Only Ever Her by MaryBeth Mayhew Whalen

Cover Image from Amazon 

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Title: Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Received: Audible (free with Kindle Unlimited subscription)
Rating: 💖💖💖

This is the first book I've read by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, but I've had When We Were Worthy on my TBR list for some time now.  I picked up Only Ever Her after seeing it appear on several lists for best books to read this summer. While I intended to read this on my Kindle, the Audible version was free with the KU download, so I ended up listening to this on Audible. I thought the narration of the audio version was great! I'm very picky about narrators. The narration can make or break an audiobook for me. This audio version did not disappoint.

There are two mysteries in this book. One is the mystery of who killed Annie's mother, Lydia, twenty years ago in the small-town where Annie still lives. When Annie goes missing four days before her wedding, a second mystery unfolds. To top it off, the man that Annie wrongly identified as her mother's killer was just released from jail after twenty years when Annie recants her testimony.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the short, quick chapters, and the audiobook kept me engaged. I enjoyed the pacing, the characterization, and the setting. Being from a small-town myself, I felt like the small town setting/life was portrayed perfectly. What I didn't love was the actual resolution to the mysteries that the book are centered around. I honestly felt let down by the ending. I think I was waiting on a big twist or surprise, and I think the author tried to do that with the revelation of who killed Lydia. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I will just say I wasn't impressed by the revelation because I had no emotional connection to the killer. As far as the mystery concerning Annie, I thought the ending was very anti-climatic.

The writing was great, but this book just fell a little flat for me. I gave it a 3 out of 5 rating though, because it held my attention until the end (which is a huge WIN). I think I went into this thinking it was a suspense/thriller novel, but the ending fell flat for me. I still want to read When We Were Worthy and will eventually get to it.

Happy Reading!

I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton

Cover Image from Penguin UK

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Title: I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton

Received: Purchased (secondhand bookstore)

Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Summary from Penguin UK: 

He promised to kill her. One night four years ago, Leah Carson's husband almost succeeded. Phillip stabbed her twenty-three times before fleeing. The police are sure he's dead. But fear won't let Leah believe it.

It starts with little things. Missing keys. A flat tire. Mysterious flowers. All easily explained away if the pattern wasn't so terrifyingly familiar. Leah has a new veterinary practice and a new life with no ties to her nightmare. But Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan suspects something. And when another woman's body is found, stabbed twenty-three times, Leah knows her past has found her.

As Leah and Alex untangle the horrifying truth, he watches her, ready for the perfect moment. Until death--that was the vow they made. And a killer always keeps his word . . .

This is the first book that I've read by Mary Burton. I really enjoyed it and thought the pacing was fantastic. I was compelled to keep turning the pages and thought it worked well as a thriller. What kept it from being a five star rating for me was the romance in the story. Or maybe what I think of as the lack of romance. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the story just as much without the romantic component. I just didn't buy the romance between Leah and Alex. Not that it was a "bad" romance, but I just felt like there wasn't much romantic development between the two.  They went on one short, unsuccessful date, then the rest of their "relationship" really revolved around the case. It just didn't work for me, but it didn't subtract from the storyline. It was just unnecessary. The story was strong enough as a thriller, and I didn't see the ending coming, which is the best kind! I look forward to reading more by Mary Burton. 

Click the Image below to check out this book on Amazon: 

Happy Reading!! 

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

(Cover Image from HarperCollins)

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Title: Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

Received: Hoopla from Library (Audiobook)

Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Summary from Amazon: 

Your father is a liar. But is he a killer? 

Even liars tell the truth . . . sometimes.

Twenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she’s never been able to banish these ghosts. When she’s called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn’t get out much, has been found strangled.

Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice’s husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat—her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn’t telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?

Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds. . . .

Ok, I have lots of to say about this book. First off, here are the things I enjoyed: 

1. I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job. I sometimes struggle to stay engaged when the narrator has a British accent. I don't know why, but often British narrators make me relax and fall asleep. I think it is because their voices are so melodious. So, with that being said, I'm sometimes hesitant to try a audiobook with a British narrator, but this narrator kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. 

2. This audiobook was approx. 11 hours. I finished it. Given my short attention span, that tells you it was an engaging read. 

3. One of my catnips is books set in Ireland. Parts of this book take place there, and I loved that about it. 

4. I read that this is the author's debut novel...wow. Just wow. Excellent debut and immense talent. 

Ok, so really my only "complaint" with this book is that I felt like it went on a little too long at the end. Once the mystery was solved, I felt like the pace slowed, and the book dwindled off, as opposed to keeping the same pace throughout. I found myself saying, "Ok, let's wrap this up." Otherwise, I thought this was a well done, well written book. I would highly recommend it. It didn't make my keeper shelf, just because I don't think I would read it again because of length (and that I know how the mystery is solved). The ending is satisfying and wraps up nicely, which I appreciate. 

Click the image below to check out the book on Amazon. Happy reading!

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

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Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Released:  2017
Received: Audible-My Own Purchase
Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Summary (from author's website): 

Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom. Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

Things I Loved: 

1. The sample on Audible is amazing. I literally held my breath listening to it.  It made me click "buy" in about 5 seconds. 

2. The Audible narrator, Emily Sutton-Smith, did an excellent job. 

3. The pacing was fast and had me sitting in the car to listen long after I had pulled in the driveway.  Here lately I just can't seem to push past "slow burn" books. I need a book that jumps into the action fast, and this book does that immediately. 

4. The heroine, Gwen, is a strong, capable women who will do ANYTHING to protect her children.  

5. There is enough of a creepy factor to be suspenseful, but it is was not enough to keep me up at night (for me, this is a "love"- for you, it may be in the "didn't love" category!)

Things I Didn't Love: 

1. I figured out the "twist" before it happened, but I still enjoyed how the story played out.  

Take or Leave it Points:

1. Be warned-- this book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, although there is a satisfying ending.  The cliffhanger leads into the next book in the series.  

2. If you like series, great! There is already a second book in the series out and one more on the way. 

Check out Stillhouse Lake HERE