Off the Deep End by Lucinda Berry

Returning home from a basketball game one night with her son and a friend, Jules Hart hits a patch of ice and slides into the lake. Waking underwater in panic and fear, she grabs the hand reaching for hers and escapes to the surface, not realizing that it's not her son until it's too late. Jules descends into grief, not wanting to live without her son, and ends up in a psych hospital. Why does she keep insisting that she killed her son when it was a tragic accident? And why does the other boy, Isaac Greer, insist that he should have been the one to die? When Isaac disappears ten months later, everyone believes it's the serial killer called the Dog Snatcher that's been targeting adolescent boys. All the clues fit...but Isaac's mother Amber believes that Jules knows more about his disappearance than she's telling.

Told in alternating chapters between Jules' sessions with her therapist and Amber's reactions to the accident, her sons grief, and the investigation into his disappearance, I thought the storyline was interesting and unique. The pacing was good, not giving away too much at a time. And the ending was such a shock! 

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

The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

Jenna Halliday is a journalist attempting to create a true crime podcast in a rural town in South England. Twenty years ago, four young women returning from a night out crash on Devil's Crossing, a road rumored to be haunted. Three of these women disappeared, never to be seen again.  

From the start, this story had an ominous and eerie vibe to it, from the haunted road through deep forest to the field of standing stones, and the close-lipped and secretive townspeople. I liked the two separate storylines with no apparent connection until everything clicks together at the end. I read this book in one night, it was that good!

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

Wherever the Wind Takes Us by Kelly Harms

After 22 years of mostly unhappy marriage, Becca has had enough. She only stayed so long for the sake of their 21 year old daughter Liv. Her husband, Alistair Larkan, and his family firm defend the worst criminals and she's determined to live penniless rather than depend on his dirty money. The only thing she takes away from the divorce is his beloved sailboat Becky Ann.

When she stops in at the marina looking to sell she meets sexy, younger, and Irish Grant Murphy who convinces her to sell it herself and arrange transport to get the most money from the sale. Maine to Miami shouldn't be so hard right? Only problem...she can't sail. Liv agrees to help and they spend the first part of the journey terrified, seasick, and behind schedule. Liv calls Grant to take over and then ditches them, but the sailing for the rest of the trip is like night and day. He's a sailing instructor and makes everything they'd struggled with seem effortless, teaching her along the way to enjoy and fall in love with the sport... and him. But can she really drop everything for the impossible dreams he weaves for their future?

I love how Becca finds her true self out on the water, becoming a brave confident woman willing to take what she wants rather than settle for "crumbs". I hated how she kept justifying Liv's actions as being young, or a Larkan, or stuck between them in the divorce. Liv was a horrible, entitled, and selfish character that I couldn't stand and I was so glad she abandoned Becca with Grant.

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

Twenty- One Nights in Paris by Leonie Mack

Ren has been engaged to her childhood friend Charlie for awhile before he suddenly broke it off for another woman. A merger between their two companies had been planned after the wedding, so Charlie says he'll keep their split quiet for six months, but his jealous girlfriend leaks the news early. Ren was at the Ritz in Paris when the news hit and she's determined to take a break away from the fallout. Sacha literally ran into her when she needed him most. She offers him money to play her inappropriate boyfriend to shock her overbearing grandmother into giving her a few weeks away from the drama. Suddenly the romance of Paris makes their fake relationship feel all to real.

I've never been to Paris, but the descriptions of the city were wonderful and made me feel like I was experiencing it along with Ren. Sacha made such a sexy, confident, and informative tour guide. He's patient with her sheltered and naive approach to everything. She's an heiress, but I like that she didn't look down on him growing up in the poor district and fit in with his family better than her own. This was a cute story that gives you the spirit of Christmas and the sparkle of Paris.

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

Midnight Crown by Rebecca L. Garcia

In order to save Sebastian from a death sentence at the end of Shadow Kissed, she announced her intention to marry him and then take her place as princess by becoming one of the very monsters she hates. Now, in this sequel, it's three days before the wedding, the people dislike and mistrust her, her uncle is still plotting to kill her, and Sebastian refuses to speak to her. She's worried that he hates her for taking his last hope of regaining his mortal life. But a shocking twist happens after she's reborn that changes everything. 

After the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I devoured this book in one day. I love that the book is told from three points of view as it gives more depth to the story. Influenced by the evil scheming of their enemies, Olivia and Sebastian's characters have each taken a darker more violent turn. It will be interesting to see how the third character impacts things in the next book. I think he's supposed to be a devious evil character, but I kind of like him! I can't believe this author dropped a huge cliffhanger again!! It's killing me lol!

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

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

This book is a continuation of the story of Lucy Barton, but it can be read as a standalone. Lucy's first husband William is a scientist and has been closely following the spread of the Covid pandemic in Europe. When it starts in America, he takes Lucy out of New York to a cabin in a small town on the coast of Maine. They also urge their two grown daughters to leave, but only one does. Lucy spends her isolation reflecting on her pre-pandemic life in New York, her relationships with her parents, her concern for her family, and her grief over her second husband's death. Spending this much time with her ex brings back the odd irritations of the past, but also the comfort of the familiar. This story brings a comforting yet refreshing voice to familiar feelings that most of America shared during the lockdown.

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

The Kiss Curse by Erin Sterling

Gwyn has disliked Llewellyn "Wells" Penhallow since their days at magic school together, and now that dislike has turned to utter loathing when he couldn't even be bothered to come to her cousin Vivi's wedding to his brother. But now, he's coming to Graves Glen to stay, mocking everything important to her: her beloved shop, Something Wicked, her talking cat Purrcival, even the"baby witches" she's been mentoring. And it's the last straw when he opens a rival shop across the street and a magical item somehow ends up in the hands of a human. The confrontation is epic, only ending when they accidentally get hit by a love spell... and suddenly can't keep their hands off each other. Gwyn has been left in charge of the town's magic while Vivi is away on honeymoon, but when a powerful band of witches come to town for the festival and Gwyn mysteriously starts to lose her magic, she and Wells must work together to figure out why before it's too late. I think I liked this book even better than the first. Gwyn is so quirky and fun and her shop sounds like a place I'd love to go to hang out. Wells is seemingly stuffy and uptight, but that just masks the awkward and shy character underneath. Their personalities just clicked and I loved the teasing banter between them. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next! I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.