Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough Publisher: William Morrow Books Pub Date: 4/12/2022
Thank you to William Morrow Books for the free finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: In this twisty, mind-bending thriller from the bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes, Emma Averell worries that her crippling insomnia is a sign that she’s slowly going insane—like the mother she’s worked so hard to leave in her past.
Emma Averell loves her life—her high-powered legal career, her two beautiful children, and her wonderful stay-at-home husband—but it wasn’t always so perfect. When she was just five years old, Emma and her older sister went into foster care because of a horrific incident with their mother. Her sister can remember a time when their mother was loving and “normal,” but Emma can only remember her as one thing—a monster. And that monster emerged right around their mother’s fortieth birthday, the same age Emma is approaching now.
Emma desperately wants to keep her successful life separate from her past, so she has always hidden her childhood trauma. But then she’s unable to sleep, and now losing time during the day, also one of the first symptoms her mother showed. Is the madness in her blood, just as her mother predicted? Could she end up hurting her family in her foggy, frenetic state? Or is she truly beginning to lose her mind?
Review: Insomnia is the third book I’ve read from Sarah Pinborough. This psychological thriller explores strained familial relationships, memories, secrets, and paranoia. Overall, I liked reading this one. This is one of those books where it’s better going in not knowing what it’s really about. There’s only one narrator who is unreliable. I liked the slow build and unfolding throughout the book. Though some of the explanations seemed unrealistic, it was a fun read. If you love psychological thrillers, this may be up your alley!
The STEMinist Novellas by Ali Hazelwood Publisher: PRH Audio (audiobooks) & Berkley (ebooks)
Thank you to PRH Audio for the free audiobook copies in exchange for my honest review.
Image from GoodReads
Under One Roof (#1) Audiobook Pub Date: 2/8/2022 Ebook Pub Date: 5/3/2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: A scientist should never cohabitate with her annoyingly hot nemesis – it leads to combustion.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn….
As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.
The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.
Thoughts: Under One Roof has enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes. Overall, this was a cute and fast listen. If you loved the Love Hypothesis, this may be up your alley.
Image from GoodReads
Stuck On You (#2) Audiobook Pub Date: 3/8/2022 Ebook Pub Date: 6/7/2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Nothing like a little rivalry between scientists to take love to the next level.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.
Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….
Thoughts:Stuck With You features Sadie and Erik and takes place in New York. This novella dives into themes of rival companies, miscommunication, and instalove. Overall, this was a cute and fast listen. If you loved the Love Hypothesis and Under One Roof, you may enjoy Stuck With You.
GoodReads Synopsis: It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.
Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.
Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?
Thoughts:Below Zero is the third romance novella in the STEMist novella series. This romance novella features Hannah and Ian. Overall, this was my least favorite of the novellas and wasn’t for me. I noticed that all the novellas involve the same formula containing insta-love, enemies to lovers, she’s tiny and he’s so big type stories. That’s fine, but I was kind of hoping that there would be something distinctly different in this one than other two novellas. There’s a lack of chemistry between the main characters. I couldn’t really get into the story as I was able to with the others. You may enjoy this one if you loved the other two novellas in the series.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James Publisher: Berkley Pub Pub Date: 3/15/2022
Thank you to Berkley Pub for the free advanced copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
Review:Book Lovers by Emily Henry is the third adult romance I’ve read from Emily, but overall fourth book I’ve read from her. This romcom explores sister love, small town life, and taking risks.I l enjoyed this one. The author addresses heavy subjects in the story: death of a parent, grief, pregnancy, and panic attacks/disorders to name a few. I love that Emily’s writing style is pretty consistent in all her books. In Book Lovers, I found it surprising that the story is told only through Nora’s perspective which works well. All the characters are fleshed out and have such great chemistry with one another. Each of the main characters have their flaws, but I love that we get to see main characters’ chemistry heighten, the slow build of their relationship, and the witty banter works so well. The only character annoyed me at the beginning was Nora’s sister, Libby, but I understand why she was written the way she was and liked how we got to see her character grow. Highly recommend picking h toys up if you’re a romance reader and/or if you’re a fan of Emily Henry.
This is the first time I’ve done a quarterly wrap. I thought it would be a great time to do a check-in on my 2022 reading goals since we’re already a quarter of the way through the year.
GoodReads Challenge: Put at 1 for fourth year in a row to continue to enjoy what I read.
I’ve currently read 45 books so far. I noticed that I’ve been a lot more easygoing giving higher ratings on books and rounding up .5s.
Read more books from South Asian authors.
I read four books from South Asian authors so far and enjoyed most of them. I ideally wanted to read at least one book from a South Asian author each month, but that didn’t happen in March. However, my list of books from South Asian books have grown which is great.
Finish the rest of Jane Austen novels this year.
I finished Sense & Sensibility in January. I haven’t picked up any others since then. The only two I have left are Mansfield Park and Love & Friendship. I’m hoping I can get through another Jane Austen novel by summer, but I’m not going to pressure myself.
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Pub Date: 4/5/2022
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis:
THE HUSBAND: A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.
THE DAUGHTERS: Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.
THE FORMER WIFE: With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.
THE YOUNGER WIFE: Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?
Review:The Younger Wife is the third book I’ve read from Sally Hepworth. Sally’s books seem to be a mixed bag for me. The Younger Wife explores strained familial relationships, social class, gaslighting, and finding the truth. Overall, this was an entertaining read. I liked the various POVs and the writing style. The middle dragged a bit, but it was interesting to see how the ending came together. Also the author connected a scene in the book to something that happened to her in real life which was pretty cool. I’d recommend reading this if you loved her other books. This was 3.5 stars for me.
