thriller

The Thrashers

The Thrashers is out now! Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the ARC.

Oh wow did I love this! I didn’t really think I was a YA fan anymore but Julie Soto has proven me wrong. If you love teen television dramas with a bit of mystery, like Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale, etc, then you’ll probably love this too! 

I picked it up and did not want to put it down, I finished in under 24 hours which is unheard of for me these days. Though it’s YA, the characters weren’t overly immature or anything, though they still felt age appropriate. 

I really loved the FMC, and most of her friends. There’s a bit of Logan and Veronica vibes between Jodi and her best friend’s other best friend and I loved their tension!

This book does have a solid ending, but I am still begging for another book, @wednesdaybooks pleasssseee. I just really thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this and definitely recommend it! 

*For clarification, this wasn’t a romance, it’s a thriller, though there are certainly romantic elements. Just wanted to be clear since I normally only post romance reviews! 

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 Five Year Lie

Sarina Bowen is one of my all time favorite romance authors so I was so excited to see she had a thriller coming out! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I don’t read a ton of thrillers these days but I do enjoy them so this seemed right up my alley … and it was!

I really enjoyed it. It’s a domestic thriller about single mother Ariel, who receives a text message five years after the disappearance of the father of her child. They once had a torrid affair, until one day he sends her an email saying he’s leaving and it’s over between them, oh and then he died. She sets off to find out who could have sent her this text and what was really behind his disappearance five years ago, as the contents of the text change her perspective on the whole situation. 

It’s a quick reading book that flashes between past and present as we discover what brought Drew into Ariel’s life all those years ago and what led to his disappearance. The mystery was intriguing and I didn’t want to put it down so I could find out if my theories were correct. I enjoyed all the characters and yes, there is a romance. It’s in the background but it’s definitely there which was great. 

Overall I thought it was an intriguing read and one I recommend for those who like thrillers with a bit of romance! 

Bad Mother

Happy Tuesday! Bad Mother by Mia Sheridan releases today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

First thing I need to say- Mia Sheridan has written a lot of romances and romantic thrillers in the past & Montlake had this categorized as romance on NetGalley – it’s not. At least, while there is a romance, it’s a subplot to the thriller plot, not the main event. That’s totally okay,  but was not what I was expecting based on the categorization on NetGalley. 

What it actually is though is a suspenseful thriller, a cat and mouse game from a possible serial killer who enjoys toying with Detective Sienna Walker as she and her partner race to discover what’s going on before more people die. It genuinely kept me guessing who the bad guy was. While I did have some suspicions around certain characters, I had no idea how it was going to play out and certainly couldn’t have guessed how it was going to end. 

Sienna is the new cop in town after getting in some trouble as a NYC detective. She’s sent back home to Reno where she has to readjust to life in the city with a lot of bad memories for her, including those around her ex-fiance Gavin. Gavin broke her heart years before so it’s difficult for her when the clues on the case force her to work side by side with him (this is where the romance comes in). 

Overall a compelling and compulsive read! Just don’t expect it to be a romance