Every year I set a completely arbitrary reading goal. It’s arbitrary because, let’s face it, I’m going to read books every year until the day I die so it’s not about the quantity.  Instead, I read now to be entertained, and depending on my mood and what’s going on in my life, that can mean different things.  I recently had surgery and found myself at home for seven full weeks without work.  Seven weeks! That should be at least 10-14 books if I were pushing for my reading goal.  Instead, I found myself catching up with friends & family, surfing the web for all sorts of household items (we’ve been remodeling so now it’s the fun part!), and watching tons of shows that I’d missed and now they’re all streaming.  I’m back at work again this week and since I find it helpful to have a routine, I’m back to reading every night.  Maybe I’ll make up some lost time with my reading goals? We’ll see. 😊________________________________________________________________

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

David is in jail for life for brutally murdering his young son. Five years later, his sister-in-law visits him in jail with a photo she’s come across…a recent photo that seemingly shows David’s son in the background.  As David strives to do the impossible (break out of a maximum-security prison, get his son back, and clear his name), we get to go on the wild ride with him as we try to wrap our heads around the fact that the dead boy they held a funeral for may actually have been a stranger.  I love Coben’s books---he is one of my go-to authors that I don’t even need to know what the book is about because I know I’m going to read it. Although this wasn’t one of my favorites (there’s the believability factor, for sure), I still absolutely recommend.  

3 Stars 

Special Note:  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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 With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

Meribel enjoys being a semi-famous TV actress, even with some of the drawbacks.  But when a “fan” starts becoming more and more threatening, it becomes way more serious than just a “drawback.”  Even when Meribel moves her and her pre-teen daughter from LA to Atlanta to get away, this super-fan (aka stalker) manages to find and follow her.  I absolutely love Joshilyn Jackson’s books, and this was no exception.  I’ll admit, there were enough twists in this book to make me think I was missing some stuff, but it all ironed out in the end.  My favorite book of hers?  No… Still recommend?  Definitely!

3 Stars

Special Note:  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison

As a private chef, Gemma focuses on cooking and caring for other people.  She has a full life, is plenty busy, and feels very content with where she is in her career and personal life.  But as things start to get a little unpredictable with her jobs, Gemma realizes that life doesn’t come in exact measurements the way her recipes do. Following up on an exciting not-quite-date with a stranger and branching out into new territory with her job, she realizes that maybe taking on more of the “different” might not be a bad thing.   Very sweet book with relatable content, good characters, and easy to read storyline.

5 Stars

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The Second Husband By Kate White

Emma’s first husband was killed in an unsolved street crime---likely a mugging gone horribly bad.  Now that she’s happily remarried to Tom, she’s eager to move forward in her new life, both professionally and personally.  This isn’t as easy as she had hoped, since the police still consider her first husband’s murder unsolved, and they’re definitely still interested in what happened. As they continue to question Emma after all this time, and now Tom, too, Emma starts second guessing everything that brought her to her present state, including whether or not she’ll ever have her happily ever after.  Fast-paced book with lots of twist---a very fun read, especially if you’re looking for a beach-book this summer!