Starting off, it was suspenseful and left me hanging with tons of questions, I needed to know the situation that was unfolding. Though for me, the engagement dies down, I felt like the mystery was alright but this isn't a book I will remember in the long run. I found it painful how Bailey hated Hannah and yet also beautiful how Hannah still sees past that and genuinely cares for her. Owen disappears and leaves both of them a mess to deal with. The story is told in Hannah's POV where she has to recollect her memory by thinking back anything that might've given a clue of Owen's past. I would've liked to see more of Owen, get to know his personality, his intentions, and most definitely his past. For me this book was alright. Rating: 3.5 Format: Audiobook Author: Laura Dave Genre: Mystery

I liked it but then that quickly faded away. I was utterly confused with the dream situation I guess I'm not used to psychological thrillers mixed with paranormal vibes. I mean the story itself was very easy to engage in as the idea behind becoming friends with your husband's mistress sounds pretty messed up but leaves you wondering how that could ever happen. The details are well-written which allows the reader to get a clearer sense of where the dreams are leading you to. Quite suspenseful but definitely not my cup of tea. I listened to the audiobook and I wanted the story to end as fast as possible but then something would happen and would drag me back into the story. Giving the story a second chance, I decided to binge-watch the Netflix series and found myself more invested than the audiobook. The ending was very mind-blowing, I mean, expect the unexpected in other words. Although the story kind of warms you up and hints that there is a villain among them, I was still taken aback by the ending, fascinating. Format: Audiobook Author: Sarah Pinborough Rating: 3.5 Genre: Mystery

This book made me feel anxious from the beginning all the way to the end, especially the end. I was not expecting the strong revelations at the end. There is a lot that happens in the book, it never stops, it's always something after something, pretty bad luck, or maybe just lack of awareness of what was building up. The premise was a fascinating one, what would you do if your kids were swapped at birth but wait, not only swapped but your own kid is technically healthier than your real child with brain damage. Would you want to keep a healthy baby or get your own that will require supervision for life? Such an extreme concept to get into without feeling somewhat selfish, but as the story develops you will soon learn that the healthy one isn't as healthy as it may have appeared. Playing Nice is a juicy thriller with 2 families and 2 POV's. The story revolves around Theo who is 2 years old. Pete and her partner Maddie have raised Theo as their child, living a casual life with Pete as the main caregiver, he is always involved in Theo's development and is aware that Theo has shown aggressive behaviors in school. One day, Miles and Lucy go to Pete's house and drop the most unwanted news a parent could ever hear. Turns out, Pete and Lucy aren't Theos biological parents, it is Miles and Lucy. Both families decide to deal with the situation in an amicable way but that doesn't last for too long. Such a chaotic story, I went into this audiobook with little information as to what the story was about, only knew it was a thriller but oh my. I loved to have seen both POV's from Maddie and Pete, but I couldn't have imagined what it would be like to see Miles' and Lucy. The book is absolutely a masterpiece! Format: Audiobook Rating: 5 Genre: Thriller Author: JP Delaney

The Six is a rock-and-roll band that slowly became popular in the '70s when all members were gathered and slowly getting popularity, Daisy Jones becomes a part of this band and with her unique carefree personality, she brings a great input to this band as a singer and songwriter. I'm so happy to have read this book, truly. The story made me travel back to the 70's despite of being a 90's baby, I felt like I was living in that era. The writing was very simple yet so wholesome and straight to the point, written in an interview manner I was captivated by its originality and how fluent the story developed. Right after finishing the book, I went straight to Google to confirm that this band is real but no luck. The fact that the details are so right on, made me want these characters to be real and alive. I loved how every woman in the story is a boss-ass bitch that weren't phased by others' opinions and stood their ground. The ending was just alright, I guess I expected something out of the world but the rock-and-roll is strongly present with tons of drugs, alcohol and sex. I simply cannot wait for the movie adaptation to make this story come to live. Format: Paperback Rating: 5 Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid Genre: Fiction

