What_Kel_Reads

The Other People by C.J. Tudor was published by Random House - Ballantine on January 28, 2020.  I was given a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Driving home from work one night, Gabe sees his daughter mouth "Daddy" in the back of a beat up car.  She's never seen again.  He spends the next three years going up and down that highway, in search of the daughter he lost.  When the car is found at the bottom of a pond with a grown man inside, Gabe amps up his search.  That search leads him to The Other People. If you have lost a loved one, The Other People   want to help. Because they know what loss is like. They know what pain is like. They know what death is like. This was my first book by Tudor, despite owning everything else she has written.  It did not disappoint.  I really enjoyed this one and totally loved the ending.  It would have been a 5 star read for me, but I guess this was supposed to be a paran...

The Only Child was written by Mi-ae Seo, published by Harper Collins on February 11, 2020.  I was given a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Yi Byeongdo, who has refused to speak to anyone until now, asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity.  That same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely.  At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Hayeong looks at her the same way Yi Byeongdo does when he recou...

No Bad Deed was published by William Morrow on February 18, 2020.  I was given a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split-second decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat:  “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” Everything hits the fan after that.  Cassie can't just let the woman die.  The man steals her minivan, granting him access to all of her personal information.  A day later, her husband and 6 year old daughter disappear.  Cassie goes on her own manhunt to find them, risking all to save her child and her marriage. The synopsis had me hoo...

The Other Mrs. was published on February 18, 2020 by Park Row, written by Mary Kubica.  I was given a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie. But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light. This book certainly did not disappoint.  The multiple point of views were interesting and suspenseful.  The characters were easy to follow and invest in, and it felt like none of them could b...

You Are Not Alone was written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  The book was released today by St. Martin's Press.  I was given an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Shay is a hot mess.  She has no real job, no apartment of her own, and is crashing with her best friend (oh btw she's totes in love with him) while his girlfriend is not so subtlety  trying to push her out so she can move in.  Fun, right?  Just reading about how messy her life is stressed me out.  Don't worry - it gets worse.  When she sees a woman jump to her death in front of a train, she basically finishes falling apart. Then she meets Cassandra and Jane, two sisters who seemingly have dream lives.  They have flawless wardrobes, great jobs at their own PR company, and a dream group of friends.  They take her under their wing, offering her new jobs and places to live, all while giving her dream makeovers.  A NORMAL perso...

The Betrayed Wife by Kevin O'Brien was released on July 30, 2019 by Kensington Books.  I was given a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Sheila O’Rourke and her husband Dylan have 3 kids and what seems to be the normal suburban life…too bad her husband is a piece of scum.   When 16 year old Eden shows up claiming to be his daughter from a past fling, Sheila tries to be a welcoming stepmom.   Eden is a nightmare, and Sheila feels like Eden is out to get her.   She’s been getting strange text messages for weeks, and now dangerous things are happening in her home.   Will Sheila find out what is going on before it’s too late? I’ve been really annoyed lately by the amount of books focusing on cheating spouses and partners, but this was slightly different.   The lives of these people were so wrecked and dramatic that I kept reading to find out what would happen to them.   This whole story felt like a mega episode of Snapped, ...

This book is a part of the Harlequin Special Edition series.  I was given a copy from Harlequin and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Mackenzie Wallace hopes there’s still some bad boy lurking beneath single father Danny Adams’s upright exterior. Being the proverbial good girl left her brokenhearted and alone in the past. Now she’s back in town and wants excitement with her high school crush—not love. Dan knows their connection runs deep, despite Mackenzie’s protests. But will their new personas work together—especially when Dan’s secret is exposed? Okay.   I didn’t super love this one.   I didn’t even really like it...but this book has an average of almost 4 stars on Goodreads, so don’t just take my word for it!   To me, the characters didn’t seem genuine.   It seemed like the dialogue was trying too hard.   It felt really cheesy to me, and I rolled my eyes….A LOT.   Have y’all been back to your hometowns years after graduating...

Today is my tour stop for Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee.  This book was released on February 4, 2020.   This book is part of the Harlequin Desire series.   I was given a copy from NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for my honest review.   Synopsis (from Goodreads):   Garrett Song is  this  close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all… This book was a super quick read, which I really appreciated.  The story wasn't drawn out longer than necessary.  Some parts were really cute...and some were just really cheesy.  I'm not a long time reader of Harlequin books, so I can't adequately say if all of their books make me feel ...

