Katiebella_Reads

perfect book that you can listen to around your kids guilt free.

Revisado: 09-25-24

4⭐️

Stella has found her other half. She couldn't be happier. Everything is perfect..... until their honeymoon.
On the first day, Austin leaves his credit card at a restaurant. He goes back to get it and never returns.
With the help of his parents and hers, they embark on a quest to find him.

My Thoughts

Wow. I have always loved how Boland writes a twist, but this one threw me for a loop. It was so beyond my expectations that as soon as I finished this book, I had to restart it. Looking to see if I missed something. I was so sure the author had messed up somehow. She had to have changed the ending in the last hours and forgotten what she had already written. I was wrong. So wrong. This was written amazingly, with every word perfectly placed and stated.

This story is told through Stella's POV, both past and present. Then and now. The then tells the story of their engagement and the days leading up to the wedding. The signs that were missed by both Stella and the reader. Now is after Austin is missing, and the investigation that ensues.

I did this as an audiobook. I loved the narrator, Clare Corbett. She perfectly captured the voice and emotion of the characters she portrays. I've always loved her as a narrator and was happy that she was the voice of this tale. She brought an excellent addition to the novel.

All the players of this tale are easy to like and emphasize with. I wanted to hug Stella and help her find her husband. I felt the guilt of her parents, as they tried to be there for their daughter even though they never approved of Austin. I sympathize with Austin's parents, who were just worried about their son and hoping for him to be found alive.

Brilliantly well done. I loved every decibel. ♥️

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short but good

Revisado: 04-19-24

Jackrabbit Skin
By: Ivy Pochoda
44 pages
4⭐️

"The desert always wins. "

Small town mentally tries to push Swan out when she moves to desert. Only a local, Kurt, tells her the truth. Bit by bit while she tattoos his story onto him.

My Thoughts

The desert is brought to life in this short, easy read thriller. The author did a brilliant job of not just capturing the environment but also the closed community. Their aversion to outsiders.

Swan, our FMC, isn't really captured, unfortunately. Though the story is told through her eyes, it very much isn't her story. We don't learn a lot about her making her hard to like or understand.

I enjoyed the read as much as I could. I wish it had been longer and more drawn out.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

not for me

Revisado: 04-16-24

2.75⭐️

Frankie has had a tough life. That is until the old man she takes care of dies, leaving her a treasure map. Treasure that will change Frankie's life.

My Thoughts

Omg the way this author describes a fart! 😂 well done. Had me laughing out loud 🤣

That ends where I enjoyed the book. I had a hard time with this read. I couldn't relate to the characters. I couldn't quite get into the story. It all felt over the top but not in a good way.

Frankie has a criminal record. She keeps running into people on drugs. ( author over description of heroin use was a real turn-off )
There was nothing redeeming about her. I just couldn't like or care about any of the characters.

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short but good

Revisado: 04-15-24

3.75⭐️

Lauren and Kelsey are about to have a baby. They have just bought their dream house. Everything is perfect. Everything except their new neighbor.

My Thoughts

This was my first read by the author. In fact, it was the first time I heard from her. That is one of the reasons I love Amazon short reads. They introduced me to so many new amazing authors. This was no exception.

This is Lauren's dream home. She pushed to be there. Now, she is quickly spiraling into decension and suspicion. She started looking into the old homeowner. She becomes paranoid about her neighbor Hank. She believes she is being watched. She is laughable yet relatable. We have all been there. Believing the supernatural, making connections that no one else sees. She is well written. Likable yet irritating 😒

The twist isn't what I was expecting. I thought I had it all figured out. I was wrong, and it was so worth my time reading!!

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perfect listen in every way

Revisado: 04-13-24

5⭐️ writing
5⭐️ audible narration

When a call comes through the suicide hot line, Felicia's whole world is turned upside down.

My Thoughts

This was probably one of the hardest books I've ever listened to. I'm convinced it would have been easier to read. Hearing a young teen describing her rape and the aftermath was harrowing. My own daughters are close to the same age. One has already gone through sexual harassment. This really brought home how hard it is to protect our children and how little they truly tell us.

This is an emotional listen. I couldn't hold back the tears when the child's mother described the pain her daughter had gone through. The raw emotions of the father, a mix of unbearable hurt and justifiable anger. Berry can write. She brings the characters to such reality that you can't help being pulled into their feelings, the good and the bad. She captured personality to perfection.

What I took away from this tale is how little we really know what is going on in our kids' lives and minds. They tell us so little of what is going on outside the home. What happens to them at school, with their friends, the trouble they get involved in. Being a parent is scary, and Barry brings that front and center.

Kids can be vicious. Even our own that we think aren't capable. Felicia spent the whole book trying to ascertain if her own son had been involved in the rape. She starts scrutinizing his whole demeanor with new eyes, trying to determine if the caring child she knew could be the monster behind an attack.

This book is brilliant and stunning. It's excellent. It's emotional and riveting. I loved it even when it had me in tears or holding my breath. I will hug my girls a little tighter tonight.

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decent not great

Revisado: 04-05-24

This is a short book. Less than 50 pages. About an hour in audio. The first few pages are past leading up to why she has come to the restaurant to say goodbye. She caught her boyfriend cheating on her. He kicked her out of the house. She is lonely and depressed. Her dad was her everything. Her boyfriend had kept her going. It's a lot of background and character building for such a short story, but it worked amazingly.

The twist is incredible but far-fetched. It was mildly predictable. It's worth the read because it's short, but if it had been stretched out with the same ending, I probably would have passed.

Well written, quick read. A good jump start when you're in a slump.

