Last Night by Luanne Rice

I didn't realize when I started this book that it was the second book about detective Conor Reid and his girlfriend Kate. At the beginning of the book he's debating how to propose on the beach during a snowstorm and it's not until later that parts of their history are revealed as a way to help comfort Hadley, the grieving sister in this book. I didn't feel like anything was missing though by jumping right into the second book. The chapters alternate perspectives between characters, even CeCe the missing child, as clues start to add up. It was a good mystery and I loved the setting of a Rhode Island beach hotel during a blizzard which added more difficulty and suspense to the case.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Bookshop by the Loch by Julie Shackman

This is a cozy, easy read, clean romance in the Scottish Escapes series. It can be read as a standalone. The fun setting of a beloved but rundown bookshop in the small town, the nosy small town neighbors, the combination of art and books... it all combined beautifully to make a great story. I love how the relationship progressed between Lexie and Tobias from resentment and suspicion to friendship to attraction. It's definitely a slow burn of miscommunication and missed opportunities with a sweet ending, kissing only. And through it all they support each other through family issues and drama. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden

Small towns across Italy are being abandoned for the coast or cities and, to boost population the homes are being offered for one euro to anyone in the world willing to stay for five years and remodel their new home. Kate and Tommy are full of optimism and excitement moving into their new home close to his only living relatives. But soon the strange sounds, whispers from the townspeople, and the fear on his Nonna's face when she learns what house they bought leave them full of dread. When they find out who owned the place before and what the secret annex behind a locked door was used for the may not make it out alive!

Christopher Golden has become a go to author for me when I want a truly creepy horror novel. Although not as great as The Road of Bones, I still enjoyed this book for the beautiful and unique setting in Italy, the haunted old house, and the terrifying catacombs. The story from the start gave me the shivers, but it wasn't until the last 30% or so that the true horror came out.  

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley

Marissa Mayer is a busy career woman working as the COO of a large corporation and running her secret app program on the side. She could use this as an excuse for why she hasn't met the right guy, but the truth is that she was broken and lost her trust after the boy next door abandoned her with no reason on prom night. She's running out of time to start a family so she decides to start IVF treatment with a donor. Much to her dismay, the doctor filling in for one of her crucial treatments is none other than her ex and there's no chance to postpone. After their awkward encounter and several other run ins at the clinic, John realizes he's still in love with her but he has a long way to go to earn her trust again, especially when unexpected circumstances connect them in a whole new way.

This was a great follow up to the first book in the series, Not in a Billion Years, and those characters play a big part in this book too. I love how strong, steady, and patient John is with Marissa even when she takes the hot/cold treatment to the extreme. How he is with his young daughter Nora is so sweet and she just stole the show in every scene she was in! I'm hoping the hint of Thomas and his super smart crush lads to a third book in the series?!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Random in Death by J.D. Robb

I've read and loved the first ten novels in this series and I was so excited to get an early copy of this book, not realizing how far the series has grown! This is book #58!! I'm so glad they're written in a way that can be read as standalones. There were some details and characters that I didn't recognize, but they didn't seem to affect the plot or my enjoyment of the story. This time Eve Dallas and her tech savvy husband Roarke are on the hunt for a killer that chooses his victims seemingly at random. They rely heavily on Roarke's skills as they sift through mountains of data to narrow in on a profile. As always, the connection between Eve and Roarke sizzles on the page in the small moments they find together during the action. Eve is such a smart and tough cop character, I just love her! 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The House on the Lake by Holly Hill Mangin

Eve wakes one morning in a strange house with no memory of how she got there. She vaguely remembers wanting to go on a retreat, but a house in the middle of a lake when she's terrified of water would never have been her choice. No one will give her answers, not the caretakers, the friendly and cute boatman Nick, or his mysterious brother Ari who everyone warns her away from but she's incredibly attracted to. She's encouraged to relax, reflect, release as she works through her fears and regrets and wanders around exploring the house. But things aren't exactly as they appear as rooms appear and disappear, doors lead her to unexpected places, and a ghost girl only appears to her. What is the purpose of this retreat, why did her twin also arrive here, and will she ever work up the courage to leave?

