dual timelines

Hemlock

I saw a friend post about this book and thought it sounded right up my alley – small town, romantic suspense so I requested it from my library. I’m always looking for more of this type of book!

Told in dual timelines, this is a story about Maggie, a woman with a complicated past who returns to her hometown where old secrets start to resurface. She was once torn between two men who both reappear in her life and she must once again make a decision who she wants to be with. 

She’s purchased a home where mysterious things start to happen (lights flickering, temperatures spiking, etc) and it gets pretty creepy. You’re not sure as the story unfolds if the house is haunted, or if Maggie is losing her mind, or if someone is messing with her. 

I pretty much read this in one sitting because I was dying to know what would happen. It’s a little messy and dramatic at times and I ate it up. I’m not a fan of love triangles in general but I immediately thought there was a clear winner between the guys and I had to read to see if the one I wanted to “win” would end up with her. 

Was some of it a little far-fetched and too coincidental? Sure. But I still couldn’t put it down.I think the author is more of a thriller writer in general but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more romantic suspense from her in the future because I really enjoyed this ride. 

The Spider and the Storm – Kelsey Kingsley

The Spider and the Storm was recommended to me by a friend and I just had to read it because I love a loner hero. I don’t know why, but something about a solitary, isolated man who finds the right partner to finally love, to finally have a person, just melts my cold heart every time. 

Much like Saving Rain, this is also told just from the MMCs POV. Charlie also had a rough childhood but at least he always had his brother. He was an anxious kid, to the extent they had to pull him from school for his mental health and because of bullies, and we follow his story, which is full of tragedy and heartbreak, into adulthood. 

It’s told in dual timelines with the present, where we find Charlie has become a fully isolated adult, living alone in the cemetery where he’s also the caretaker. One day he bumps into the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, a woman who likes him for him, even if he’s quiet and anxious. He’s also tall, tatted, bearded, and drives a motorcycle so I’m sure that helped. 

Also much like Saving Rain, the romance is the lesser plot but I still really enjoyed it. Charlie and Stormy were pretty much instantly into each other, and I was so glad he finally found someone who loved him in return. 

This one is a whopper of a book (691 pages) but please don’t let that deter you. I binged both Saving Rain and The Spider and the Storm in about two and a half days and was entirely captivated the entire time. I love the extra time we got to really root around in the Spider’s head and honestly could have kept reading.

I really just thought this was a great story, it is angsty and sad but never TOO angsty and sad for me. Just the right amount! I really enjoyed pretty much everything about this book (and Saving Rain) and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. 

*This book can 100% be read as a standalone but if you think you’re going to read both books, I would start with Saving Rain since the characters do overlap and you’ll really appreciate seeing Soldier from Saving Rain here. 

Forget Me Not

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto releases tomorrow! Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Well this was an amazing debut!

It’s a second chance romance between Ama, an up & coming wedding planner, and Elliot, her ex boyfriend and the florist already contracted to do the wedding Ama has just signed on to plan. It’s a well known influencer’s wedding that could launch her wedding planning career, so she’s forced to work beside the man who she shares a history with, which is unraveled through flashbacks as the book progresses. 

Both characters were interesting and I liked Ama’s growth throughout the book, but the real winner for me here was Elliot. He comes across as grumpy and maybe a little rude but he’s so soft and gooey on the inside. He’s absolute book boyfriend material and I’m still swooning over the deliberate way he took care of Ama, even after she broke his heart. Also, he has a thigh tattoo. 

Look, I’m not a fan in general of dual timelines (I lose interest when the timeline changes and I never feel like we get enough of them together in the present day because so much time is spent in the past) but I did appreciate that the past chapters were told from Elliot’s POV. He’s an outwardly stoic character so it was a much needed insight into what he was thinking. 

The writing is light and funny but still emotional at times when it needed to be and it was honestly hard to believe this was a debut. There’s a good bit of steam, excellent supporting characters (I’m going to need Mar’s story next, thx), and a fun plot set around planning a splashy wedding. 

Overall this was a really great read! Especially if you like dual timelines!