A Life of Their Own by Pauline Tait

Three stars
TW: domestic violence

I wish I could give this book more than three stars but something about it just doesn't work for me. As a long-ago victim of domestic abuse, I get it. I get her fear. I get her inability to tell others while it was happening. I get her wanting to get as far away as she can. And I get her not turning him in. What I don't get is Kate's desperate need to get to Colorado.

The book starts off with a bang. Living in New York City, Kate is married to a monster and has finally wheedled away enough money to get herself and her two young children out of the house and on a train to ... Colorado, where an ex-boyfriend lived. They hop a train, then another, then another and so on until they reach their destination near Colorado Springs.

Kate quickly finds a cute bed and breakfast run by an older couple who take her and her children under their wings. How perfect! And if Kate does some housework her small family can stay there indefinitely. Perfect!

And so it goes that everything lines up perfectly for Kate. And I mean everything. Annoyingly so. Until the climax, which I could see coming from page 1. *sigh*

Here's one of my problems with this read: We know Kate was in an abusive relationship but almost no details were given about his treatment of her. The book would have been much stronger had the author spent more time on the front end of this story.

My second issue was how perfectly everything went for Kate after she left New York City. She needed perfect, but in real life that rarely happens.

And finally, and it's just a small tick, but the author uses English idioms and spellings in a book based in the U.S. I don't think in Colorado kids call their parents "mum," nor do they "tuck in" for supper. I expect and even enjoy that when I'm reading a novel is set in the U.K. I expect local language nuances and I didn't get that with this read.

All of that said, this book will be devoured by certain readers, and I do think it belongs on the shelves of those who enjoy romances because the writing style is quite good. It just wasn't for me so much.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Amazon or Goodreads.

The Apartment by K.L. Slaughter

Meet Freya and her young daughter, Skye. They've been through the wringer since Skye's dad left for another woman--Freya's friend who lives down the road, no less--and then died in an accident. No longer able to afford the home they live in, Freya pops into a cafe and happens to meet an older gentleman who is looking to fill a vacant apartment in his mansion for next to nothing and it's available right now! Too good to be true? We shall see.

So Freya, who bounced from foster home to foster home throughout her childhood and teen years, decides why not? She and Skye fall in love with the house, the gardens, the location and so it's settled. How strange, though, that the front door is kept locked and there is no buzzer for friends to visit. How strange that the Marsdens, the presumed owners of the house, are overheard by Skye talking about a previous tenant when Mr. Marsden specifically told Freya there was no previous tenant. How strange that they want to install a security camera INSIDE her apartment.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the strangeness of the place. Yet even with her doubts, Freya maintains their residence, chalking all these things up to eccentricities and coincidences.

It's here where I had problems with this story. I highly doubt a woman who has trust issues and has a hard time making friends because of her childhood would allow herself to be taken in by these odd people and the other tenants. Eventually, of course, she decides to make a run for it, but in my opinion, it was too little, too late.

Freya's weakness and naivete were not believable enough, making this a 3-star book, rather than 4-star. That's too bad, too, because I loved the author's writing style (and lack of editing errors, truth be told). I would definitely pick up more works by K.L. Slater; it's just unfortunate this one wasn't all I wanted it to be.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Goodreads or on Amazon.

Stable by Kate Gemma

3.5 stars rounded up
TW: kidnap/abduction, minor incidences of torture

Stable is the story of four childhood best friends who as tweens were kidnapped and held captive for three days before being rescued. But it's also the story of the ties that bind us together and what lengths we'll go to to keep our friends safe.

Both Maura and Charlie were raised by a kindly neighborhood grandma, who eventually takes in each of the children, thus tightening their bonds. At the age of 12 or so the four kids were kidnapped when they ran into an abandoned barn for cover from a storm. There they were kept for three days with minimal water and food and when two of the four tried to escape, at different times, they were tortured. Eventually, they are rescued by the town cop and the property owner is sent to prison for the crimes.

Years later, when the children have grown and gone their separate ways, they are called back to town when one of them dies. Mystery surrounds the death and before long there is a disappearance. Maura, our protagonist, is hell-bent on finding her friend and joins the new sheriff in that task.

I enjoyed the story very much and the characters were well fleshed out. Maura is most memorable because she's written as a tough as nails, not gonna take any shit from anyone kind of gal. She sticks up for her guy friends when the sheriff's son, Boyd, bullies them. I loved that about her then, and I loved that she didn't change as an adult.

I subtracted a star because I had the whodunit figured out very quickly and I wasn't terribly fond of the epilogue. Not every story needs to be tidied up so nicely at the end, in my opinion.

Many thanks to the author and Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Buy this book here. Read this review on Goodreads.

What it Seems by Emily Bleeker

3.5 stars rounded up.
TW: child abuse/torture, one brief scene of animal abuse, one brief scene of attempted sexual harassment

This is the story of Tara, a 12-year-old in a 20-year-old's body. For eight years she has been the victim of an abusive, sadistic, controlling adopted mother who has forced her to shoplift to help put food on the table. Tara hasn't attended school since she was hit by a car at the age of 8 and then adopted by "Mother." She doesn't watch television, play games or leave her room except to eat meals.