Deep State was written by Chris Hauty and published on January 7, 2020 by Atria Books.  I was given a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. President Richard Monroe, newly elected and super controversial, has completely divided Washington D.C.  In the middle of all of this drama, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his home.  When an over eager intern discovers that it was not from natural causes as publicized, she unearths a conspiracy so large, everyone is a suspect.  Will she uncover the truth in time?  Who else is keeping a secret? This book floored me.  First of all, the super divisive President hit a little too close to home.  Part of me was really hoping he’d be next to go.  All of the players in this book are so incredibly detailed and not one of them has clear intentions from the start, aside from the intern Hayley Chill.  This book twists and turns the entire way through, leaving the ...

The Dead Girls Club was released by Crooked Lane Books on December 10, 2019.  It was written by Damien Angelica Walters.  I was given a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ===================================================================== Synopsis from Goodreads (It was too good to summarize myself) Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face... In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real--and she could prove it. That belief got Becca killed. It's been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night--that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She's done her best to put that fa...

I was given a copy of The Guilty Mother in exchange for my honest review.  This book was written by Diane Jeffrey and published by HQ Digital on August 2, 2019. 2013- Melissa Slade is the mother of twin baby girls.  When one dies of SIDS (cot death), everyone believes her.  When the second dies of SIDS, she is sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her baby girls. Present day- The court has been presented with new evidence that could mean release for Melissa.  Reporter Jonathan Hunt gets roped into reporting on this woman again.  As he digs deeper into the people around her, he really starts to question Melissa's guilt. If she didn't kill her babies....who did? First off-I feel like my experience reading this book was vastly different than the majority of readers on Goodreads.  It was just okay for me.  There were a lot of scandalous plot threads woven into the book, and I don't feel like they all got properly resolved (Kathy, the st...

I was given my copy of Michele Campbell's A Stranger on the Beach by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  This book was released by St. Martin's Press on July 23, 2019. Caroline is unnerved when she sees a stranger outside her perfect beach house.  When he ends up being hired as a bartender for her luxurious beach party, she seems to put him out of her mind.  When she and her husband end up in a very loud fight at the party, her life starts to unravel.  She ends up drinking with Aiden, the stranger at the bar where he works.  They go home together, and it means nothing to her.  To him, it's a different story.  When Caroline's husband goes missing, all fingers point to Aiden and Caroline will have to figure out the enemy before it's too late. This was a super fast thriller.  It would be a great beach/poolside read.  The relationship between Caroline and Aiden is so nerve-wracking.  The book definitely has the vibe of Si...

Almost Midnight by Paul Doiron was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  This book was released by St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books on July 2, 2019. Warden Mike Bowditch is trying to figure out who attempted to kill his wolf hybrid when he learns that his best friend Billy is going to be released from prison after defending a female prison guard in an attack by another prisoner.  Mike soon investigates and learns that the prison is filled with conspiracies and underground smuggling rings.  Mike has to find a way to protect Billy's wife and children from the inevitable attacks on them before it's too late. This was not the first book about Mike Bowditch, but it was for me.  I really appreciated the fact that it didn't seem like I was behind or missing anything super important to the story by having not read the other books.  I found myself really rooting for Billy.  When it came to Shadow (Mike's wolf) I would find myself sw...

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  The Birthday Girl was released on August 6, 2019 by Penguin Dutton Group. Ellie looks like she has the perfect life...handsome husband, million dollar houses, and adorable children.  Behind all of that "perfection" is a skeleton bursting with closets. This story follows Ellie on 2 different birthdays, 24 years apart.  This is a good enough book.  Ellie is annoying.  Her husband and children are spoiled and annoying.  I spent most of the book thinking that she was a waste of talent and so many others would put her money to good use.  The skeletons were truly embarrassing.  I felt myself cringing at several points during this book.  The ending was as bad as what I was bracing myself to read.   If you like thrillers and suspense, it's an okay book if you need to kill some time.  It's not something I would read again.  I wasn't overwhelmed...

