The Friendship Pact by Jill Shalvis

Tae has learned over the years to avoid relationships for fear of getting burned after watching her mom April's heartbreaks while growing up. After a scare of her own in high school, she walked away before getting hurt. Now Riggs is back in her life, if only temporarily, part owner of the adventure company she works for and helping out his brother for the summer. Then he'll be gone to Washington. The spark of attraction is still there after all these years, but he's determined to just stay friends. But when Tae discovers that the father that she thought had died overseas was still alive and her mother refuses to talk about it, she turns to Riggs for help. The more time they spend together, the harder it is to just stay friends. 

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Ladies, if your greatest fantasy isn't of being stripped out of your unicorn onesie like it's the finest lingerie and having the best sex of your life in the middle of the school library, it will be now! This book is hilarious and steamy hot. I loved emotionally damaged Riggs, afraid to talk about his feelings, but not afraid to show them. I think my favorite character though was his brother Jake. Can he have a spin off book of his own? I love Jill Shalvis' writing and this book was no exception. I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

From Below by Darcy Coates

Decades ago,  the cruise liner Arcadia sailed off course and was never heard from again.  Their last transmission "They're in the walls". Now,  Cove and her dive team have permission to explore the wreck for a documentary to discover what exactly went wrong. But from the first,  it seems her own team is cursed. Their robotic divers have all shorted out, forcing her team to dive manually three hundred feet below the surface. At first there's celebration when they confirm that it is in fact the shipwreck Arcadia, but when they enter the wreck an eerie sense of doom settles in. Strange and frightening messages have been left on the walls,  windows boarded over, and the odd tapping sound that never seems to end.  At each dive,  they discover more of the horror within until they're left fighting to escape with their lives.  

I love horror novels and this one is truly unique.  Diving so far down in the ocean with no easy escape creates an entirely different set of threats than other horror novels I've read.  I definitely won't be going on any cruise ships anytime soon!! I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer

After the discovery of a betrayal by her husband, Hannah longs for an escape. She gave up her college degree and a promising career to raise her challenging young son, and is now dependent on her husband. So when her Uncle Christopher falls ill, she and Nicky go to Ashton Hall, a manor house outside Cambridge to be with him for the summer. Nicky, ever curious, finds the skeletal remains of a woman during his explorations of the long forgotten closed off portions of the house. Her belongings identify her as Isabella Creshan, sealed inside this lonely room sometime in the 1550s Tudor era. As Hannah assists the historians in piecing together this woman's past, she begins to see how women's roles haven't changed all that much over the years and she gains strength in her own life to stand on her own. 

I thought this would be a Gothic horror novel, and while there is a dark undertone to the atmosphere of the book, it was so much more than I expected. The well researched historical information blends seamlessly with the events of the present, all unfolding to create an amazing and fascinating story. This is the best historical fiction I've read this year!

I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

A wild adventure through the rugged Utah landscape, crazy clues and puzzles leading to the treasure of a lifetime, and a sizzling second chance for two soulmates. When the price at the pump makes it too expensive to travel (seriously, $4.99/gallon and climbing), this is an armchair adventure worth taking!

Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I love this author!

You know the romance type where the guy goes on vacation to the country,  falls in love with the laidback lifestyle (and the farm or business owner) and decides to leave his heartless,  workaholic city girlfriend? Well, that's literary agent Nora Stevens. She's cursed with men leaving her for the "better life". So when her little sister plans a trip for them to small town Sunshine Falls, complete with a trope- ish list for her to complete,  she takes a leave from her job. But in a strange twist of fate,  she runs into the last person she expected...Charlie Lastra. She's disliked him for years after a dinner meeting where he rejected her favorite client's book, but now they're forced to work together on editing that client's book. As time goes on,  she realizes she was completely wrong about him. 

While I liked this book better than [book:People We Meet on Vacation|54985743], it's not as good as my favorite of hers,  [book:Beach Read|52867387]. I'm still impressed by her writing though. Her characters have true depth, believable histories,  everyday complications... it just works. Charlie,  while seeming unapproachable and stern to everyone else,  turns out to be sweet and sensitive. I will always love books about books, bookstores, libraries,  etc so keep them coming!