Heartbreak Bay Review

 

Author: Rachel Caine

Series: Stillhouse Lake #5

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: March 9, 2021

Purchase Link: Amazon  Barnes & Noble

My Rating: 4 Heartbreaking Hearts

*Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Netgalley.

Review:

Heartbreak Bay is the fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series and another superb addition to the series.  I'll say upfront that while each of these books will standalone, you're missing a great reading experience and a lot of character development if you skip any of the books.  My advice: Read in order!

This story opens with Gwen, Sam, Lanny and Connor living an almost normal life in their new home a little distance away from Stillhouse Lake.  It appears the vigilantes have finally focused their attentions elsewhere and life is good again . . . until its not.  A phone call in the wee hours from Det. Kezia Claremont pulls now P.I. Gwen out of the warm bed she shares with Sam into the ominous dark night.  She meets Kez on a seldom traveled road beside a murky pond near Stillhouse where a submerged vehicle is pulled out of the water.  Two young sisters are in the backseat still strapped in their child seats.  No one else is around.  Both Kez and Gwen are horrified and heartbroken at the unspeakable crime.  Where is their mother?  Was she kidnapped?  The answers to these questions lead Kez and Gwen into a deadly investigation that goes from bad to worse, stirring a hornet's nest that draws the crazies back out of the woodwork.  Gwen's life is in chaos yet again.  An invisible killer is playing a game of "Would you rather . . . " with them and the endgame is their lives.  

Heartbreak Bay is a character driven story that unravels at a deadly pace.  As events spiral out of control, it becomes clear that Kez and Gwen are being played by a cruel killer.  Caine excels at setting a tone of malice that carries throughout with imminent danger always lurking around the next corner.  I swear I could hear my heart bound as this story played out.  I especially loved learning more about Kez in this one as readers get a look at what makes her tick.  She and Gwen put their lives on the line to protect loved ones and their heart, grit, and drive is a force to be reckoned with.  This story is action-packed from cover to cover with an explosive block-buster ending that might be a bit unbelievable IF it was anyone else.  But in this case, the author has clearly done her research and also previously established these characters as super heroes with a strong sense of right and wrong.  Heartbreak Bay is a raw, emotional, high octane suspense thriller that I highly recommend to everyone.  Especially fans of this highly addictive series!

*On a Personal Note:  Hugs and prayers go out to author Rachel Caine during her battle against cancer.  Just like the strong women she writes about, Rachel's heart, will, and endless determination is an inspiration to us all.  We love you, Rachel!

Synopsis:

They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.

A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.

On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.

As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.

Website

http://www.rachelcaine.com/

Twitter

rachelcaine

Genre

Thriller, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Member Since

June 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/rachelcaine

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Rachel Caine is a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad.
She has also published as:
Roxanne Longstreet
Roxanne Conrad
Julie Fortune
Ian Hammell

Her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rachelcainef...

Her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/rachelcaine...

Don't Look for Me Review

 Author: Wendy Walker

Genre: Psychological Suspense

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Sept. 15, 2020

Purchase Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble

My Rating: 4.5 Mysterious Hearts

Many thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book via Netgalley. #macmillansreadersinsidersclub

"In Wendy Walker's thrilling novel Don't Look for Me, the greatest risk isn’t running away. It’s running out of time.

Review:

A grieving family torn apart by guilt and blame over the death of a child.  A mother pushed to the edge, disappearing without a trace after running out of gas in the eye of a hurricane.  A family searching for two weeks before evidence surfaces that indicates she walked away from them and doesn't want to be found.  Did she?

Don't Look For Me is a riveting psychological thriller that I read mostly in one sitting.  I was hooked from the first few pages all the way through the end.  This story unfolds through two points of view - Molly, a grieving mother and her oldest daughter Nicole who bears guilt and secrets of her own.  The setting is a small, dying town in the middle of nowhere, reeking with creepy vibes and a slew of suspicious characters that kept me guessing.  A frantic pace pushes this story forward at breakneck speed when Nic follows her gut feeling and a mysterious phone call to return to town and resume the search for her mother.  All I can say is hold on for dear life as this story will knock you off your feet as these characters maneuver dangerous twists and turns.  A unique support cast adds to the mystery and intrigue of this dark tale.  And while I figured out part of it, I'd was still stunned by the shocker at the end.  Don't Look For Me is another 2020 Favorite.  Highly recommended!

 

Synopsis:

One night, Molly Clarke walked away from her life.

She doesn't want to be found.

Or at least, that's the story.

The car abandoned miles from home.

The note found at a nearby hotel.

The shattered family that couldn’t be put back together.

They called it a “walk away.”

It happens all the time.

Women disappear, desperate to leave their lives behind and start over.

But is that what really happened to Molly Clarke?

Wendy Walker is the author of psychological suspense. Her novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages and have topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad. They have been featured on The Today Show, The Reese Witherspoon Book Club, and The Book of the Month Club and have been optioned for television and film.