“What’s it like,” Marsha asked.   “Bein’ a mom?”   Jenny felt her chest swell. “It’s amazing.   It’s awful. It’s too much and it’s too little.” I had several favorite parts from Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood, but this was definitely the one that hit hardest.  Keeping Lucy was my second book from Greenwood, published by St. Martin's Press on August 6, 2019.  I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Ginny gives birth to Lucy in Dover, Massachusetts in 1969.  She is devastated when Lucy is taken from her after they discover she has Downs Syndrome.  Her husband Ab sends Lucy away to Willowridge, a school for the "special" children.  He and the rest of his powerful and influential family try to convince her to move on, to forget her first daughter. 2 years later, Ginny's best friend Marsha shows her an expose on Willowridge.  They are both appalled to see the filth and neglect the children have been su...

This was my second book by Robyn Harding.  The Arrangement was published by Scout Press on July 30, 2019.  I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Natalie is a broke college student in NYC, struggling to provide for basic needs when her friend suggests she should go online and find a sugar daddy for herself.  Ava tells her about all of the great benefits while they study in Ava's completely furnished penthouse apartment, and Natalie doesn't see any harm in it. She meets Gabe, and he seems like the dream man.  He's a successful lawyer and Nat falls in love.  She thinks Gabe is also in love with her.  She has no idea Gabe is actually married with a family, and has no plans to abandon them. When he cuts off the relationship, this girl loses her ever-loving mind.  She drinks constantly and stalks him.  She spies on his wife and inserts herself into his daughter's life.  Gabe now has to figure out how t...

After the Flood was written by Kassandra Montag, released by Harper Collins on September 3, 2019.  I received my copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. A hundred years from now, the world as we know it does not exist.  It basically consists of colonies separated by massive bodies of water.  Myra and her daughter Pearl live on their boat, only visiting land when they need to trade for supplies.  Myra has been searching for her oldest daughter Row, stolen by her father years ago.  Myra learns Row has been spotted near the Arctic, and she decides that she and Pearl must risk life and limb to reach her. This book annoyed me sooooo much.  Myra is too blinded in her search for Row to care about anyone or anything else.  She puts Pearl, herself, and everyone else she comes into contact with huge amounts of danger to feed her delusion that she'll be able to find her daughter.  Row has been gone for 7+ years.  She is blin...

The Chain by Adrian McKinty was released on July 9, 2019 by Mulholland Books.  This was my first book by McKinty.  I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The premise is simple.  You drop your kid off at the bus stop and then receive a phone call from a complete stranger telling you that your child has been kidnapped.  You can get your child back, but only if you kidnap someone else's kid within 24 hours.  Your child will then be released when the next set of parents kidnap another victim.  Welcome to The Chain. The premise of this book immediately hooked me.  Then it was one of Jimmy Fallon's finalists for his summer reading club.  This book ended up being the winner, and I can certainly see why.  I flew through the first half of the book.  Rachel's sheer panic grips you right in the throat.  I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying it was for her to receive that call. ...

The Escape Room was published by St. Martin's Press on 07/30/2019.  I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are top performers for their Wall Street business.  All they care about is getting rich, and they'll step on anyone in the way of the path to greatness. When they're summoned to an office building late at night and wind up stuck in an elevator, they believe they've been tricked into doing some type of team-building activity. When their secrets start to come out and a deceased employee is mentioned, they finally realize that this may not be a game after all.......that they may actually be fighting for their lives. Listen.  I read a lot of thrillers so take this with a grain of salt.  I guessed the ending right around the third chapter.  Instead of me wondering what would happen in the book, it was more of me waiting to find out how they were going to bring my ending...

His Secret Family by Ali Mercer was published by Bookouture on 09/11/19.  I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. Before we get started, trigger warnings.  If you are sensitive to how children with autism are treated, this is probably a book you want to avoid.  In addition, there is an infant death in the story.  Had I known that, I would not have volunteered for this book.  As someone who blogs about recommendations for future reads, I feel like it's my duty to bring that up.  I would want someone to warn me.  That being said, on to the review. This story focuses on 2 mothers, 3 daughters, and a man that is somehow connected to them all.  Mark and Paula, once "happily married" are now angrily divorced, somehow related to their daughter Daisy.  T his divorce comes back to haunt him when he marries Jenny and attempts to be a father to her daughters Evie and Ava.  All of the dirty laundry and secret...