Speechless at this incredible story of Dr. Vince Gilmer. A rural doctor known in his small town for being caring, well-loved, and respected by his patients became a murderer in a blink of an eye when he killed his father and dumped his body off the road. Everyone in this clinic spoke highly of him and would have never in a million years believed that Dr. Vince Gilmer was capable of killing a rat let alone a person - his father. The other doctor named Ben Gilmer is found taking over the clinic where Dr. Vince worked and became worried that he won't be accepted in the community. Both have nothing in common nor have met, the only thing they have in common is their last name. Dr. Ben Gilmer begins digging into the murder case and the story takes a different route that wasn't expected. This book is one that I will definitely look back and remember it dearly because it taught me so much about Huntington's disease and prison. I don't condone murder but once this story detailed Vince's childhood abuse, progressive hatred toward his dad, and symptoms of Huntington's disease- all aimed at he did not deserve such extreme sentencing. Prior to finding that Vince had a neurological disease, all evidence was not adding up to what may have led up to killing his dad so much that the doctors involved in this case believed he had TBI (traumatic brain injury) from a car accident may have led to causing a murder, as Huntington's disease doesn't really make a person angry or cause erratic dark mood changes. Now, I bring this idea to other cases like the continuous mass murders that our country is currently facing and I pose a question: Should those mass murderers plead not guilty by reason of insanity? I am certain that no sane person can go around killing people, so there is an underlying mental illness that has been projected on the wrong outlet but should they also deserve to go to a mental facility or to prison? Clearly, both scenarios are different as Dr. Vince Gilmer was a wonderful man who often did not charge his low-income patients and took them on a walk when to ease their anxiety, thus, every patient was fond of Vince, as opposed to those rebellious mass murderers that often were poorly raised and bullied growing up did not have an impact on a community like Dr. Vince. My mind really wondered with thought-provoking ideas and scenarios that only raise other what-ifs. Nevertheless, I am extremely grateful that this book was made because it promotes awareness of the lack of sources that inmates with mental illness face and how they are brutally treated behind bars. Dr. Ben Gilmer's determination and altruism toward Dr. Vince were admirable. Rating: 5 Format: Audiobook Author: Dr. Ben Gilmer Genre: Non-fiction

I'm still unsure on what to rate it because I had so many "aww" episodes but also level 10 cringy ones. I am going for 3 and 4 stars. I was hooked on the beginning of the book, how both characters met and the funny moments they had in the first encounter. But I needed to be sold on the idea that Mark was truly a billionaire, I wanted to believe that you could easily fall in love that quickly and so blindingly. It was hard for me to really picture them wanting to make abrupt changes with the little time they had in the relationship. There was an excessive amount of back and forth at the end between Mark and Robbie that just made me want to strangle Robbie. It was just not fair for the reader to cringe this much back to back. I liked the reality the author portrayed of having a mid-life crisis, I mean at Mark's age I totally understand it plus he's just so humble that the billionaire life doesn't truly suit him. Nevertheless, I found Mark to be a wonderful gentleman, I mean, the way he goes above and beyond for Robbie is sweet and shows that he has a pure heart. This rom-com is short and hilarious! The perfect combo for a summer read. Rating: 3.90 Author: Harmony Knight Format: E-book Genre: Rom-com

“Girls are given the weight of the world, but nowhere to put it down. The power and magic born in that struggle? It’s so terrifying to men that we invented reasons to burn y’all at the stake, just to keep our dicks hard.” I felt a rainbow of emotions from this book! It is intense in the sense of portraying the reality of what past generations carry over to the new generations but Eva was a superwoman for leaving that life behind for her daughter. Both Eva and Shane are radically flawed but they have pure hearts and intentions when it comes to loving each other. Shane who is a recovering addict with a few trips to jail in his past has not created a brighter future for himself by mentoring kids as he best relates to them from his past life. Eva, a single mother, and her daughter Aubrey are a great team. Eva poured her entire self to raising Aubrey to become so outspoken, and brilliant, at the age of 12. I felt like this novel was so poetically and meaningful with its beautiful writing, it highlights mental health, chronic migraines, drug/alcohol addiction and their aftermath effect in the body for the long run. The reader can see how everything takes a turn with this coming of age, one taking place in the present and alternating with the hardships Eva faced growing up. I always recommend to every reader to find more information on the author as every book tends to have a resemblance to their upbringings and lives placed into books. Format: Audiobook Rating: 4.90 Author: Tia Williams Genre: Romance

This grappling psychological suspense story! Child psychologist Anna Fox suffers from agoraphobia and is home-bound, with a Nixon camera and a chess hobby, she becomes intrigued by the new neighbors right across her house. In the story, you get Anna's POV and are able to see her thinking process, what she feels, her fears, how agoraphobia debilitates her, and coping with grieving. The writing was wonderful because it gives the reader a full perspective of what is in Anna's head. Every character will make you think they are behind the mystery that Anna is certain she witnessed. Not only do I recommend this book, but also the movie! I watched the movie a few years back and had forgotten about it, until I was getting more into the audiobook is when I realized that I had watched the adaptation movie. This may have had an impact on how I felt bored at times because I knew the outcome, so I highly recommend people to read the book first! Format: Audiobook Author: A.J. Finn Rating: 4.05 Genre: Psychological Thriller

Alicia shoots her beloved husband and remains silent. A psychotherapist named Theo is determined to help Alicia speak again through individual therapy as he does extensive research on Alicia's past life to find out what led to her silence. This audiobook was like music to my ears with tons of suspense and twisting revelations. The suspense is ongoing as the reader will be hooked with the finding evidence of the murder case and Alicia's background. This story is hard to put down, it is so engaging from beginning to end. Each character had a purpose and every single one delivered! The clues are laid out throughout the story little by little and eventually at the end your jaw will drop as the story does a back and front flip. The story contains references to Greek mythology to Alicia's silence which left me to mind-blown, also, tons of psychology is included and a two-point of view from Alicia and Theo. If you are a twisted psychological thriller junkie, this is the best book to read, or listen to! Quick read Suspenseful Art related Greek mythology reference 2 POV Twisted ending Rating: 5 Author: Alex Michaelides Genre: Psychological thriller Format: Audiobook

