nzlisam's reviews
1098 reviews

4.5.

Josiah and Yasmen Wade were so much in love they thought nothing could ever break their bond. They were wrong!

Because when two separate heartbreaking tragedies struck their family, instead of being able to lean on each other, they were unable to find their way back to one another. It has been a year since their divorce when the novel opens, and both Josiah and Yasmen have made peace with the demise of their relationship, a necessity since they are parents to two children, Deja (13) and Kassim (10) and a dog, Otis, and co-owners of a restaurant, Grits.

But there are still moments between them – sparks of hope. Can Josiah and Yasmen rediscover and rekindle the love they once shared?

Beautifully and poetically written with gorgeous prose, Before I Let Go contained deep themes centred around loss and grief, therapy, forgiveness and healing. Keep those tissues handy because you’re going to need them. A unique second-chance romance involving a divorced couple overcoming pain and relationship mistakes and reconnecting. It was a slow-burn, eventual open-door relationship, and Josiah and Yasmen’s physical attraction was hot and steamy in and out of the bedroom. And their emotional connection was off the charts as well. Other romantic tropes were, destined to be together and forced proximity/sharing a hotel room.

I adored Yasmen’s friends – Hendrix and Soledad – and the sisterly friendship they shared. The author excelled at writing moody teenagers as well. Kids too, I loved Kassim’s sweet, sensitive maturity. And there was also a gorgeous dog. I enjoyed the setting of Skyland – an affluent, trendy, quaint neighbourhood in Atlanta, Georgia. Every character in this book stood out to me. I loved the community spirit, events, small town traditions, and holiday celebrations – Screen on the Green at the park, Food trucks in the square, Thanksgiving dinner at the Grants, and the annual New Years Eve party at Grits. And there were so many descriptions of delicious food – there is even some recipes at the back of the book – yum!

Before I Let Go was the start of a series, and since this book was released in 2022, the second instalment, This Could Be Us, is already out. Yippee! I’ve set my tbr for this month (and so far I’ve been sticking to it) but will definitely add it for February. I’ve perused the book blurb, and it sounds amazing. If you haven’t already, add this contemporary romance series to your bookshelf. You won’t regret it!

This surrogacy was not The Perfect Plan!

And this was not a spoiler, it was abundantly clear in the first few pages. So, we have Fabiola, who is married with three children, and her best friend Liz who is unable to conceive due to medical issues. Liz is married to Peter, Fabiola’s oldest friend since middle school. Fabiola’s more-than-twenty-year infatuation and codependency over Peter is all kinds of icky and wrong, made even worse by the fact that Fabiola’s married to someone else, and her friendship with Liz. It was the ultimate betrayal! No one involved was doing this for the right reasons. Anyway, because Fabiola thinks motherhood is the ultimate, since she enjoyed being pregnant with her own kids, and because she would do anything for Peter, and way down the list of reasons, because she wants to give the gift of a child to her friend Liz, Fabiola offers to be their surrogate. As you can imagine, it’s a train wreck. Red flags all over the place.

This one was fairly predictable, especially if you happened to read the book blurb, which fortunately I didn’t until after I’d finished reading, so please avoid it if you can as it gave so much away. Having said this, there were still some surprising twists that I didn’t foresee. Predictable or not I excitedly anticipated where this was going, was never bored, and was always eager to pick up where I left off. This author is known for writing novels that deal with real-life, relatable social issues, and The Perfect Plan was no exception, there were some heavy and emotional moments. However, I did find this one tended towards family and friendship drama/soap opera, more so than her previous books, and I was 100% here for the deception. Fabiola’s life unraveled fast.

I was in two minds regarding Fabiola. At times she came across as naïve, selfish and self-centred, and her obsession with Peter was very unhealthy. But she was a good mother, she was juggling a lot, she was surrounded by people whose love and supportiveness was inconsistent or withheld, and she was just trying to do the best she could. This one was narrated solely by Fabiola, which again was different to Caitlin Weaver’s other two books which utilised multiple POV’s. I was completely invested in Fabiola’s storyline and predicament, so much so that when Part Two flashed across my screen I was momentarily worried that we were going to shift to another character’s perspective and I didn’t want that, so was relieved when it didn’t. I loved that this one was set in New York, rather than the suburbs – as it offered up a different take on lifestyle, work/home balance, and parenting in the city.

The Perfect Plan was my third read by Caitlin Weaver in the past six months, and I’ve rated them all 4.5 ⭐️. I admire how fast she writes and releases these books – no complaints from me. Caitlin Weaver is now an auto- read/acquire/buy author for me.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Caitlin Weaver for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 15 January 2025.

