Carries Book Reviews

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Title: She’s Not Sorry

Author:  Mary Kubica

Publisher: Park Row

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Page Count:  331

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

Everyone has secrets, but not everyone has remorse…

A terrible accident.

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

A shocking revelation.

When a witness comes forward with new details about Caitlin’s fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was a crime committed? Did someone actually push Caitlin, and if so, who… and why?

No one is safe.

Meghan lets herself get close to Caitlin until she’s deeply entangled in the mystery surrounding her. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims…

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica is a thriller novel for the pretzel lovers out there. I mean seriously, I could only picture the main character in the shape of a pretzel when I was finished with all the twists and turns this book had to offer.

Meghan Michaels is a single mother raising her teenage daughter on her own after a divorce and doing everything she can to protect them both with news stories nightly of women being attacked nearby. Meghan works as an ICU nurse so she puts in long hours leaving she or her daughter home alone quite often so she knows she could never be too safe for them both.

Meghan’s newest patient at the hospital also is hitting quite close to home for Meghan with a young woman brought in after an attempted suicide. Meghan has also always been the type to help all those around her whether they are patients, coworkers or friends so Meghan also extends a hand to an old friend in need despite everything else swirling around in her life.

When finished reading She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica I jokingly nicknamed this one the book of never ending twists. Perhaps a bit much for some this one certainly kept me on my toes as I thought I had a few things figured out a few more twists came and laughed in my face anyway. This one did start off feeling like it was going to totally be a slow burn but that quickly changed along the way and then turned into a rollercoaster by the end. My advice, hang onto your hat and enjoy the ride with this one!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Mary Kubica is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense thrillers including The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Local Woman Missing. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller” (Kirkus) and “a writer of vice-like control” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (L.A. Times). She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

Visit Mary at http://www.marykubica.com/

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Title: The One That Got Away with Murder

Author:  Trish Lundy

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Page Count:  382 

My rating: 3 1/2 stars

About the book:

Be careful who you fall for…

Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they’re behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.

But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O’Brian might be the new girl at school, but she’s never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she’s desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.

With danger closing in, Lauren doesn’t know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale.

This is an edge-of-your-seat debut YA thriller about a teen who is forced to confront her past in order to catch a murderer before she ends up the next victim. Perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy is a debut young adult thriller novel. With this being a young adult thriller it’s certainly on the darker side and probably geared towards to more mature readers the young adult genre with things like drinking, smoking, drug use, sex, eating disorders, suicide and of course murder to name a few.

Lauren O’Brian is the new girl in town after her mother choses to move them across country and away from Lauren’s troublesome past in California. Lauren’s mother has a new boyfriend and Lauren is happy for her but only requests that they wait until Lauren is out of the house to officially move in together.

After moving to her new town Lauren met Robbie Cresmont and has begun a secret affair with him. Robbie volunteers at the same hospital Lauren’s mom works at so she has been meeting up with him there. When words gets out at school though Lauren learns the Cresmont boys have a very dark and dangerous reputation some even saying they have murdered their exes.

The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy was a solid debut thriller novel but for me it wasn’t without some flaws too. I think the pacing was the biggest thing I noticed with this one with it sometimes crawling along but then when you get to the end it seemed to wrap up really really quickly. The story is one that is typically found in this genre so it wasn’t an overly surprising ending to me being an avid reader but that said I would still rate this one at three and a half stars and give the author another try if she writes more in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Trish Lundy grew up in Rochester, NY and now calls California home. Her debut YA thriller, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY WITH MURDER, is publishing on April 16, 2024 from Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. She is represented by Kristin van Ogtrop and Stephen Barbara of Inkwell Management.

Trish also writes for film and TV. She received her BA in English from UCLA, where she fell in love with the craft of writing. She’s worked in the film industry, in marketing, and is also a former hospice & palliative care volunteer.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys (slash is addicted to) making iced lattes, pulling Tarot cards, reading, and riding the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. You can find Trish on Instagram as @TrishLundy and on TikTok as @TrishLundy17.

The Spoiler
Le Todd
Publication date: June 18th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

College student Rose Maraczek loves movies. Not just any movies, but sweeping period dramas that take her far away from who she is. Her obsession started in high school when a box of movies appeared on her doorstep and she discovered the relief they could give her from her debilitating OCD. What Rose hates are spoilers—especially those that ruin the escape she seeks.

Tristan Moore, Rose’s former crush and her brother’s best friend, is the bane of her existence. Always at their house, everything he does gets under Rose’s skin, the worst of which is his consistent dropping of movie spoilers. Fed up, Rose sets out to find a new apartment, but it’s while trying to distance herself from Tristan that he reveals one final spoiler—one that makes Rose realize it was Tristan who left all those movies for her years ago.

Now it’s Rose’s turn for revenge as she forms a movie-spoiler plan of her own: Destroy Tristan Moore.

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

After years in marketing as a content writer, LE Todd returned to her first love: writing fiction. She had previously shelved the idea of being published, but decided to press on, continuing work on her fantasy series, Harrow Eternus. In 2021, she completed writing the second book in her series, then went on to write a contemporary romance, The Spoiler, which is slated for publication in June 2024.

In 2023, LE Todd wrote a vampire romantasy, Claret, and is now working on a new fantasy trilogy, Warlock of the West.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Title: The Finders Keepers Library

Author:  Annie Rains

Publisher: Forever

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

Page Count:  345

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

This heart-warming second chance love story about hope and healing from USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains is perfect for fans of Raeanne Thayne and Jenny Hale!

