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Everything I Read in March 2026

1. The Good Lie

I love a good twisty psychological thriller and this one checked all the right boxes. Dr. Gwen Moore is a psychiatrist who specializes in treating people who have committed or fantasize about committing horrific crimes. She is one of the best in her field and has helped countless patients. When one of her patients ends up dead alongside his wife, Dr. Moore feels like she should have seen this coming. Something about this death unsettles her but she can’t identify exactly what it is. In the meantime, she is asked to help consult on a serial killer case where one of the victims managed to escape.

When the father of one of the serial killer’s victims steps up to represent and defend the alleged killer, Dr. Moore is asked to give her professional opinion on the case. But she can’t help feeling like she is not getting all the information from the lawyer especially since the conflict of interest between him and his client is so obvious. There are so many twists and turns that this book will keep you guessing until the very end! Rating: 8.5

2. The Last Party

I was so invested in The Good Lie that I wanted to read more from the same author. I chose this book next but it was a letdown sadly. Also, I struggled to get through it, though the ending did pick up a bit. Perla lives a life of luxury with her husband Grant and their daughter Sophie. But that has not always been the case. Perla’s early years were traumatic and she is hiding some big secrets from her husband and daughter. One of those secrets involves Leewood Folcrum who is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murder of two teen girls at a birthday party nearly two decades ago.

One day, a doctoral student visits the prison and asks to interview Leewood for the thesis he is working on in his doctorate program. The answers Leewood reveals could come back to haunt Perla and implicate her in a decades old crime. While the story did pick up speed towards the end, it wasn’t enough to make up for the entire book. Rating: 6

3. The Other Side of Now

I LOVED this book but absolutely hated the ending. I still recommend reading it because I could not put it down. But I felt so disappointed with the resolution of the story. Meg is living the life she always dreamed of. She is a star on a hit TV show, living in Hollywood and dating one of the most famous actors in the world. But despite all this, Meg feels disconnected and unfullfilled. On a whim she decides to book a trip to a place in Ireland that she had always wanted to visit. She books the cutest AirBnb and departs for a place she hopes will help her find what she is looking for. But once she arrives, Meg is confused because it seems like all the people in this Irish village already know her.

In fact, she has an entire life here that she is unaware of. Did she travel in time? Is she hallucinating another life? Then she realizes that this is the life she would be living had she made a different choice years ago. I loved every bit of this book until the end…..it was not an ending I was hoping for. So sadly, it was a bit of a letdown. BUT don’t let that stop you for reading it because it’s such a good story overall! Rating: 9

4. The Girl in 6E

After enjoying The Good Lie, I wanted to read more A.R. Torre books. The Last Party was ok but I hoped this book would be better. Sadly it wasn’t and I pivoted to other authors after finishing this book. Deanna hasn’t left her apartment in three years. In fact, she has someone lock her in every night to keep others safe from her homicidal tendencies. Deanna has only killed one person but knows if she is free to live a normal life, she may kill again. To make a living, Deanna is a web cam girl and tries to occupy every single minute of her day with work so she doesn’t have to sit with her thoughts. That is until one of her clients alludes to illegal things and Deanna must make a choice. Live with this information and do nothing about it or possibly leave her apartment and try to save a little girl. Rating: 6

5. The Academy

If you are an Elin Hildebrand fan, this is one of her newest books written with her daughter. I love her books and this one was another easy read that kept my attention the entire time. It is set at an elite boarding school in New England and follows a cast of characters beginning a new school year at Tiffin Academy. As with most Elin Hildebrand books, there is a ton of drama and a mystery woven throughout the entire story. The year prior one of the students at Tiffin committed suicide in the dorms shocking the entire community. There was never closure surrounding the suicide so many students are struggling with facing a new school year without their friend. The ending does leave you with tons of questions but there is a sequel coming out later this year! Rating: 8.5

6. The Reformatory

This story is loosely based on the author’s family member who was sentenced to a boy’s reformatory in his teen years. The book details the horrors that schools like this imparted on young boys in the south in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The story begins with Gloria and her little brother Robert living in Florida during segregation. After an encounter with a white boy who made Gloria feel uncomfortable, Robert felt the need to defend Gloria and ended up in a physical altercation. The court sentenced Robert to The Reformatory which was a juvenile detention facility for boys under 21. Once Robert arrives, he realizes he can see and talk to the spirits and ghosts of the dead boys who used to live at the Reformatory. This scares Robert but soon becomes a useful tool once the warden finds out about his special abilities. The book is VERY long and felt drawn out at times. The subject matter is hard to read but knowing it’s inspired from a true story made it even more heart breaking. It was good but sadly not a favorite for me this month. Rating: 7

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Everything I Read in February 2026

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

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