Rounded Up to 3.5.

Before I proceed, I need to warn you that this review contains major spoilers for the first book in the series, Close to Home, so if you plan to read that one stop reading now! I’m not using spoiler tags since there are no spoilers (teasers only) for this book.

In Making a Killing the seventh instalment of the series, six years has passed since #6 Hope to Die. Which I’ve just realised means that the events of books 1-6 took place over a mere two years. Yikes! No wonder Adam and co. are so traumatised.

Just like the summer of 2016 when eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared, the summer of 2024 is a scorcher! Love those parallels.

Deep in the woods of Hescombe a woman walking her dog stumbles upon a grisly discovery. A shallow grave containing the body of a woman – estimated time of death, a few weeks ago. Stuck to the duct tape binding the body is a single hair, soon identified as belonging to Daisy Mason.

But Daisy’s case was closed eight years ago. DI Adam Fawley was the SIO. Yes, Daisy’s body was never found, but the person responsible was convicted based on strong forensic evidence and is currently serving a life sentence. Did they get it wrong?

Could Daisy Mason (who would be sixteen years old now) still be alive?

For those who are worried that they have little recall of the events of Close to Home, because like me they read that one years ago, never fear, you will be able to follow this one just fine. Adam Fawley (now a DCI), and his core team, are some of my favourite characters, and it was great to see them return. And I loved Adam’s six-year-old daughter Lily (who was only a baby in the last book), and their father/daughter relationship. So sweet! The notion of ‘The Shadow Self’, first conceived by psychologist Carl Jung, popularised in recent years by Keila Shaheen’s bestselling self-help book, The Shadow Work Journal, was an effective way of offering a voyeuristic POV of a certain character. I enjoyed the tie-in to Cara Hunter’s standalone novel, Murder in the Family, and the Infamous Netflix series from that book. The title of this one was also genius.

Unfortunately, the novel was a super slow burn, and the crime plot failed to hook me and hold my attention. It took me ages to get into the swing of the investigation, and the pace never really picked up – in fact the second half dragged more than the first. I never resorted to skim reading, but I did keep glancing down at the percentage willing the plot to move faster. Because of this I had a lot of time to think about the mystery and had nearly every twist worked out prior to its reveal. And, with the exception of one that really got me, the remainder I didn’t guess were average. If I’m being honest, I was never sold on the idea of a continuation of the Daisy Mason case, and was surprised to learn that it was something readers were asking for, as I was more than satisfied with the conclusion of Close to Home.

There were CID detectives assigned to the cases in this novel coming out of the woodwork. I counted fifteen, and I think I may have missed some. I know we were dealing with two police teams, hence the influx of characters, and they were all interesting and well fleshed-out, but it was still a lot. There was a handy character summary included by the author at the start, which I appreciated, but it didn’t include the Gloucester characters which would’ve been helpful. I kept losing my concentration trying to nail down which pair of investigators were in each scene. Not to mention that there were plenty of other characters – victims, witnesses, suspects – centred around the crimes to keep track of as well.

I love Cara Hunter, will continue to read this author, and the other six books in the Adam Fawley series were all five-star reads for me, but this instalment wasn’t my favourite. It should also be noted that most of the early reviews for Making a Killing are 5-stars, meaning my opinion is very much in the minority.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, and Cara Hunter for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 27th February 2025.

P.S. I may have squealed when Cara Hunter mentioned The Scold’s Bridle by Minette Walters. I predict an upcoming reread.

Other People’s Houses was Unputdownable!

DC Ffion Morgan – Tourist season is in full swing in Cwm Coed when the body of a real estate agent – in town for a team-building weekend – is found floating in a kayak. Was her death the result of an accidental drowning? Or murder?

DS Leo Brady – Meanwhile, over the border in Cheshire Leo is dealing with a spate of burglaries in an upscale street known as The Hill.

Once again, Ffion and Leo both have their work cut out for them.

And what is the connection to the ten-year-old case of a married couple murdered in their own home? Presently the subject of a successful podcast #WithoutConviction, currently on its fourth season.

Just like the two previous books in this addictive series, I have no hesitation rating Other People’s Houses five stars. What a book! The mystery plot was multi-layered and as much as I tried to puzzle everything out, I was unsuccessful. There was a gasp-out loud-on-my-part twist three quarters of the way through that turned everything on its head, and the final reveal and the resulting fallout was pulse-pounding, action-packed, fast-paced and emotional. This instalment took place over a week, Sunday to Sunday, with some flashback reveals toward the end, and an epilogue/wrap-up of the remaining cliffhangers set a week later.