Very suspenseful story. Thinking back I couldn't imagine reading this book, the audiobook was the right fit. I liked how engaging the beginning is, I really did, but then the number of details and build-up suspense is in my opinion a bit too much, so I can't imagine how many pages that must've taken. Essentially the majority of the setting takes place in a car and then a school with some flashbacks of how Jake's and his girlfriend met, and how long they had been together which was just a few weeks. I believe I might've heard Jake's girlfriend's name once or twice, so I don't know her name. The story is eerie, spooky, suspenseful, weird, different, random, and has detailed sceneries, it really gets better as it reaches the end, not so much the car ride. It is told in one person POV until the end of the book. I felt frustrated at the poor decisions that Jake's girlfriend made and how oblivious she was to Jake's personality and red flags. Soon as I heard the decisions she made, I just painted in my head that this will be your typical "scary" movie where knows there's a killer out there and decides to still walk into that. Although at times I was at the edge of needing more of the story, the details of the surroundings bored me a bit. Regardless, it was a great story with tons of cliffhangers. Rating: 3.80 Format: Audiobook Author: Iain Reid Genre: Horror

Kya was abandoned at the age of six by the most important people in her family and was left with her dad- an alcoholic and aggressive man. Kya was essentially forced to survive on her own and find means to go by every day, whether food or money. She became the "Marsh Girl", living in a shack away from the town, she didn't regularly get social interactions with the town people so they often spoke about her being like a wild animal and prejudices began. The story is about a coming of age, starting in 1952; and a police investigation in 1969. Extensive details were noted as far as the marsh, trees, seashells, the beach, and more. Keep in mind, that the author is a nature writer so the scenery was beautifully written, but since I am not, I was fairly lost in the beginning of the book up until more or less 20%. The romance part felt like it suited more in a YA novel rather but I still felt angry at Kya for not wanting to take back Tate, nevertheless, I don't blame her because she lacked the foundation of how to go about a relationship when in fact everyone has always left her. I felt the book really shone almost by the middle and I wasn't sure which direction it was heading, was it romance, or was it a thriller? I was expecting mother to enter the story and somehow play a role, although the role was played from her memories, I wished they would've reunited. Delia Owens did a great job using the resemblance of animals to people, the way they mate, and how animals attract a woman for basically just sex, and Kya used this knowledge from the wilderness for herself when she was alone and raised by the marsh. I liked it but didn't love the story. *Mystery *Coming of age * Tons of details from nature *Loneliness *Heartbreak from first love *Second-chance *Trust issues *Prejudice PS. I just learned about Delia Owen's involvement in the death of an unknown victim in Zambia. The victim was believed to be a trespasser, but the worst part is that Delia's stepson named Christopher was the person who fired the shot but his family- Dalia and Mark- covered up as it has been claimed the body was dumped into a lake. More info: CLICK HERE Rating: 3.80 Author: Delia Owens Genre: Mystery Format: Paperback

Enchanted Jones, a 17-year-old girl who dreams to become a singer but lacks the funds, meets 28-year-old Korey Fields during a singing audition. Being one of the few black students from her high school, she feels responsible to make her siblings and parents proud. I finished this audiobook in 2 days because I was so invested in the story and as it was unfolding, it began to sound like "Surviving R. Kelly". I loved its rawness and the way the author portrayed the difficulties that underage girls face when their voices aren't heard by the authorities or loved ones, despite multiple accusations and evidence. This book is a must-read because it shines a light on how easily teenagers can become victims of sex trafficking and the many red flags that one should be on the lookout for. It is extremely frustrating, and heartbreaking the way Enchanted is trapped and deceived by a much older guy who abuses her mentally and physically. The story also highlights how most victims are believed to come from broken homes but that isn't always true. Korey is a manipulator that dragged Enchanted into a world she wasn't expecting and does things she didn't foresee when he had initially painted the idea of helping Enchanted become a famous singer. I'm glad the author showed how others express themselves when they are in disbelief that a teenager can be abducted and brainwashed, all done unwillingly even though on the outside it may appear that the teenager purposefully did it. Enchanted was sold on a future singer career and a relationship with Korey but eventually, she realized he was drugging her and just using her. The story raises awareness of black girls being groomed by manipulators and the lack of credibility from the authorities. Tons of TW: suicide, sexual abuse, mental illness, pedophilia, rape, manipulation, grooming. Rating: 5 Format: Audiobook Author: Tiffany D. Jackson Genre: Young Adult