TW: abuse (every form), kidnapping, child abuse, grief

I decided to read this because the movie pulled at me. This is a devastating story. It‘s all the more potent because it‘s told from Jack‘s (5 year old) point of view.

#kidnapping #captivity #strongwomen #childpov #povchild #mother #mothersonrelationship #familyrelationship #grief

TW: mention of sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse

I had mixed feelings about this ending. The story itself is fantastic but I was surprised of how the character acted in the epilogue - it kind of threw me off.

If you love a mystery, I‘d recommend this one.

#murdermystery #mystery #massacres #survivor #survivors #killingspree

This was adorable. Definitely spicy. But I loved how the relationship evolved.

#spicy #romcom #officeromance #office #romance

TW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, neglect

This story brought me to tears. It devastated me. I don‘t think I could bear reading it again. But the story itself is written beautifully. The main character has suspicions of the crane that her mother brings home. But his appearance brings uncertainty, misery, and love.

#family #abuse #magic #twistedlove

I loved this story. An island that is free from violence, war, and hardship for 7 years before expecting payment. The payment is 7 lives. Discover the truth along with the main character as she experiences The Day for the first time.

#thriller #horror #mythology #jenniferthorne

This series is wonderful. After reading Adam‘s first, I will be buying the other books in the Bromance Book Club series. This story is definitely sexier than I believed it would be, while still maintaining a strong plot.

#romance #series #bromancebookclub #switchingpov #sexy #relationships #marriage #familydynamics

TW: sexual abuse/assault, child abuse, grief

This story gripped me right from the start! Initially, I believed I knew the direction that the story was going in. I was definitely off-base. Bartz explores friendship and the meaning of “toxic”.

#relationships #friendship #murder #toxicrelationships #family

After a (not so brief) hiatus, we‘re back with a small stack of freshly bought books. First up is We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz! Throughout this stack, smaller reviews of recently read books will also be posted. And as always, let it be known if you‘ve read any of these books (opinions are welcome!) or if you‘re #LiterallyReadingAlong

#bookstack
#LiterallyBack
#freshlyboughtbooks

TW: child abuse (all forms)

Gardener‘s D.D. Warren series is becoming a fast favourite. A great series for readers looking for strong female protagonists and mysteries that need time to unravel. Devastating crimes involving children, solved by determined characters; Gardner looks into seemingly senseless violence and how the actions of others impact the family.

#psychological #murder #femaleleads

Fisher creates an intriguing story without making the reader feel frustrated with a lack of information. A deep dive into the danger of cults and what happens when you are viewed as prey.

#tarrynfisher #psychologicalthriller #cults

This book felt like someone trying to keep a secret for too long. The author periodically switched viewpoints to leave out information and to keep the story fresh; that being said, when it became obvious that the author was going to hold on to a secret that half the characters obviously were aware of, it started to drag.

#secrets #tellusyoursecrets #nanny #switchingviewpoints

I was so excited to read this book. I loved the Netflix series and decided to read the novel before starting season 3.
I'm sad to say that after reading this book, I stopped watching the show. If you have watched the show and felt it was harsh or crude at times; the book is much harsher.
I didn't like the language used. I disliked all of the characters. Do not buy a book, just because you like the show it's based on.

#Netflix #Almostbailed

Admittedly, the first time I picked up this book, I dropped it quickly. I found it slow (most of King's are) and I felt that I couldn't dive into the story. This time around, this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go. The fact that I had watched the movie adaptation may have influenced the aspiration to finish the story. Not my absolute favourite of King's but a classic!

#stephenking #horror #dread #car #classiccars #murder

My favourite part about the In Death series is that you don't need to read the whole series to understand the next installment. I had dropped off from the In Death series but I felt right at home when picking up Golden in Death.

#murdermystery #murder #romance #noraroberts #InDeathSeries #futuristic #pageturner

An uneasy look into how far a person will go when they‘ve been wronged. An different take on familial relationships; how they flourish and how they fail. Reminiscent to The Perfect Girlfriend.

#psychologicalthriller #psychological #thriller #relationships #family

TW: domestic abuse; sexual, emotional, physical abuse; rape; child abuse;

I was (and still am, while writing this review) incredibly hesitant about posting a review of this book. The amount of abuse depicted in the story, while realistic to the plot line, was overwhelming. The story itself was predictable and I felt the ending unrealistic due to the entire story arc.

