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Book Review: The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White

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The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is the story about Phoebe Manigault returning home to Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Charleston, South Carolina, to help her sister with their ailing mother. When past memories resurface, Phoebe is thrown back into some childhood turmoil. I requested an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of The Last Carolina Summer from NetGalley, and I was ecstatic when the provided me with a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. So, a big thank you goes out to them! When I began reading this story, I just happened to be vacationing in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. I loved hearing about the different places, including streets and a bridge called the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which I had to cross to get into Mt. Pleasant as well as Isle of Palms. It's always nice to be able to visualize the places and author writes about. With that being said, I'm not a fan of traveling over bridges, and one of the scenes of The Last Carolina Summer mentions a car going off ...
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Book Review: Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5)

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Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5)  by Lee Hollis  opens with Maya and Sandra taking on a case of a former high school classmate and mean girl, Tawny,  right before their twenty-fifth high school reunion. When Maya and Sandra get stuck on their case, they enlist the help of another former high school classmate and friend turned actress, Alyssa. Soon after, they all attend the reunion, and Tawny is murdered after making a scene with her soon to be ex. When Alyssa becomes a suspect, Maya and Sandra must prove the innocence of their friend. I received an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Being approved to read Murder at the High School Reunion (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #5) by Lee Hollis made my day, and I wasn't disappointed in the least. As soon as I started reading the book, it drew me in, and it felt like I was with an old friend, in the form of a story. I absolutely loved that the...
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Book Review: Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers

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Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers opens with four high school friends meeting up in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a reunion of sorts. When one of them doesn't show up, and no one can get a hold of her, the other friends are desperate to find out what happened. NetGalley, thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel. I requested a copy of this book based on their synopsis and the author. When my request was approved, I was thrilled. The story started off well and kept me wanting to know more. Early on, I thought I had everything figured out, but much to my surprise, there was a plot twist I didn't count on.  I won't say more as to not spoil it for others. It's an easy read and perfect to take on vacation. Although I enjoyed Lie In The Tide by Holly Danvers a lot, I wish there was more action in the first half of the book. The second half was action packed, and I found myself rushing to finish the story to see if my gut instinct was correct. As for the charact...
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Book Review: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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Anxious People by Fredrik Backman  opens with the people at an apartment viewing being taken hostage after a bank robber fails at trying to rob a bank.  I was extremely excited to read Anxious People and got the ebook on sale. However, I never got around to reading the book   until one of my book clubs decided to discuss it for the month of June. I am saddened to say that I was extremely disappointed in the story as it wasn't what I was expecting. First and foremost, I found the book to be too long and thought it could have easily been shortened without it affecting the story. Additionally, I struggled with finishing it because it was painfully slow and boring. I found myself wondering if the author was ever going to get to the big reveal. It seriously felt like required reading for school, and if I wasn't reading Anxious People for book club, I wouldn't have finished the book. There was so much hype about this novel, and I'm not quite sure why. It just wasn't for m...
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Book Review: Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8) by Steve Cavanagh

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Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8)  by Steve Cavanagh opens with Ruby Johnson, a maid for the ultra wealthy in New York City, witnessing someone leaving a house of one of her clients and discarding a weapon on his way out. Eddie Flynn is a former con artist turned attorney who takes on cases that are hopeless. How do the paths of Ruby and Eddie cross? I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). I've heard fabulous things about Steve Cavanagh, and I was excited to see what all the hype was about. When I requested to read Witness 8 , I didn't realize it was part of a series. I absolutely loved the storyline of this story. I couldn't wait to see how and when the paths of the two main characters crossed and what would happen. During the first half of the book, I found myself having trouble keeping the characters straight. I definitely recommend starting with the first book in the Eddie Flynn series. The first few chapters did flip from character to character a...
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Book Review: The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1) by Freida McFadden

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The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)  by Freida McFadden is the first book in a series and opens with Millie interviewing for a housemaid position for the wealthy Winchester family. She's relieved when she learns that the job is hers until the gardener warms her of danger. It can't be worse than prison, right? I purchased a paperback copy of this book from my local BJ's Wholesale Club, and I have to say that I was not disappointed at all. This story helped give me a headstart in getting out of my reading slump because it's a fast, engaging read. With that being said, I was expecting to be completely blindsided by the ending, and I had quite a bit figured out relatively early on, so when the big twist came about, I wasn't really too surprised. I am eager to read the rest of the series to see how it pans out. As far as the characters, I really liked the main character of Millie, who we know from the start has recently been released from prison and on parole. We do know t...
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Book Review: Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31) by Leslie Meier

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Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31)  by Leslie Meier  opens with Lucy Stone rushing home to clean house for Zoe who is bringing home her boyfriend Chad. While there, Zoe and Chad announce their engagement but want to keep it a secret for a bit.  When a nosy busybody named Janice gets the best of Lucy, the mother of the bride blurts out Zoe's secret. Chaos ensues with a murder and an overdose. NetGalley, thank you for approving me to receive an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Bridal Shower Murder .  I've come to love Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone cozy mystery series and know that I will automatically read any book in this series without reading the synopsis. I have to say that this was one of the best stories in the series for multiple reasons. The first reason is that Lucy's husband isn't quite so sexist, which is refreshing for a change. I dislike it when he acts like a caveman who expects Lucy to be a housewife and wait on him hand and foot. What really surprised me...
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