I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie

What happened to Amanda Holmes?
Twenty years ago, she was found bludgeoned in a rowboat at the MacAllister family’s Camp Macaw. No one was ever charged with the crime.
Now, after their parents’ sudden deaths, the MacAllister siblings return to camp to read the will and decide what to do with the prime real estate the camp occupies. Ryan needs to sell. Margaux hasn’t made up her mind. Mary believes in leaving well enough alone. Kate and Liddie—the twins—have opposing views. And Sean Booth, the groundskeeper, just hopes he still has a home when all is said and done.
But it’s more complicated than a simple vote. The will stipulates that until they unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda, they can’t settle the estate. Any one of them could have done it, and each one is holding a piece of the puzzle. Will they work together to finally discover the truth, or will their secrets finally tear the family apart? -catherinemckenzie.com

This review is going (or went) live at 11:54AM the official start of Summer for those in New York and  in the Eastern Time Zone. When I was working at Borders we were inundated weekly during the summer with busloads of campers on a rainy day or counselors on their nights off. My knowledge of summer camp comes from a five day stint at a cheerleading camp and the vast amount of movies/TV shows/books about summer camp. I’m an indoor cat so I believe going to camp vicariously through fiction is the only way I could truly enjoy it.

Camp Macaw is both an idyllic camp with lots of recreational activities for the kids but it’s also a place of tragedy. Not only was Amanda Holmes bludgeoned there and the mystery never solved; everyone in the MacAllister family was hiding something from each other when they should’ve been coming together. Told from the various points of view of the now adult MacAllister children and former camper Sean and Amanda’s spirit, I’ll Never Tell is both an absorbing look at family dynamics and a complex mystery. Sometimes when an author uses multiple POVs, it can get confusing but that's not the case here as every character's voice is unique, multi-faceted and fully developed.  Everyone is a believable suspect at one point or another in this book. The numerous twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end.

Definitely add I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie to your Summer Reading list.  I got my copy through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.  You can find it there or at your favorite local or online bookseller.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Welcome to a TBT Throwback Thursday Review.  I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews.

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s career is currently on fire with her latest and awesome best selling novel, Daisy Jones and the Six. Ones True Loves was published in June of 2016.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.
Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.
That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?
Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying. -taylorjenkinsreid.com

Taylor made the soap opera cliche of a lover returning from the dead into a realistic heartbreaking read. (Dallas’ Bobby Ewing, I’m looking at you.) You really feel for Emma as her life seemingly falls apart again just when it came back together. Despite his ordeal, I found Jesse to be a tad selfish for thinking he’d just swoop in and resume life as normal. At its core though, One True Loves is a thoughtfully sweet tale about growing up, changing your mind and discovering who you want to be and whether a former version of yourself is your true self.  I also especially loved Emma’s family and their family run bookstore. It evoked string memories of all the years I worked at Waldenbooks/Borders.

Definitely look for One True Loves at your local bookseller.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Special Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Buns by Alice Clayton

Welcome to a Totally Overdue For Review Tuesday post. I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews.

Buns, originally published May 2017, is the third novel in Alice’s “Hudson Valley” series. I’m fortunate to live in the Hudson Valley but I’ve never been to the Mohonk Mountain House which is the inspiration for the Bryant Mountain House. However if the Mohonk Mountain House it’s even half as charming as the Bryant Mountain House, I definitely need to visit.

Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….
Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.
It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns. -aliceclayton.com

I was a fan of Alice’s “Redhead” series delightful rom-com’s featuring a struggling redheaded actress. Buns features all the best qualities of that series: relatable characters, delightful banter and romantic scenes that are  sweet like those buns but also a little spicy. I highly recommend Buns if you’re looking for a light-hearted romance. Now I’m off to find a cinnamon bun as all this bun talk has made me hungry.  Ask your favorite bookseller for Buns or visit the author's website listed in the synopsis above for purchasing info.

🍩🍩🍩🍩/5

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Gallery Books/Pocket Books for the e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Meme Crush Monday

Forget about “Man Crush Monday’s,” here #MCM means Meme Crush Monday! For those who don’t have access or don’t wish to use Instagram, I’ll share a bookish meme right here weekly on the blog.







This Week’s #MCM Meme Crush Monday:

 
Rebecca and Naomi took home some impressive book hauls that they shared on Instagram this weekend. 

Tell us about your recent book hauls in the comments below! 