Please be aware of the TW; it occurs throughout the story, up until the end.

This novel earns a so-so rating due to its ending. The character arcs sunk near the end of the story. While the actions/ending was explained and defended; as the reader, I was left with a sense of injustice. Characters were not made accountable for their actions, which I found disappointing.

TW: inappropriate relationships, sexual assault

#mystery #thriller #clique #teenagers #relationships #neighbourhood #neighbours #kids #alcohol #drugs

A #pageturner if I ever read one. A devastating look into what happens when a child goes missing, into unrequited love, into what people will do for love, and into how relationships change. Marin just wants to find her son.

#thriller #abduction #loss #grief #adultery

I expected a different story based off of the synopsis. I liked and finished the story despite this. The switching between Now and Then, occasionally causes confusion; even with the aid of different fonts. Too many times did I have to remind myself where I‘m the story this time period belonged.

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual, emotional, & verbal abuse, miscarriages;

#spy #spynovel #mystery #abuse #manipulation #pageturner #pastandpresent

Classic. A disheartening insight into the world of politics. A terrifying look at how simply manipulation tactics are used and the devastation it results in.

#classic #political #behaviour #war #manipulation #animals #nature

Unfortunately, i didn‘t realize this book was part of a series until after I‘d finished it. I‘m sure that if you‘ve read the Sunshine series, you‘d enjoy this book far more than I did. The story felt like bridge between the action. The characters felt two-dimensional and there were too many plots left open-ended. I won‘t be reading any more of the series; but I hope if you choose to do, those plots have decent arcs.

Not what I was expecting but enjoyable. A look into infatuation and relationships, how the mind will excuse behaviour in order to hold on to it‘s focus. This story is reminiscent of “Read Me”, with a duality between the inmate and the counsellor.

Terrifying. Horrifying. Lowen is hired to finish writing multiple books in Verity‘s established series. But when Lowen becomes convinced that all is not what it seems, her course of action leads to buried truths and secrets that may have been best left kept.

#psychological #psychologicalthriller #pageturner #secrets #truth #manipulative #metafiction #writer #authors #romance #terror #suspense #colleenhoover

Breathtakingly chilling. Literally finished The Herd in one day; I could not put it down. Secrets. Lies. Half-truths. Twisted together and then pulled apart in this fantastic murder mystery.

#pageturner #mystery #murdermystery #feminism #secrets #lies #breathtaking #fantastic #brilliant

A #sequel that does justice to Bird Box, Malorie is a fantastic novel. Well written and wonderfully executed. A #psychologicalthriller that explores the good and bad in people and what happens when it‘s clear that the creatures are not leaving. If you enjoyed #BirdBox , I suggest reading Malorie.

#monsters #creatures #adventure #sandrabullock #netflix

Last in this #batchofbooks is Malorie, the sequel to Bird Box! Incredibly excited to dive into this!

If you‘ve watched Netflix‘s Bird Box, would you be interested in a sequel? If you‘ve read Malorie, would you be interested in a screen adaption?

#apocalypse #postapocalyptic #sequel #netflix #birdbox #filter #bookcover #covers

Zettel‘s #psychologicalthriller earns a pan rating based on it‘s potential to be more. Characters holding knowledge that should have counteracted thoughts created confusion and unreliable narrators. Thoughts expressed to throw off/create suspense in the reader that confuse the make up of the characters. Lastly, too many events that are never explained fully, where the reader is given passing knowledge to explain present behaviour.

Next, we dive into Zettel‘s The Other Sister!

#literallyreadingalong #thriller #murder

Candlish‘s novel earns a so-so because while the mystery itself was intriguing, the story dragged in areas that created a meandering plot. I loved the twists. I loved the mystery, it‘s one that I haven‘t read before and it pulled me in. The switching narrative allowed for additional information but felt like the story was being repeated instead of moving forward.

#mystery #adultery #family #relationships #crime #acrossthepond #thriller

Excited to move on Candlish‘s Our House!

#domesticthriller #LiterallyReadingAlong
#familydrama

A terrifying look into a serial stalker‘s mind. How easily, the reader learns, is it to be stalked without notice; even more terrifying are the amount of women the narrator has followed. How many of them were blessed with ignorance? One could argue that this story shows the beginnings of a serial killer from a serial stalker and how quickly one morphs into the other.
#serialstalker #stalker #horror #thriller #terrifying

Next up is Read Me, where we dive into a serial stalker‘s mind!

