August 2021 – Brooke & Binding

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

I have had this book on my TBR since I first saw it a year after it came out (which for context was 2017!) I almost bought it at a local bookstore at the time, but decided to grab a different book instead. So when I saw it recently at Barnes and Noble in their clearance section, I just had to get it – finally!

Liv and Benjamin have invited Liv’s cousin, Nora and her husband, Raymond, on a two-week cruise over the holidays. Their children are all good friends and after a recent family loss, they think this will help boost their spirits and get them out of their funk. However, no one could have anticipated the roller coaster of events and emotions this family was about to embark on. One minute the children are there, the next – gone.

***

This book sounded super intriguing to me especially because I have been on a cruise before so I was curious how all of this was going to go down! Were the kids going to get lost on the boat? At an excursion? What was going to happen next?

Maile Meloy takes you on a journey with this family and their crisis. So many action-packed moments I was NOT expecting, so many times where you feel for the family, and then get frustrated at them at the same time! I was definitely along for the ride, so it was unfortunate for me how Meloy ended the book.

I am giving Do Not Become Alarmed 4/5 Stars because overall I did really like the premise, the storyline, and the characters – although there are quite a few to keep track of! – but the downfall was how she concluded it. I know why she did it the way she did, but it kind of felt like you were on this high speed, intense roller coaster ride than it just drifted off at the end and randomly decided to come to a halt. There wasn’t much more in the actual story she could have told, but I think it just felt “eh” compared to the rest.

If you are as intrigued about this read as I was, don’t wait as long as I did to get yourself a copy!

HAPPY READING 🙂

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Mystery/Fiction/Contemporary

No Exit by Taylor Adams

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

This book was a Book of the Month selection December 2018 and I originally was not drawn to it! However, my sister just devoured it a week ago and essentially forced me to drop what I was reading to start it. But man, oh man, I was not prepared for the whirlwind and whiplash I was going to get from this amazing book.

Darby Thorne is driving home to Utah on December 23 from Boulder, Colorado to try and see her mother before she has surgery; however, this is the West and the winter weather is at its most extreme. After she breaks a windshield wiper and literally cannot go any farther because of the snow, she pulls over into a rest area for reprieve to try and wait out the storm before she can get back on the road. But this is where her night turns into a nightmare.

***

If Darby wasn’t already facing some intense circumstances, she literally walks right into a massive mess. (and that is all I will say!)

This book is such a fast-paced read! I read half of it in one sitting and could not turn the pages quick enough. So many times I audibly gasped out loud with a twist I was not expecting and those are the types of books that get me excited about the literary world! Taylor Adams’ writing is so enticing, exhilarating, and enjoyable. I loved it so much. The characters are unique, intriguing, and have dimension to them which was kind of unexpected in this type of thriller where it’s mostly action-packed and a limited time frame for everything to happen.

I am giving this book 5/5 Stars because of the writing, the overall plot, and the resilience of these characters. Darby is someone who I did not really like at first, but after a while, she really captured my heart and attention to how she was handling this unimaginable situation.

If you are looking for a read that will keep you on your toes and wanting more than look no further! I am so glad I was “forced” into reading this, so here’s me “forcing” you 😉

HAPPY READING 🙂

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Mystery

The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner #1) by Sarah Pearse

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

This book has been on my radar a while, but I just got my hands on it – thanks to the library!

In the early 1900s, the sanatorium at the top of a mountain in Switzerland was used to treat tuberculosis, but now it has been remodeled into a luxury hotel. Elin and her boyfriend, Will, have arrived at this eerily sterile and modern place to celebrate her brother’s engagement. Many admire this hotel for how it honors and ties in its history, but Elin feels like something is off about it – and she’s right – because there is a killer on the loose.

***

I did not know much about this book before picking it up, I even gave a few more specifics in the synopsis above than I even knew! But trust me, there is still a lot of mystery left to uncover 😉

This book was hard for me to get into at the beginning to be honest. There is a lot of tension and talk about Elin’s past, some struggles she is going though, her relationship with her brother and Will, and that she is currently on leave from her job as a detective in the UK. However, once a body is found, things start to move at an exponential pace! I could not put it down and read majority of the book in 2 days.

I am giving this book 4/5 Stars because although there were quite a few twists I did not see coming – and neither does Elin! – I did have an inkling about who the “bad guy” was from the get-go, even if I didn’t stick to that belief the entire time. I was on the journey with Elin, but still had that inkling in the back of my mind. I did enjoy the ending, though, especially with the cliff-hanger, knowing this is book one!

Pearse really crafted this novel well, especially as a debut! I am excited to read more of Elin Warner and the other mysteries she gets herself caught up in – even if she makes some reckless decisions somethings!

Obviously I feel like this book has gotten some good attention, particularly being Reese’s Book Club pick, but I agree it is worth the read! (side note: this book does venture a bit into the horror side, so FYI if that is something you are sensitive about!)

HAPPY READING 🙂

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror/Crime

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

I was first introduced to Emily Henry’s writing quite a few years ago, but her book Beach Read, published last year, really got her name in circulation!

Poppy and Alex have been friends since college and are polar opposites. Poppy is a free spirit who travels to exotic places for work while Alex returned back to their hometown after college to teach high school English; however every summer they go on a trip together to reconnect. These trips are the highlight of the year for both of them, except something happened on their trip two years ago, and they haven’t spoken since. Can a new trip this year help rekindle their friendship or will their witty, banter-y, goofy connection never be the same again?

***

Emily Henry has such a unique, fun, and entertaining way of writing her characters. The banter between Poppy and Alex is so fun and engaging, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship form as we go back in time to different summers and watching how inside jokes are formed, moments are had, etc. which makes their silence all the more curious. What happened in Croatia that caused these two best friends to drift apart?

I am giving this book 5/5 Stars because of the relational dynamic between all of the characters (but especially Poppy and Alex), the overall plot, and the ending! I would’ve been happy with whatever ending Henry would’ve chosen (whether a happy romantic one or not!) but I was satisfied with what she chose and felt like it was the right choice for them. All in all, I read this book in less than 24 hours so I really became invested and was along for the ride!

If you haven’t read Emily Henry before, I would highly recommend her books. I will link my review to Beach Read down below! (Hint: I liked this one better!)

HAPPY READING 🙂

Beach Read review: https://brookeandbinding.wordpress.com/2020/06/12/beach-read-by-emily-henry/

Genre: Chick Lit/Adult/Fiction/Contemporary