fruition. Rating: 8.5

6. The Patient’s Secret

This was another mystery/thriller that keep me entertained but wasn’t on the edge of my seat amazing. And at times it got a bit confusing keeping all the characters straight but I was able to follow things after awhile. Lily is a psychotherapist living a quiet life with her professor husband and their two children. Things in their small town are idyllic and seemingly unaffected from the perils of the outside world. That is until Arwen Harper moves to town with her teenage son. Arwen seems to arrive out of nowhere and soon begins to stir up problems around town. It isn’t until Arwen is found dead that people fear that they could be living amongst a murderer.

Lily is especially worried because she has a past that she doesn’t want anyone to ever know about and this level of media scrutiny could threaten that. This is actually loosely based on the Jeremy Steinke and Jasmine Richardson case that devastated the small town of Medicine Hat, Canada. I am familiar with that true crime case but honestly couldn’t figure out how it related to this book until the end. It definitely kept me guessing. Rating: 8

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Everything I Read – March 2025 Part 2

1. Margo’s Got Money Troubles

This book was an up and down roller coaster for me in terms of my enjoyment of it. I ended up really loving the ending but the story and some of the dialogue is strange. Some may find it quirky, but I found it off putting at times.

Margo is a young college student trying to balance her academic life with her working life until she has an affair with her professor and ends up pregnant. With no support from family or the professor, Margo drops out of school and start working to provide for her child. But the only jobs available do not pay very well. So Margo decides to try something completely out of her comfort zone and makes an Only Fans account. Soon the money is rolling in but Margo is conflicted with what she does versus how society views it. Margo puts a different kind of spin on her content and finds an untapped market. I like the overall premise of the book and how Margo deals with adversity and fights to overcome so many obstacles but the story did get weird at times so just know that. LOL Rating: 7.5

2. We Solve Murders

Frankly, I have no recollection of what this book was about because it did not keep my attention in the slightest. LOL As soon as it was done, I completely erased it from my brain. Clearly I am in the minority with this though because it is a best selling novel. So don’t let my dislike of it completely dissuade you. Amy works in private security and is assigned to protect a famous author. Things seem calm and normal until a dead body turns up and someone seems to be trying to target Amy instead of the famous author. Amy reaches out to her father-in-law who is a former investigator and they try to find out who is behind this targeted attack. So many people loved this book but it was sadly not a hit for me. Rating: 4

3. The Return of Ellie Black

I enjoyed this mystery but did find it slow moving at times so it wasn’t my favorite out of this group. Ellie Black was a young teenage girl that disappeared a few years ago and then was found alive wandering the woods with no explanation of how she got there. Detective Calhoun is assigned to the case and struggles with trying to get a straight story out of Ellie. What is she hiding and why is she hiding it? It took me a bit to get through but overall was an interesting story. Rating: 8

4. The Perfect Daughter

My jaw was ON THE FLOOR at the twist in this book. It took me completely by surprise in the best possible way!

Penny is a 16 year old with an unknown traumatic past and has developed multiple personalities to deal with her experiences. Penny was adopted into a loving home but still struggles with demons from her past. When Penny is found at the home of her birth mother, covered in blood and standing over her mother’s lifeless body, she has no recollection of how she got here and what happened. The evidence against her is damning but Penny’s family is fighting to give her the best possible chance of an acquittal. They hire an amazing lawyer and try to get her care from a licensed professional that can understand Penny’s mental challenges. This book will keep you hooked from the very beginning and stun you with the revelation at the end. Rating: 9

5. Night Road

I love Kristin Hannah books so I already knew this would be a hit for me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of her other stories, but nonetheless I love the way Kristin Hannah tells stories and this one was no exception.

Mia and Zach are teenage twins that come from a loving and stable home. Lexi is the new girl in town and has left behind a ton of trauma in hopes of a new start living with a relative. On the first day of school, Lexi and Mia meet and become instant best friends. Over the years, Mia, Zach and Lexi all become inseparable and the closest of friends. That is until Lexi and Zach begin to have feelings for each other and this threatens the dynamic of their little group. A devastating tragedy puts this friendship to the test and changes the course of all their lives forever. As with all Kristin Hannah books, there is so much emotion in this story which makes it such a great read. Rating: 8.5

6. What Happened to Nina

This book is loosely based on the Gabby Petito case and was one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a LONG time. Simon and Nina are a young couple in love and go away for a few days to Simon’s family’s cabin to enjoy some time together. When Simon returns home but Nina never does, Nina’s parents are frantic and want answers as to her whereabouts. Simon claims he and Nina broke up during their trip and he left her at the cabin. When Nina’s parents arrive at Simon’s house for more answers, Simon’s parents stonewall them and stand by their son’s story. The suspense in this book isn’t from the actual event in question but the search for getting justice kept me on the edge of my seat. I could NOT put this book down from start to finish! Rating: 9

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