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When House swapping goes wrong

Revisado: 03-19-24

4⭐️

When house swapping goes wrong

Beth really needs a vacation. As a sahm, she is constantly on the go. Her husband seems to be drifting away. They need to reconnect. Switching homes with a family in Italy seems like the perfect getaway.

Amber has arranged to leave warm Italy for cold England to spend spring break. Somthing is up with her. Why did she exchange the warmth for the cold? Why did she leave her beautiful upper-class home for this cottage? Why does it seem like she purposely tried to sabotage the vacation of the family they swapped with?

My Thoughts

Niel is a jerk of a man. Beth has to spend her entire "holiday " taking care of the kids and placating him. He his self centered and egotistical. The man we love to hate. We all know the type. The guy who sees his family as his possessions, an extension of himself.

Beth is sweet and caring and just wants to bring her family closer together. A woman that I could see myself being friends with. A family woman who put her career on hold to be a wife and mom, yet is starting to long to be the chief she always dreamed of being.

All the characters are well written. You can feel them. Not just their emotions but also their unique personalities.

This book is an onion with layers being constantly peeled away. Revealing more and more of its core through each new revelation. Every new disclosure disclosed more about who the characters were and their motives behind their actions. Each divulgence left me reeling.

The way she writes grips from page one and leaves you with a feeling like you never want to read another book not written by her. It always takes me a few days after one of her books to pick up another because I'm left with this feeling that nothing could be as good.

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intriguing confusion. loved it

Revisado: 03-15-24

4.25⭐️

Fiona is just trying to get by. A bully for a husband and the weight of the world on her shoulders has her down. Now, it seems like someone is out to get her. Someone caused an audit to happen at her business. An audit that could ruin everything.

Sophie has shown up on Kelly's doorstep, needing help from an abusive relationship. They don't know each other. Kelly's boys Ryan and Sonny are curious. As a single mom, Kelly should have been more suspicious.

Tia loves her life. Great kid, great family. She is truly happy until someone starts sending her pictures. Photos that could destroy her life. Photos that would definitely destroy her marriage. Photos of something that she can't remember doing. To top it off, someone at school has told her daughter that she is a murderer! How much can she not remember?

My Thoughts

Wow.... what a confusing, intriguing rollercoaster of a thriller! I was on edge the entire time trying to figure out what in the world was going on and how it was all related.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant 👏

I loved the characters. Fiona, Tia, and Kelly have been best friends their while lives. They know everything about each other. So when bad things start happening to them, they each assume one of the friends is the only person with enough life details to orchestrate it. The way they became suspicious yet clung to each other was incredibly well done.

Kelly was my least favorite FMC. She was incredibly trusting and naive. So much so that she puts herself and her children in trouble. Even when it all comes crashing down, she still can't understand how her actions were responsible. Considering she is a single mom, I spent half her dialog shaking my head.

The book is told through 4 separate timelines. Each of the woman have their own POV plus a past dialog that I never quite did figure out who it belonged to. Very confusing. Pay close attention to who is speaking because they all have ALOT happening to them!

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grabs you in

Revisado: 03-02-24

3.9 ⭐️

Nina thinks her and her boyfriend have bought the perfect flat, with the perfect neighbors as built-in friends. But as things start to go wrong and her life starts to pull apart, she can't help but wonder. Was this really the perfect home for them.

My Thoughts

I love this style of book. It's perfect for when you don't actually have the time to get stuck in but still want a good read/listen. It's perfect for work, where I keep having to put it aside to deal with customers. It's perfect to listen to while driving even if you tend to get slightly distracted because you're paying attention to the road. It's just a good book.

Nina is such an adorable FMC. She is so sweet and confused and kind. So many little things are going wrong, but they all seem to have big consequences. She runs around trying to put the peices together but never quite being able to make them fit together.

The suspense is spot on. I could feel the anxiety in my blood. Even knowing that the big twist has been revealed and everything will be "fine", I'm also a fan and knew beyond a doubt there was going to be one last turn that I wouldn't see until it was to late.

What I like best about Boland is that everything is so in the realm of ordinary possibilities that I can become alarming. She never crosses into the unbelievable. It's easy to enjoy her books because it could happen to any of us.

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How much can you really trust the people you employ to take care of your children? How much background checking is enough?

Revisado: 02-26-24

My Thoughts

This is my 4th Shalini Boland book this month. With the exception of The School Reunion, they have all been audio books. Boland is the perfect author for an audio listen for two reasons. 1) Her books are fast-paced and engaging but also have a habit of repeating facts that have been presented already. This makes it easy to miss a few pages while listening but still be able to get the entirety of the plot and storyline. 2) she uses the same narrator for her books. Katie Villa has such a feel for the authors writing style that she is able to portray the characters perfectly as if she were them. She brings emotions and realism to the forefront, giving them each a life of their own.

I love how Boland uses situations that we can all relate to and gives them a dark twist. She brings the worst fears of womanhood to the brink of insanity without actually making the woman insane. They just seem it to everyone else. She does female character justice. They seem overprotective and overbearing when really they are the ones seeing things clearly. Women's intuition always plays a big role in all her writing, and I love that.

Gemma may not be the perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect daughter in law, but she is feirce and determined. Just wanting what is best for her family. She goes about everything she does and every choice she makes with eyes wide open. She looks at signs with an open mind and isn't afraid to say when she is wrong yet doesn't back down when she feels like she is right. She is the woman/mother I wish I was friends with. The quintessential FMC.

The story plays out over months yet still maintains the feel of a fast-paced thriller. The drama is heart rendering, breathholding, and anxiety riddled. I couldn't stop listening even though this was a reread/listen for me. Whether this is your first go through or your third, the book holds you in its grip. Nothing is predictable. It's not what you think.

Perfect for a stormy day to curl up with, coffee in hand. I definitely recommend it!

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