The creepy vibes throughout this book had me expecting a very different outcome. It's really best to go into the story blind to get the full experience. You'll have no idea what exactly is going on until the very end but the story and characters will stay with you long after you're done reading. I loved this a lot more than I thought I would!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Original Blood: Echoes of Shadows by Stuart Land

Zondra has always felt different, adopted as an orphan, seeing and feeling things others don't and being approached by curious strangers about her odd birthmark. Everything changes one day when she falls through the ice and dies only to reawaken in the hospital to a stranger by her bedside claiming to be her guardian. As visions of the past start to make things clear, they only create more questions that noone in her new life will answer. She now has powers that she never knew as she's dragged unwillingly farther into the vampire world. The connection she feels towards the vampire in her visions, her grandmother Gailene, gets ever stronger as she starts to feel like she's lost parts of herself. And always there is Jeremiah, who Zondra feels an unexplained pull toward and seems to be the key to everything.

The gorgeous cover of this book drew me in, but I was quickly fascinated and pulled into this story as parts of the past and present were woven together seamlessly. Just like for Zondra, each memory only leaves me with more questions and I'm left crushed by the fact that I have to wait for the next part of the story!! This is easily the best paranormal fantasy I've read in awhile! Five stars, I highly recommend!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan

This is a cute instalove kind of vacation romance where the attraction is intense but the sex is closed door. It has all the humor of a city girl out in nature, but Presley is such a sunny helpful personality that she fits right in. The accidental capture of the rare hot mountain man sighting in her Instagram post adds comedy as Beckett becomes an unwilling thirst trap draw for more lodge bookings and also teasing from everyone he knows in the small town. And at the end they both realize that sometimes you have to give up what you thought you wanted for the dream of something even better. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

There's just something about this cast of absolutely horrible characters that kept me riveted to find out what shocking thing would be revealed next. The story is told with alternating chapters between main characters Jules and Camden and letters by the dead heiress Ruby. I loved this author's previous twisty thrillers and I was so excited to get an early copy of this one. If you love thrillers with unreliable narrators set in creepy old houses, this book is perfect for you!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Guests by Margot Hunt

By the time Marlowe Davies and her husband Lee find out that Hurricane Celeste has been upgraded to a category 5 and is headed straight for their home on the Florida coast, it's too late to evacuate. Luckily their mansion has been built to survive and they hunker down with their two children. Just before the storm hits, a boat pulls up to their dock and they feel obligated to give these three strangers shelter. As the storm rages outside, tensions build inside and shocking truths are revealed. 

This is a locked room thriller where the storm takes on a threatening character of its own. The story had plenty of twists and thrills to keep me flipping pages until the end, but I thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Overall though it was a great book. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Last Stars in the Sky by Kate Hewitt

Alex and her husband Daniel are forced to move after losing their home in Connecticut and their oldest daughter is suspended from school. Needing a reset to fix their family, they move to the remote cabin in Ontario, Canada where Alex grew up. Being back in this cabin she hasn't visited in years brings back so many memories and she's convinced this is the best thing for them... until the unimaginable happens and they're left fighting to survive when the world falls apart. 

After the first about 20% of the book which was a little slow, the story really picked up. At first I didn't really like Alex and her whiny teenage daughter Mattie, but as they are forced to learn how to survive and protect their family I started to respect them a lot more. The story splits between Alex and the girls and Daniel on his journey to rescue their son, showing more of what's happening in the rest of the country. This book really makes you look at your own life and how prepared you would be for a disaster situation. I loved this book and I plan to look for more books by this author!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Midnight by Amy McCulloch

Olivia and her boyfriend Aaron are booked on a voyage to the Antarctic to experience the midnight sun.  Aaron is an art dealer and is planning a gallery auction onboard for a recently deceased artist, but the day they're ready to depart he leaves the ship to handle a work emergency and misses the departure. Olivia hasn't been on the water since a tragic boating accident in her teens,  so the absence of Aaron onboard coupled with her work burnout, PTSD,  and insomnia make her even more anxious and unstable.  So the strange incidents that start to happen she at first chalks up to coincidence or her mind playing tricks on her.  But she soon realizes there's a killer on board... and she his target!

This is an excellent locked room type thriller with a unique ship setting and the Antarctic location is described beautifully--cold and stark-- adding to the tension of the story.  There were so many twists and turns and the final one that I never saw coming. Although I enjoyed her previous book Breathless a bit more,  this was a really great book. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.