As you would expect, Ffion and Leo were the main narrators, and I relished spending more time in both their heads. Such great characters with amazing chemistry. Leo‘s snobby and manipulative ex-wife Allie (mother to his seven-year-old son Harris) was the third frequent narrator, with a connection to The Hill. Well, at least she was trying to form a connection, desperately and unsuccessfully inserting herself into the lives of the elite and sophisticated women of The Hill to elevate her social status. A unique way to give readers the inside track regarding the behaviour and secrets of The Hill families. Then there were the social media posts with fans of the podcast #WithoutConviction speculating on the cold case – a scandalous and welcome addition. My third favourite character, George, returned, along with a massive revelation from her past. Dave (Ffion’s dog) also featured prominently and was even given his own story arc.

In regards, to the crime/mystery plot, Other People’s Housescould be read as a standalone but given the abundance of recurring characters and their backstories if I were you, I would start at the beginning with The Last Party. Besides, Ffion and Leo’s meet cute, and slow-burn relationship is a must read. I’m crossing my fingers Clare Mackintoshintends to continue this series. There was nothing in the acknowledgements to indicate that this was the last book. And given that there were some things hinted at that weren’t addressed in this instalment, and because it ended on a tantalising note, I’m hoping there’s still more to come.

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Little Brown Book Group UK, and Clare Mackintosh for the e-ARC.

Release Date: 27th February 2025.

An Incredible Premise! That’s all folks!

Three sixteen-year-old boys drown in the rough surf on a treacherous stretch of an Australian beach. The only witness, one of their teachers, chooses not to risk her own life to save them, and instead stands helplessly by.

I went into Three Boys Gone expecting an emotional exploration of a school community torn apart by the moral implications of a senseless tragedy, and a main character struggling with her actions. What I received instead was a terribly written, cheap, cheesy thriller, full of plot holes, with a laughable ending. I still cannot believe how bad it was!

Initially I admired the vague and erratic writing throughout the first handful of chapters attributing the time jumps to the frantic numbness and trauma of the situation but in hindsight and given the low quality of the writing going forward I think I’m giving the author way too much credit. Weather was utilised well adding to the confusion and tension as well as the reliability of recall by characters involved. I also liked that the identity of the three boys was concealed until the 11% mark. 

And thus ends my only positives. The behaviour of every character was absurd – the teachers, students, parents, school, police procedures and search and rescue – everything! The thriller ending came out of nowhere, made no sense, and I was left with so many unanswered questions. The book ended abruptly too. Although by this point, I was grateful for small mercies. The writing was juvenile – I have never heard a female refer to going to the bathroom as “needing to take a piss”, and this occurred on two occasions. So gross! And it was repetitive – I cannot count the number of times the phase “three boys missing/dead” or a variation of it was mentioned. Yeah, I get it, you don’t need to ram it home. And don’t get me started on all the blatant sexism toward women and discrimination against a lesbian couple. I was appalled by all the hatred, hate speak, and misogynist men. It just didn’t make sense given that this was set in 2024.

The early reviews for this have been very positive, which is why I purchased this book in the first place. I’m sorry I wasted my money.

Having enjoyed this author’s two previous YA romances I was eager to pick up her first adult novel in the same genre.

Why I loved The Wedding Forecast:

🩷It was fun, cute, light, and flirty, but also contained some tough, real, relatable issues and deep meaningful thoughts and conversations.

🧡It was hilariously funny. There were so many laugh out loud moments.

🩷There were two potential love interests – Mack (an actor as well as the groom’s oldest friend) and Patrick (the wedding photographer) and there was a lot of ambiguity regarding which man Anna was going to end up with until the last possible moment.

🧡Both romances had potential, but I was rooting for one couple over the other.

🩷I liked how the novel focused on other aspects of Anna’s life – work, friends, family, flatting, break-up, moving on and starting over, finding closure, re-inventing yourself, and doing what makes you happy.

🧡The single POV (Anna’s) worked for me, as this was Anna’s journey.

🩷I loved the mums.

The Wedding Forecast included some of my favourite settings:

🧡A wedding setting.

🩷An Australian setting.

🧡A New York setting.

🩷Both a bookshop setting, and Anna was an author of crime fiction.

🧡Some of it was set around Christmas.

It also included some of my favourite romantic tropes:

🩷Slow-burn romance.

🧡Forced proximity.

🩷Forced to share a bed.

🧡Toxic ex.

🩷Toxic exe’s pregnant new partner.

🧡Non-graphic, tasteful open-door romance.

The Wedding Forecast was a win for me so I would love it if Nina Kenwood were to write more contemporary romances for an adult market.