This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel l Publisher: Berkley Pub Date: 2/22/2022
Thank you to Berkley for the free finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.
Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.
The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.
And then she found Wisewood.
On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world–no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.
Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.
Review:This Might Hurt is Stephanie Wrobel’s second novel. I loved Stephanie’s debut, Darling Rose Gold, so I was excited to hear about this one! This Might Hurt is a thriller that explores strained family dynamics, claustrophobic vibes, island life, and instinct. The author addresses some heavy subjects throughout the story: child abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse. The premise of the story was intriguing. I found this to give Nine Perfect Strangers and cult like vibes which was interesting. It was interesting to see the secrets unravel for each character and to learn more about their pasts. Though I figured out most of the twists early on, there was a small one that I didn’t catch that was pleasantly surprising. I liked the way the book ended as well. I could definitely see this book have a sequel or turn into a show. This Might Hurt was a fun read, but I personally like Darling Rose Gold even though I rated both books the same. I’d recommend picking this one up if you liked Darling Rose Gold!
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James Publisher: Berkley Pub Pub Date: 3/15/2022
Thank you to Berkley Pub for the free advanced copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?
Review: The Book of Cold Cases has been one of my most anticipated thrillers this year. I’m not really a fan of paranormal thrillers, but I absolutely loved Simone’s previous two books so I was curious about this one. The Book of Cold Cases involves crime blogging, unsolved serial killer mystery, small town living, and paranormal vibes. Overall, this was a decent read. The building up to the mystery was a bit too slow burn for me. I really enjoyed Beth’s POV more than Shea, but I understood why Shea’s POV was there. It took me a while to get invested in the story as I felt that there was a lack of twists and it’s easy to figure out who was culprit from the beginning. Even though I figured it out early, I enjoyed the journey of getting to that point through the author’s writing style. This was a solid 3 stars for me. If you enjoyed the author’s previous work or love paranormal thrillers, you may enjoy this one.
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub Date: 2/15/2022
Thank you to Random House for the free advanced copy and PRH Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.
Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.
Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…
Written with Josie Silver’s signature warmth, charm and insights into the human heart, One Night on the Island explores the meaning of home, the joys of escape and how the things we think we want are never the things we really need.
Review: One Night on the Island is a contemporary romance that dives into small island life, self discovery, forced proximity love trope, and the meaning of home. Overall, this was my least favorite Josie Silver book and it just wasn’t for me. Both main characters were well-developed. The author has a way of creating these flawed characters in complicated situations that makes you curious about how they’ll navigate through the story, but this time it didn’t work for me. Cleo came off as immature while Mack seemed like he didn’t know what he wanted. I just couldn’t get myself to really empathize or care what was going on in the story. I should have DNF’ed but I was already 50% that I needed to figure out what happened which wasn’t worth it. Aside from this book, I would definitely read more work from this author as I loved her other two books.
The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane Publisher: William Morrow Pub Date: 12/28/2021
Thank you to William Morrow for the free finished copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Elisa Wright is a mom and wife, living a nice, quiet life in a nice, quiet town. She’s also convinced her brother-in-law is a murderer. Josh has one dead wife and one missing fiancée, and though he grieved for them he starts dating someone new. Elisa fears for that woman’s safety, and she desperately wants to know what happened to her friend, Josh’s missing fiancée.
Searching for clues means investigating her own family. And she doesn’t like what she finds. A laptop filled with incriminating information. Other women.
But when Elisa becomes friends with Josh’s new girlfriend and starts to question things she thinks are true, Elisa wonders if the memories of a horrible incident a year ago have finally pushed her over the edge and Josh is really innocent. With so much at stake, Elisa fights off panic attacks and a strange illness. Is it a breakdown or something more? The race is on to get to the truth before another disappearance because there’s a killer in the family… or is there?
Review: The Replacement Wife is a domestic suspense novel that explores manipulation, gaslighting, family dynamics, and lies. Overall, I enjoyed The Replacement Wife way more than Pretty Little Wife (I ended up DNF’ing Pretty Little Wife). The men in this book are so manipulative and toxic. I felt for Elisa, but at times, I wanted to shake her and tell her to trust her instinct. I understood why the author made Elisa’s character the way she was though. Though this suspense novel is a bit predictable, there were a couple of twists I didn’t see coming which made the journey of the story enjoyable. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars but rounded to 4 stars on GoodReads.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley Publisher: William Morrow Pub Date: 2/22/2022
Thank you to William Morrow for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GoodReads Synopsis: Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
Review: The Paris Apartment is the third book I’ve read from Lucy Foley and this was one of my most anticipated reads this year! This locked room mystery sets place in Paris and explores troubled pasts, secrets, and disappearances. I came into this book not really knowing much of the plot and ended up enjoying it! The Paris Apartment is more of a character driven story. There are a quite a few characters and I enjoyed reading the different perspectives. I really liked the short digestible chapters. Though I was only able to read the book, I have a feeling this would be great on audio. Even though all the characters were unlikable, I was intrigued by the storyline. The story starts off a bit slow at first, but the pacing makes sense. There were twists in here that I wasn’t anticipating which made this locked room mystery fun to solve. The only part I didn’t like was how neatly wrapped up it was at the end, but overall, I liked the writing style. If you enjoyed Lucy Foley’s other books, then you’re definitely in for a treat to read The Paris Apartment.
Asha Reads 