Tools of Engagement Review

Series: Hot & Hammered #3 

Author: Tessa Bailey

Narrator: Charlotte North

Genre: Rom-Com

Publisher: Avon, Hatchette Audio

Release Date: Sept. 22, 2020

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble

My Rating: 4 Hammered Hearts

Many thanks to Libro.fm ALC Influencer Program, Avon and Hatchette Audio for an arc of this book.

(Synopsis & Author Bio following review.)

In Tessa Bailey’s latest rom-com, two enemies team up to flip a house... and the sparks between them might burn the place down or ignite a passion that neither can ignore!

Review:

Is there anything better than a great steamy Rom-Com to put a smile on a reader's face?  Tools of Engagement is hilarious with chemistry that sizzles and pops.  Bethany and Wes are almost exact opposites - perfect meets chaos -  and when they start working together on a reality show about flipping houses . . . well, let's just say there's more than the competition heating up!  Bethany is out to prove herself to her brother and family and Wes - Wes is out to prove he's more than a gorgeous cowboy.  

Tools of Engagement is witty, electric with great chemistry.  A brisk pace keeps the plot moving forward and the banter between these two is hilarious.  I love the soft side of Wes brought out with the scenes between him and his niece Laura.  I haven't read the first two books in this series, but the author includes enough background information that I was never lost.  Having said that, it would have been nice to have known more about the other couples/characters.  If you love witty, snarky, opposites attract romances, grab Tools of Engagement and enjoy!  One other thing - Narrator Charlotte North does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life.  She nails these characters making them authentic and adorable!  I highly recommend the audiobook.

Synopsis:

Hair, makeup, clothing, decor... everything in Bethany Castle's world is organized, planned, and styled to perfection. Which is why the homes she designs for her family's real estate business are the most coveted in town. The only thing not perfect? Her track record with men. She's on a dating hiatus and after helping her friends achieve their dreams, Bethany finally has time to focus on her own: flip a house, from framework to furnishings, all by herself. Except her older brother runs the company and refuses to take her seriously.

When a television producer gets wind of the Castle sibling rivalry, they’re invited on Flip Off, a competition to see who can do the best renovation. Bethany wants bragging rights, but she needs a crew and the only member of her brother's construction team willing to jump ship is Wes Daniels, the new guy in town. His Texas drawl and handsome face got under Bethany's skin on day one, but the last thing she needs is some cocky young cowboy in her way.

As the race to renovate heats up, Wes and Bethany are forced into close quarters, trading barbs and biting banter as they remodel the ugliest house on the block. It's a labor of love, hate, and everything in between, and soon sparks are flying. But Bethany's perfectly structured life is one kiss away from going up in smoke and she knows falling for a guy like Wes would be a flipping disaster

Website

http://www.tessabailey.com

Twitter

mstessabailey

Genre

Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

Paris Never Leaves You Review

Author: Ellen Feldman

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Date: Aug. 4, 2020

Purchase Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble

My Rating: 3 Secret Hearts

Many thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book.

(Synopsis & Author Bio following review.)

Review:

Can you ever really leave your past behind?  Do secrets ever remain hidden forever?  Charlotte, a young widow, made hard choices in order to survive during her and her young daughter's time living in an occupied France during WWII.  Alternating between past and present, Paris Never Leaves You is Charlotte's and Vivenne's story making their way in present day New York during the 1950's.  Now age fourteen, Viv is asking questions about the father she never knew and their time living in occupied Paris.  As Charlotte's memories of that time haunt her, readers learn about the dark time period and what a young widow did to assure her and her daughter's survival.  She struggles with how to answer her daughter's questions while still guarding the secrets she carries.  Charlotte fled Paris leaving everything and everyone behind her.  Will she lose everything she's worked for if the truth comes out?

Paris Never Leaves You is a good historical read featuring people who consider themselves survivors, not victims.  The transition between time periods is well-defined and easy to follow.  The plight of the people moved to liberation camps for minor offences evokes empathy as does their journey to a new land and life.  I had a difficult time fully connecting with the main characters.  I wanted to feel more sympathy for Charlotte and her dilemma, but I couldn't find it.  I could sympathize with her situation, but never connected with her emotionally.  The introduction of some characters later in the story broke my concentration making for a bit of a bumpy read.  I think it's probably one of those cases of "it's me, not the book".  Ultimately, Paris Never Leaves You is a story of survival, sacrifice, choices, what you can live with and what you can't.  I encourage fans of historical fiction to give this one a shot!  

Synopsis:

Living through WWII working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of her life?

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.

The war is over, but the past is never past.

Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of Scottsboro, The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, and Lucy. She writes both fiction and social history, and has published articles on the history of divorce, plastic surgery, Halloween, the Normandie, and many other topics, as well as numerous book reviews. She has also lectured extensively around the country and in Germany and England, and is a sought-after speaker to reading groups both in person and by telephone.
She grew up in northern New Jersey and attended Bryn Mawr College, from which she holds a B.A. and an M.A. in modern history. After further graduate studies in history at Columbia University, she worked for a New York publishing house.
She lives in New York City and East Hampton, New York, with her husband and Cairn terrier named Lucy.