P.S. Who names a poor baby Birdie? I’m sorry, but no!

Castle Knoll is a tiny English village full of secrets – past and present!

Castle Knoll, Dorset,1965 – At the local Country Fair a psychic’s ominous fortune predicting 16-year-old Frances Adams murder causes a dark cloud to settle over a fun day. When part of the fortune comes to pass, and one of her best friend’s goes missing soon after, Frances is convinced her life is in danger and that someone in Castle Knoll is going to murder her. She becomes obsessed with solving her own murder, before it’s too late…

Chelsea, London, 2024 – Annie Adams receives a letter from her Great Aunt Frances’ solicitor, inviting her to Castle Knoll to discuss her inheritance. Annie has grown up hearing stories of her reclusive, rich, mysterious relative, fixated on solving her own murder, and is curious and excited to finally meet her. But she arrives at her Great Aunt’s country estate, only to discover Frances’ body. Someone has finally murdered her, just as foretold. But who? And why now? Annie is determined to pick up where her Great Aunt left off and solve Frances’ murder once and for all.

I award How to Solve Your Own Murder 4.5 stars. It is the first book in the Castle Knoll Files series, and I’d characterise it as a small-town cosy (cozy) mystery with two crimes to solve to get to the truth, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this village where everyone is hiding something. The premise and title were the two things that really drew me to this novel and I’m happy to say that it more than lived up to my expectations. There were some shocking twists – the one at the 49% mark and its implications had me reeling, but unfortunately for me it was at this point that Christmas preparations got in the way of my reading, and it was several days before I was able to pick up the book again. The rest of the novel was worth the wait though. Even though the main mystery was wrapped up more than satisfactory by the close of this book I was left with several unanswered questions regarding other secrets. However, having now read the book blurb for How to Seal Your Own Fate, I’m convinced my dangling questions will be addressed either in the next instalment or later on in the series.

As mentioned in my synopsis there are two timelines to keep track of – the present-day storyline narrated by Annie in the first person, and italicised diary entries written by 17-year-old Frances beginning in 1966. There is also a prologue set the day of the Castle Knoll Country Fair, 1965. I enjoyed both the present and past storylines, and all the characters were distinctive and unforgettable. There were a lot of characters, relationships to one another, and village secrets to keep track of though – it’s a mystery with many layers and threads where you really have to pay close attention because every little thing counts. I really hope I’m approved on Netgalley for How to Seal Your Own Fate (pretty please Penguin Group Dutton) as I’d really like to read these two books close together if I can, because even by the release date of the 27th March 2025, I’m bound to have forgotten some things. Regardless, I’ll be continuing this series.

How to Solve Your Own Murder really impressed me, and I’m excited to revisit Castle Knoll’s as soon as possible. So happy to have discovered another mystery series to add to my collection.

Outlier alert! I don’t mind a slow burn mystery, but this was painfully slow and repetitive, especially the modern timeline. I persevered holding out for some surprising twists, but all three reveals I had figured out early. In fact the plot was straight out of an episode of one of my favourite TV shows. Not saying this author has seen it, and I know there’s only a certain amount of mystery plots and that there’s bound to be similarities. Also, I think this novel could’ve benefited from being 100 pages shorter, as some of the subplots were drawn out and had little to do with the mystery. It was a miss for me I’m afraid.

Under the Mistletoe is a collection of five Amazon-Original holiday-themed stories published this month, penned by well-known authors in the romance genre. Cruel Winter With Youby Ali Hazelwood is novella 1/5.

Jamie Malek has always shared a love/hate relationship with her best friend’s younger brother, Marc Compton, and the last time they saw each they did not part on good terms. So, when a snowstorm leaves them stranded together on Christmas Eve, old resentments flare, and sparks fly. Can Jamie and Marc resolve their differences this Christmas?

Cruel Winter With You was my first book by Ali Hazelwoodand I was really impressed by her writing and can’t wait to read more by her. This one was a sexy open-door romance but tastefully done. I loved that thorough backstories were provided for the characters relationship given the short length of the story. Maybe Marc was kind of obsessed with Jamie, dropped too many f-bombs for my taste, and did the author really have to make him a billionaire? But it was supposed to be a Christmas fantasy, so I’m not too bothered it wasn’t entirely realistic. A great start to this series.

I recall my teacher reading this to the class in 1986 I believe. As a child I found it hilarious and highly entertaining, and as an adult I wholeheartedly agree. The archaic practices of corporal punishment in schools and barbaric medical treatments and care were horrifying. We don’t know how good we have it! The author was a little full of himself and his achievements, but considering his lifelong phenomenal success he had earned the right.