#thriller #serialstalker #stalker

Heart wrenching. An emotional rollercoaster of a decades-long friendship and truth about love. A devastating look at how life throws curveballs without warning or reason.

Trigger warning: this story does have instances of sexual abuse and drug & alcohol abuse/addiction

#pageturner #heartwrenching #friendship #lifelongfriends #emotional #relationships

Here we go with Firefly Lane!

#friendship #netflix #booktoscreen #tvseries

Fantastic! An in-depth look at what keeps old friends connected and what happens when secrets are kept behind closed doors. This story brings to light how easy it is to hide destructive behaviour and what happens when it isn‘t talked about.

#psychologicalthriller #whodunnit #murdermystery #oldfriends #cabininthewoods #trauma

Next up is The Hunting Party; a murder mystery and a classic whodunnit! It has a very cabin-in-the-woods vibe, let‘s find out if I‘m right.

#murdermystery
#whodunnit

A #pageturner like no other. Propelled through the story of Malorie and her two children, I finished this book in less than 24 hours. Even though I knew the ending, having watched the movie, the story was still enjoyable. It‘s always interesting to see how a text has been adapted onto the screen. I have to say, the novel is darker than the movie but I couldn‘t put it down.

#thriller #bookturnedmovie #terror #postapocalypse #netflix

Super excited that my next batch of books arrived! First up is Bird Box! Incredibly excited to read it, as I did see the Netflix film when it first started streaming. If you‘ve read the book or watched the movie, comment your thoughts below!

#bookturnedmovie #thriller #netflix #batchofbooks #literallyreadingalong

I have to say that I had incredible high expectations for this book. Unfortunately, I dismissed King‘s form of writing when developing these expectations. This is a wonderful sequel to The Shining, an insight into Dan‘s development and the aftermath of the Overlook Hotel. I found that the story moved too slow in sections, as it meandered through the important backstory.

#horror #dread #theshinjng #stephenking #sequel #bookturnedmovie

Next up Stephen King‘s Doctor Sleep; the sequel to The Shining! Doctor Sleep follows Danny, as an adult, who meets Abra, a powerful 12 year old. Determined to protect Abra, and himself, from the murderous tribe, True Knot, Danny finds himself facing old demons.

#stephenking #thriller #horror #supernatural #paranormal
#sequel #theshining #trueknot

Amazing.
Devestating.
Not just a #pageturner but also a magnetic story. Audrain‘s The Push has become a Top Favourite.
Written from a familiar perspective yet Audrain‘s style pushes it to be unfamiliar.

Audrain explores the maternal relationships between the characters; the good, the bad, and the very bad.
The ending hopes to cement all the protagonist‘s beliefs but leaving it in the imagination of the reader.

Last in our current batch of books is Audrain‘s The Push!
This batch‘s theme seemed to angle towards thrillers, and The Push follows that promise.

A new batch of books will be started when The Push is completed, if you‘re interested in #LiterallyReadingAlong

#thriller
#batchofbooks
#finalbook
#ashleyaudrain

An absolute #pageturner !! Literally finished this book within 48 hours! What happens when a wife kills her husband but he‘s not where she left him to be found?

For fans of: #suspense #thriller #mystery #domesticthriller #murder #whodunnit

Moving on, we‘re up to Darby Kane‘s Pretty Little Wife!

#domestic #suspense #thriller #marriage

I have to admit that I‘m having trouble jumping into this novel. We‘re going to shelve it for the time being and come back to it at a later date!

Next up is Two Good Dogs!

#feelgoodstory
#dogs
#doglover
#puppies
#family

Kietzman delivers an in-depth look at relationships; romantic and familial. While rated a pick, the will-they-or-won‘t-they is stretched for a smidge too long, in my opinion. This story takes unexpected turns when exploring various relationships and with the characters trying to stay true to themselves.

#romantic #sweet #relationships #family #pregnant #baby

Next up is Kietzman‘s It Started In June!

An easy read with a cute story! MacIntosh earns a so-so because the book felt it was lacking...something. Unfortunately, I found Rosie to be annoying at times and certain aspects of the story felt rushed. An easy, enjoyable read; if you like #romantic #comedies , this is a sweet one.

#romanticcomedy
#troublewithexes

Next up is Portia Macintosh‘s My Great Ex-Scape!
A sucker for romantic comedies, I can‘t wait to start this one!