For a gardener blessed with a green thumb, Savannah Collins’s life sure seems like it’s all thorns, zero roses. She has no job, no relationship, and no place to live. With nothing but a car full of plants and her new rescue kitten, Savannah heads to Bloom, North Carolina, to spend the summer with her beloved Aunt Eleanor, a retired librarian.

Her aunt shares her love of literature with the Finders Keepers Library, located in her beautiful garden, where anyone can stop by to pick a book or leave a book. When a sudden summer storm destroys the library and many of the roses, it will take a village to get everything ready for the garden wedding that is planned there in just three weeks.

As the entire town joins in to make the necessary repairs, Savannah bonds with their neighbor Evan Sanders over the books that Eleanor has handpicked for each of them, helping them both find healing and self-discovery. Savannah only intends to stay through the summer, but when an unexpected job offer, a sudden health crisis, and a wayward pre-teen push her future in new directions, she has to wonder whether this is the place that she is meant to be—and the family she’s meant to be with.

The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains is listed as both the first book in a new contemporary romance Love in Bloom series and also as the fifth book in the contemporary romance Somerset Lake series. Either way this one is like a lot of romance series and has a complete story within this one book and will thus likely be changing the main characters in other books of a series with the setting being what ties them together.

Savannah Collins is at a place in her life when things just don’t seem to be working out they way she’d hoped. With no job, no relationship, and no place to live Savannah decides to head to Bloom, North Carolina to spend the summer with her Aunt Eleanor who is retired and on her own while Savannah works out what is next for herself in life.

After arriving Savannah finds that her aunt desperately needs help with her garden where she keeps open her Finders Keepers Library to share her love of reading. Locals know they are welcome to come take or leave books at any time but a storm has put a damper on the garden location. Savannah dives in right away to help and soon befriends neighbor Evan Sanders who chips in to help and shares his own love of the library and reading.

The Finders Keepers Library is not the first book I’ve read by author Annie Rains so I had high hopes of enjoying it before going in. Thankfully those hopes were met with this tale of family and friendship and dealing with difficulties and disabilities in life. The characters all seemed to have their own struggles making them feel real and easy to connect with. And who wouldn’t be a little jealous of this friendly and fun setting of a neighborhood lending library in a beautiful setting. Definitely look forward to more from this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Annie Rains is a USA Today Bestselling author of small town contemporary romance full of hope and heart. After years of dreaming about being an author, Annie published her first book in 2015 and has been chasing deadlines and happy ever afters for her characters ever since. When she isn’t writing, Annie is usually spending time with her husband and 3 children, bingeing Netflix, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors. Sign up for Annie’s newsletter to stay informed about new releases and sales: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j4b9d8

You can find Annie online at http://www.annierains.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @annierainsbooks

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Title: Murder at the Blueberry Festival

Author:  Darci Hannah

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: July 26, 2022

Page Count:  319

My rating: 5 stars

About the book:

Living in a lighthouse with her dog, Lindsey Bakewell is lulled to sleep at night by the sound of Lake Michigan’s waves—and gets up at the crack of dawn to start the day at her bakery café.  But someone in Beacon Harbor is about to rock the boat with murder . . .
 
After a career on Wall Street, Lindsey is making a different kind of dough in a pretty lakeside village, and the upcoming blueberry festival—including the pie-eating contest her bakery is hosting—is the highlight of the summer. But soon Beacon Harbor runs into a patch of trouble.
 
A local real estate agent gets pranked. A parade float gets pelted with water balloons. It’s all laughed off until the stunts start escalating—and looking more like sabotage. As the event turns into a debacle complete with rampaging goats, Lindsey’s sweetheart, a former SEAL, starts investigating. But the juicy mystery takes a bitter turn when a man—dressed up as a Viking—is found dead in a boat, and it’s no longer mischief but murder . . .

Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah is the third book in the cozy Beacon Bakeshop mystery series. As with most cozy series each book in the Beacon Bakeshop series will have it’s own fully solved mystery so readers can read each as a standalone or in any order. However, there is some character development that will carry over from book to book for those that read the series from the beginning.

Lindsey Bakeswell had that “safe” career that she thought she should have and a boyfriend that she thought may have been the one. When Lindsey’s relationship crumbled when she caught her celebrity chef boyfriend with another woman she decided to ditch the safe career and follow her dreams of owning her own bakeshop. Lindsey packed up and moved to her childhood vacation destination of Beacon Harbor, Michigan where she bought the old lighthouse intending to convert it into a bakery and home for herself and her dog, Wellington.

Now Lindsey is settled in Beacon Harbor and her lighthouse turned bakery and is preparing for the upcoming blueberry festival where she will be hosting a pie eating contest at her bakery. However, just as the town prepares for the festival a series of pranks begin to take place around town and seem to be never ending. Just as Lindsey and her friend, a former Navy Seal, begin to investigate the pranks things turn deadly when a body of a man dressed as a Viking is found murdered.

The cozy Beacon Bakeshop mystery series is one that I have been following from the beginning after reading a couple of other cozy mysteries from author Darci Hannah. The series has all of my wants and needs in a cozy series with some quirkiness and a lot of laughs along the way wrapped up in a fun mystery to follow. As always there were plenty of twists and turns along the way with this current mystery and I enjoyed every turn of the page.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Darci Hannah grew up in the northwest suburbs of a Chicago, is a graduate of Indiana University, and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband, three sons and two dogs. She has lived around the Great Lakes all her life and considers them a source of inspiration. When she’s not engaged in a rollicking family adventure, walking her dogs, or working at the historic Howell Carnegie District Library, she’s either baking up a storm or hard at work on her next Beacon Bakeshop Mystery. Visit her at DarciHannah.com.