The Lifeguard by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Whom do you trust with your life?
Kelsey’s summer vacation will be perfect—a holiday on Beverly Island, where she’ll get to know her mom’s new boyfriend, Eric, and enjoy the perks of a sun-drenched beach and gorgeous lifeguards.
But Kelsey’s dream holiday quickly turns into a nightmare when Eric’s daughter, Beth, goes missing. When Kelsey finds a mysterious note from Beth, she doesn’t know whom to believe. Also terrifying is the number of suspicious drownings and the creepy fisherman . . . at least she has the lifeguards around to protect her, right? But what Kelsey doesn’t know is that these lifeguards don’t come to the rescue—they have other plans. ~ openroadmedia.com

This was a perfect summer thriller. Right from the opening we know something isn’t right on Beverly Island. Not only is Beth missing but there’s a creepy “Crazy Ralph” type living in the rundown lighthouse.  In addition to the pre-internet communication lags, Kelsey’s mom and her mother’s boyfriend are oddly not very concerned in their children’s crises. Throughout the book, there are POVs of the titular evil lifeguard and plenty of red herrings. 🌟🌟🌟.5/5

The Lifeguard was originally published in 1988 as part of the “Point Horror” series. All Point Horror YA novels were recently re-released in an e-book format. This edition included a great biography on the author including photos of her throughout her life. Presently all Point Horror novels are included as part of “Kindle Unlimited” so you can binge to hearts content or visit the publisher’s site for more ordering options.

Have you read The Lifeguard or any other Point Horror novels? Share with us in the comments below.

Tempting Fate by Jane Green

When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him—even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt…
Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.
Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?  - janegreen.com

I picked up Tempting Fate as I learned it was adapted into a Lifetime Movie as part of Lifetime’s “Book to Screen” series of Summer films. Tempting Fate premieres this Saturday at 8PM EST and stars Alyssa Milano as Gabby. To Have and to Hold, and Family Pictures also by Jane Green debut on the subsequent June Saturday’s followed by five films covering V.C. Andrews’ Heaven series.

Green did a great job of showing how one mistake can have a ripple effect and affect not just your life but all those around you. I found Gabby to be both very selfish but also sympathetic. She resents that her husband had a vasectomy after they had their two daughters as she always wanted a third child. She so angry that her wants weren’t met and she didn’t seem to care what his were. Eliot seems nowhere the neglectful spouse she describes him to be. She complains about financial issues despite being married to a MD and not fully pursuing her furniture crafting business or trying to contribute financially to the household. However despite all the annoying things she did, I felt really bad for her as her dalliance with Matt seemingly wrecked her life as she felt true remorse and finally started seeming more mature than her teen daughters.

Tempting Fate was a quick read with soapy twists and heart.

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

You can meet Jane Green on tour with her latest novel, The Friends We Keep.

What Jane Green books have you read? Are you excited about the film adaptations? Share with us in the comments.

Special Thanks to the Ramapo Catskill Library System for the e-book.  If you're not already checking out e-books from your library - what are you waiting for?  It's easy and free!! Support your local libraries.  Also many thanks go out to my favorite library employee who helped me renew my card recently! 

Exposed & Feared by Lisa Scottoline

Welcome to a TBT Throwback Thursday Review.  I am working on reviving this blog and catching up on some long overdue book reviews. Exposed and Feared by Lisa Scottoline are the most recent titles in her Rosato & DiNunzio series and were published in August 2017 and August 2018 respectively.

A BATTLE FOR JUSTICE PITS PARTNER AGAINST PARTNER…
Mary DiNunzio wants to represent her old friend Simon Pensiera, a sales rep who was wrongly fired by his company, but her partner Bennie Rosato represents the parent company. When she confronts Mary, explaining this is a conflict of interest, an epic battle of wills and legal strategy between the two ensues ripping the law firm apart, forcing everyone to take sides and turning friend against friend.
LOYALTY CAN BE LETHAL.  - lisascottoline.com

When three men announce that they are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination—claiming that they were not hired because they were men—Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato are outraged. To make matters worse, their one male employee, John Foxman, intends to resign, claiming that there is some truth to this case.
The plaintiffs’ lawyer is Nick Machiavelli, who has already lost to Mary once and is now back with a vengeance —determined not to not only win, but destroy the firm. It soon becomes clear that Machiavelli will do anything in his power to achieve this…even after the case turns deadly. The stakes have never been higher for Mary and her associates as they try to keep Machiavelli at bay, solve a murder, and save the law firm they love…or they could lose everything they’ve worked for. Told with Scottoline’s trademark gift for twists, turns, heart, and humanity, this latest thriller asks the question: is it better to be loved, or feared…​ - lisascottoline.com

I love all the Rosato & DiNunzio novels and the prior related series Rosato & Associates.  Exposed and Feared were no exception.  Although Feared was my favorite of the two and one of my favorite of the stories about the "all female law firm" precisely for the fact that the book centered on the possible discrimination issues arising from that very conceit.

Exposed was great in that it really showed some character growth for Mary who has always struggled with asserting herself outside the courtroom and this is further built upon in Feared.  Scottoline always does a fantastic job of balancing the personal dramas of the characters we loved throughout the series as well as providing a thought provoking legal dilemma.

While this series does not need to be read in order, I highly recommend it so that you can develop a relationship with Mary, Bennie and everyone working at the Rosato & DiNunzio firm.  I don't know if a follow-up to Feared is planned but it's still my hope that we get a new book soon featuring attorney Anne Murphy who hasn't carried a book on her own since Courting Trouble.

Final Verdict:  3.5/5 Stars for Exposed;  4/5 Stars for Feared

Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.