Review: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books 
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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The heart may hide, but it never forgets.

The first women’s fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly teen friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco reading books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Review: 

I never expected this book to ripe my heart to pieces; however, that's exactly what Christina Lauren's  Love and Other Words managed to do. 

At its heart, Love and Other Words is a book about second chances as well as growing up. It's split between two timelines - then and now - and Christina Lauren did a fantastic job of making each timeline rich in emotion as well as purpose. With books like these I tend to have a favorite timeline; however, I can't say that occurred here. I loved both equally, and never once did I feel that the story would've been better without one or the other. It's quite the opposite in fact: the two timelines are what made Elliot and Macy's story so developed, so three dimensional. I adored seeing them find each other as teenagers and then re-finding each other as late twenty-somethings. It was messy and heartfelt. 

Macy and Elliot aren't perfect by any means. They had their flaws back in their youth and they still have their flaws in present day, but that's what makes them relatable as well as lovable, in my opinion. I loved seeing them get things right as well as wrong, seeing them succeed as well as crumble, because it showed that life isn't always perfect, that sometimes outside forces are beyond our control, that sometimes you just have to believe that what is meant to be will find its way. 

Macy is fiercely independent; however, over the years she's managed to twist being independent into also being incredibly closed off. She likes being in control, because when she hasn't been in control in the past, it's only managed to hurt her. My heart broke for Macy. Over the course of her life she suffered so many losses. While I wanted her to open up to Elliot, I could also understand why she would be so reluctant. It is hard to open yourself up to potential heartbreak. 

Elliott is similar to Macy yet so vastly different at the same time. He starts the story off as a timid, quiet preteen, finding refuge in his books and favorite words, but by his twenties he turns into this thoughtful, passionate individual, one who wears his heart on his sleeve. I adored Elliott. I loved how he was with Macy, how willing he was to put everything on the table for another chance. He made me swoon too many times to keep count. 

Together, Elliott and Macy have an easy, natural bond. There's incredible chemistry between them, and I adored just seeing them interact with each other. No matter how many Macy pushed, they always came together like magnets, never resisting the ever-present pull. Throughout Love and Other Words, I was dying to know what had dragged them apart. I had my theories, but I never imaged it would affect me as much as it did. I sobbed for the last few chapters, but honestly, I don't think I would've wanted it any other way. It's what made the journey so memorable. I'll be thinking about Elliott and Macy's story for days to come. 

Overall, Love and Other Words is an emotional roller coaster of a read. It's heartbreaking as well as romantic. It's smile including as well as swoon-worthy. It will make you shed some tears, and I'm not talking about pretty tears. Nope, if you're anything like me there will be A LOT of ugly crying. It's just fantastic, and honestly, I can't suggest it highly enough. It's taken me a long time to finally read a Christina Lauren book, but I can now say I'm here to stay. I can't wait to read their past and future books. 

4.5 stars!! 

Review & Giveaway: Trespassing by Brandi Reeds

Trespassing by Brandi Reeds 

Release Date: April 1, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 

Genre: Adult Fiction, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Thriller

Source: eARC provided by publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

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In a novel of mounting psychological suspense, a young mother follows a dangerous path to find her missing husband.

Veronica Cavanaugh’s grasp on the world is slipping. Her latest round of fertility treatments not only failed but left her on edge and unbalanced. And her three-year-old daughter, Elizabella, has a new imaginary friend, who seems much more devilish than playful. So when Veronica’s husband fails to return home from a business trip, what’s left of her stability begins to crumble.

Given her family’s history of mental illness, and Elizabella’s insistence that her daddy is dead, Veronica starts questioning herself. Every move she makes is now suspect. Worse still, Veronica is positive that someone wants her and her daughter dead, too—unless it’s all in her mind…

Somewhere beneath her paranoia is the answer to her husband’s vanishing. To find it, she’s led to a house in the Florida Keys. But once there, she isn’t sure she wants to know the truth.

Review: 

Does anyone else think that thrillers this year just keep getting better and better? Honestly, I think each one I read is better than the last, and Brandi Reeds's Trespassing only proves this further in my opinion. 

Trespassing is not good, not great, but EXCELLENT! I made the fatal mistake of starting this at 10 pm at night. Silly me...I thought I could read a couple of chapters and put it down for the night, but of course that's not what ended up happening. Before I knew it 3 am rolled around and I had read Trespassing from start to finish without taking a single breather. Was I tired the next day? Yes. Did I end up sleeping in way longer than I had anticipated? Yes. But was it worth it? OF COURSE! 

