January Reads

Here are the reviews of the 5 books I read in January!

 

You Are Not Alone by: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Thank you to St. Martins Press for this advance reader copy - publishing date is March 3, 2020. I've read this duo of authors before, so I knew I'd be in for a twisty thriller. Shay witnesses someone commit suicide, and becomes obsessed with finding out more about this person and what would drive them to this end. The deceased was part of a secret group of women with their own priorities. They start to befriend Shay who has no idea what their true intentions are. But Shay has some of her own odd personality traits that make you wonder if what is happening to her is real or her own imagination. This was enjoyable - I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.

 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by: Ruth Ware

Like my previous read, I've read Ruth Ware before too and rated that book 3 stars. I am rating this book 3 stars as well, and think I am going to say that I don't really care for Ruth's writing. In both books, I did not really like any of the characters. She doesn't write them in a way to become emotionally invested in any of them. Lo Blacklock is tasked with going on a once in a lifetime cruise in order to write about the trip for her job. She thinks she witnesses a murder but is not believed because there is no evidence and no one missing from the short guest/crew list. Just like "You Are Not Alone", the main character has some qualities that make you wonder how sane she is. So maybe since I just read a book with the leading female in this same state, I was not really in the mood for it again?

 

The Matchmaker by: Elin Hilderbrand

Now here's an author where I always know what I am going to get - a fun engaging read. What I didn't expect this time around though is crying at the end. I don't recall crying for an Elin book before. I'm going to post the summary for this one:

48-year-old Nantucketer Dabney Kimball Beech has always had a gift for matchmaking. Some call her ability mystical, while others - like her husband, celebrated economist John Boxmiller Beech, and her daughter, Agnes, who is clearly engaged to the wrong man - call it meddlesome, but there's no arguing with her results: With 42 happy couples to her credit and all of them still together, Dabney has never been wrong about romance. Never, that is, except in the case of herself and Clendenin Hughes, the green-eyed boy who took her heart with him long ago when he left the island to pursue his dream of becoming a journalist. Now, after spending 27 years on the other side of the world, Clen is back on Nantucket, and Dabney has never felt so confused, or so alive. But when tragedy threatens her own second chance, Dabney must face the choices she's made and share painful secrets with her family. Determined to make use of her gift before it's too late, she sets out to find perfect matches for those she loves most. The Matchmaker is a heartbreaking story about losing and finding love, even as you're running out of time.  

 

The Blue Bistro by: Elin Hilderbrand

This is an older Elin book, so I could see some subtle differences in her writing. And I cried again with this one!

Adrienne Dealey has spent the past six years working for hotels in exotic resort towns. This summer she has decided to make Nantucket home. Left flat broke by her ex-boyfriend, she is desperate to earn some fast money. When the desirable Thatcher Smith, owner of Nantucket's hottest restaurant, is the only one to offer her a job, she wonders if she can get by with no restaurant experience. Thatcher gives Adrienne a crash course in the business...and they share an instant attraction. But there is a mystery about their situation: what is it about Fiona, the Blue Bistro's chef, that captures Thatcher's attention again and again? And why does such a successful restaurant seem to be in its final season before closing its doors for good? Despite her uncertainty, Adrienne must decide whether to open her heart for the first time, or move on, as she always does.

The description of the restaurant and it's inner workings was so interesting - made me feel like I was there. Ironically, one of our favorite restaurants is closing and I definitely felt it in my heart. The perfect time for this read I guess!

 

Pretty Things by: Janelle Brown

Thank you Random House for this advance reader copy. Set to publish April 21, 2020. Two wildly different women--one a grifter, the other an heiress--are brought together by the scam of a lifetime is the main theme of this book. This was a hard to put down thriller that I gave 5 stars, and there were some other interesting aspects. One was the old estate passed down to the heiress - I feel that anytime an old home is part of a book, it immediately sets a certain tone. Two was the focus on Instagram - how the thieves in this story were able to study their targets who are always posting about their latest designer goods, jewelry, etc.... (as well as when they were jet setting, thus leaving their homes vulnerable). Really good!