While in her room, Tara's door is deadbolted from the outside and it's her "job" to list all of her stolen items on eBay. But while she has a computer, she's not allowed to use it except for her job. Mother ensures her keystrokes are monitored.

When Tara misbehaves, Mother's wrath is swift and nearly deadly. She is beaten, locked in her closet for days and food and water are withheld. Tara lives a most horrific life, except when she removes the keystroke machine and watches Youtube videos. Her favorite is AllTheFeels with the Feely family.

The Feelys are like a real family to Tara, who longs to be loved like the three kids in the family's daily vlogs. When an opportunity arises to intern with the family, Tara finds the strength to disobey Mother to interview for the job.

Here's where the story begins to fall apart some and you'll need some suspension of disbelief when Tara finds herself with the Feelys. It's hard to imagine this super-popular vlogging family wanting to employ a self-described "stinky" young pregnant woman--Mother forces Tara to wear a pregnancy prosthetic to hide her stolen goods in, which Tara wears to the interview with the Feelys--and invite her into their home, despite her grand plans for the family's Youtube content.

I nearly put the book down at the 40 percent point because the story changed so dramatically, but I trudged along and I'm glad I did. What it Seems wound up being a pretty good read (although the ending was a little too feel-good...forgive the pun). I subtracted a star because of the suspension of disbelief factor and the too tidy ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Goodreads. Buy this book on Amazon.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Five much-deserved stars.

This might be the most perfect psychological/domestic thriller I've ever read. Let me tell you why.

What Lies Between Us is the story of Maggie and Nina, a mother and daughter whose lives are so intricately intertwined that it's hard to know where one begins and the other one ends. But as cliche as that sounds, this story is nothing of the sort. These two women are so vastly different and yet so similar that from one paragraph to the next you will find yourself rooting for one and then the other. The character development is divine.

Narrated in alternating chapters by Nina and Maggie, we are privy to each woman's life 25 years ago, when Nina was 14, and today when their dysfunctional relationship has reached its apex. Marrs begins the story with Maggie in her room on the top floor of the family home, where she has been chained and unable to escape for two years, ostensibly to punish her for something she did to her daughter many years ago. We aren't told what, exactly, and that's a big part of the allure of this book.

But it's not all. Marrs is striking in his ability to delve deep inside Nina's head, as both a teenager and an adult who comes to believe has had everything she ever wanted taken away from her through no fault of her own. She is passionate, obstinate and willing to do anything it takes to get what she wants and right the wrongs of long ago.

Bit by bit we learn about the mother/daughter relationship and how it became so inflamed. Marrs teases us with little pieces of the story here and there, never giving up too much so as to keep us guessing just a bit before dropping the next bombshell. And there are so many bombshells.

Yes, I had put some of the pieces of the puzzle together long before the truth was revealed, but this was one of the few books where I really didn't mind. I relished not knowing for sure and the way in which Marrs gave hints as to his characters' true intentions.

Everything about this novel is new and refreshing. What Lies Between Us sucks you in on page one and doesn't spit you out until that final scene of utmost perfection. I do feel like I've been through the wringer with this one, but that doesn't mean I won't go back and reread those last couple of chapters to experience again the perfect ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Goodreads.

The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse

I chose to read this beautifully written novel a month after I lost my mom to dementia. That's perhaps not the best timing on my part because the book opens with Nick losing his wife to cancer following a long battle with the disease. Prowse deftly maneuvers the emotions of watching someone close to you die: the pain, the grief, the rage and the guilt are written with such expertise as to ensure you'll need a box of tissues near you as you read.

When Kerry dies, Nick is left alone to see their son off to college, a son who refuses at first to acknowledge his mother's death. Soon, though, Olly experiences the entire range of emotions and Nick finds himself comforting a boy who is at odds with himself and his feelings.

The remainder of the book delves into moving on and beginning to find pleasure and happiness again. Nick finds a new friend and has to deal with his sister-in-law's and son's feelings about that. Prowse expertly writes Nick's character as a man who is both sympathetic but firm. I love how he handled all of the issues that were thrown at him.

Interspersed in the modern-day story are tales of Nick, Eric and Alex during the summer of 1992 when the three friends truly became best buds. I loved those stories so much that I found myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Prowse tidies things up nicely at the end for us. I'm not always a fan of that, but given the heartwrenching and emotionally draining beginning of the Light in the Hallway, I was happy to see where she went with the final chapter of the book.

Four well-deserved stars to this great read.

Many thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Goodreads.

Empty Vessels by Nicholas Williams

3.5 stars rounded down

Empty Vessels is the story of Lucas, his girlfriend, April, and their pal, Scarlet. This YA thriller focuses on the young adults, who work in Lucas' father's biotech firm, which has found a way to produce "vessels" that will eventually serve as bodies for individuals after death. Or not. That part still isn't so clear to me.

This technology is understandably in demand and the thriller part of the story focuses on who is trying to take control of that technology and who stands in their way. Lucas and April find themselves at the center of a weird plot to own the tech and both must try to stay alive long enough to keep the technology out of the hands of those who would manipulate it for their own needs.

The big twist wasn't such a big twist. The second big twist wasn't a big twist either. Subtracted a full star for that. The writing and tech background was top-notch. The ending tidies things up nicely. Overall a good book.

Many thanks to Booksirens for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Goodreads or Amazon.