At first, I was worried this was going to turn into Baby Teeth #2 due to Veronica's struggles with her daughter Elizabella. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Trespassing is its own thrilling story. From the first page, everything is a whirlwind. Brandi quickly sets the scene, introduces the major players and then dives right into the mystery of Veronica's husband's disappearance. What made me especially happy with this was that the action and twists didn't mean that character and plot development suffered one bit; instead, Trespassing was a well developed novel. The disappearance storyline was my favorite part. There were so many layers to it, and every twist and turn had me fully shook. I don't think I've been this frightened from a book in a long, long time, and even though I had to leave the lights on and double check that my doors were locked, I couldn't get enough of it. 

Additionally, I came to love Veronica as the book progressed. When Veronica's first introduced she's incredibly naive. She never questioned her husband on their bank accounts, their property, and his job, and now she's paying the price. Suddenly, everything in their world is turned upside down, and what she thought was a idyllic life is anything but that. 

One part of me couldn't believe that Veronica didn't demand to know more, but another part of me could understand why she could've become so complacent over the years. She put her focus on Elizabella and getting pregnant again, trusting and loving her husband enough to take care of them and make the right choices. As the book progressed, Veronica took control of her life, and I couldn't have been happier. Suddenly, she was taking names and starting her own investigation of sorts. She gained courage as well as fearlessness. I also appreciated that Brandi included Veronica's struggles with IVF. I fell like it's a topic that no one seems to want to talk about; however, that's not the case here. Veronica many ups and downs are a central part of the novel, and it was eye-opening. My heart broke for her. I couldn't even begin to imagine going through something that was so uncontrollable, so uncertain. 

Besides Veronica Brandi also introduces several other key players. Elizabella, for one, was an interesting little girl. There were so many times at which I didn't understand what was going on with her. She spoke with such certainty of what her imaginary friend was telling her. Like Veronica, I began to wonder if ghosts were a possibility. The sweet neighbor of Veronica's in Florida was also a high point. I couldn't get enough of him, and I loved that he brought lightness and fun to Veronica's life. 

Overall, Trespassing is suspenseful and wonderfully crafted thriller. This may be Brandi's first foray into adult psychological thrillers, but I certainly hope it won't be her last. 

5 stars!! 

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Review: The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

Release Date: March 6, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 

Genre: Adult, Women's Fiction, Mystery 

Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

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A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.

The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Review: 

The truth was, despite appearances, she didn't know much about her neighbors at all. - eARC, Loc 663  

Throw in a Liane Moriarty comparison, as Sally Hepworth's The Family Next Door does in its synopsis, and a book quickly becomes a instant must read for me, no questions asked. 

As it turns out, The Family Next Door is indeed perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty. Gripping, well constructed, and deeply emotional, The Family Next Door sets out to answer an important question: how well do we know our neighbors? 

The Family Next Door focuses on five neighbors: Isabelle, Ange, Fran, Essie, and Barbara. Five seemed like a daunting number at first. I was worried about keeping everyone's narrative straight. Luckily, Sally Hepworth makes it easy. Each character is well developed, possessing a unique voice as well as their own distinctive issues. What I liked even more, however, was how the stories overlapped and came together. At the beginning of the book, the five women weren't all that close, but as the book progressed, they came closer and closer together, and I loved the freindship that developed. It wasn't perfect by any means - some bonds were stronger than others, sometimes lines were crossed and words misconstrued - but it gave the book an authentic feel. Additionally, I appreciated that none of the five women were flawless. I won't go too much into each women, but I will say that I found all to be likable as well as easy to root for. Even the ones who appeared villain-like were still likable - I could always find the redeemable amongst the bad. 

Additionally, I thought Sally Hepworth did a fantastic job of developing the plot. It was intricate as well as suspenseful. It was so hard to put this book down once I started. I just wanted to know more - what was Fran hiding? What were Isabelle's true intentions regarding her move? What was going on with Ange's husband? All these questions and more drove this book in a fast and tantalizing pace. I especially appreciated that Sally Hepworth relied on everyday problems to drive the book forward. It brought a realistic feel to the book. I also enjoyed that nothing was as it seemed. Sally Hepworth put so many fantastic twists and turns into play. I also thought she did a great job of evoking emotions with her story lines as well as her characters. Let me say it's so hard to maintain dry eyes during some of this book. 

In all, Sally Hepworth's The Family Next Door is a compelling addition to contemporary fiction. This may be my first book by her, but it certainly won't be my last. 

Also that ending? PERFECTION! It was bittersweet in some respects, but I couldn't have been happier with how we left the characters. 

4.5 stars!