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4.20.2020

Recent Reads - March/April Book Review

Happy Monday loves! Hope you guys had a good weekend. Ours have been pretty repetitive lately but yesterday since the weather was nice in the morning we did venture out to a local park! There were a decent amount of people out and about but the paths were big enough that we were able to stay distant. It always just feels good to get in the car to go somewhere honestly!

Today, I wanted to share with you a few of my recent reads from March/early April. There definitely were some very good ones (one huge standout) but there was also a definite dud for me. I feel like it's been a while since I've had a book that I struggle to finish! I guess that's a good problem to have. Anyway, jumping right in to the reviews:

Amazon.com: The Haunting of Maddy Clare (9780451235688): St. James ...

1.) The Haunting of Maddy Claire by Simone St. James: This was such a random find on Amazon. It was recommended after I read The Witch of Willow Hall (one of my all-time favorites, review linked here). While I will say right off the bat it wasn't as good as Witch of Willow Hall, it was a really great story. It takes place post-World War I and follows Sarah Piper, a temp whose next assignment is assistant to the somewhat eccentric veteran and ghost hunter, Alistair Gellis. Their next assignment takes them to a small town haunted by the ghost of young Maddy Claire. Sarah quickly becomes swept up in the mystery of Maddy Claire's death and begins to fall for Alistair's war friend, Matthew Ryder, in the process. I definitely LOVED the romance aspect of the book but I wasn't overly excited by the supernatural aspects. Still totally worth the read! Overall rating: 4/5

Amazon.com: Whisper Network: A Novel (9781250319470): Baker ...
2.) The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker: This book was one I scooped up on a whim at the library. I hadn't really heard much about it but I saw it was part of Reese Witherspoon's book club and generally I like most of her picks! It tells the story of 4 high-powered attorneys at a big corporate law firm. The main premise is that their boss is a total misogynistic jerk. There is murder/deception/power struggle which seems like the recipe for a really good book. Ok guys...I really didn't enjoy this book haha. I can't totally explain why--I just didn't connect with any of the characters, I felt like the stories didn't weave together very well and I just didn't find it that interesting. I was chatting with one of my best friends who also read it and she felt the same so I know it's not just me! Wouldn't really recommend. Overall rating: 3/5. 

An Anonymous Girl: A Novel: Hendricks, Greer, Pekkanen, Sarah ...
3.) An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen: What a wild ride this one was! Jessica Farris is somewhat struggling to make ends meet as a freelance make-up artist in NYC. When one of her clients tells her about a psych study she decides to enter not really knowing what to expect aside from there would be a paycheck after every session. She quickly bonds with Dr. Shields, the mysterious therapist with an ulterior motive. Jessica becomes entangled in Dr. Shields' creepy and dangerous game which leaves her questioning if she can trust anyone's motives, even her own. Y'all when I started this book, I really had no idea where the story was going to go and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really like the way it was written! I can definitely see this one being made into a movie or even a limited series. So good! Overall rating 4.5/5

Amazon.com: The Family Upstairs: A Novel (9781501190100): Jewell ...
4.) The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell: I had super high expectations for this one after reading "Then She Was Gone" about a year ago. Well let's just say she definitely surprised me with this one but did not at all disappoint. I expected it to be a thriller but it was definitely more a story about a severely dysfunctional family that fell under the influence of a con artist which resulted in tragedy. There were so many twists and turns literally until the very last page and I don't want to give anything away! It's so beautifully written and it's a story that definitely will stick with me. I highly recommend everyone give this one a read!! Overall rating: 5/5

4 comments :

  1. I have not done nearly as much reading as I thought I would have in the last 30+ days and it makes me so sad! I loved the anonymous girl and really loved it! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  2. I've been looking for some book suggestions. I am so sad that our library is closed but I am thankful to have access to their e-books and audio books. But now all the ones that were on my reading list have a waiting list...lol

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  3. Definitely adding An Anonymous Girl to my list! I need to make it a point to read more while we have the extra downtime <3

    Green Fashionista

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  4. Okay, definitely putting The Family Upstairs on the list, STAT!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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