Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 18

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Midnight Feast

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Thriller, Standalone

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 368 pages

June 18, 2024 from William Morrow

Blurb:

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin…

The deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment.

It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.

But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered.

THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP

It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I read The Guest List by this author and enjoyed it. You all know how much I love locked door mysteries and this one sounds really good! I have it preordered in audiobook.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Middle of the Night

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Standalone, Thriller

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 384 pages

June 18, 2024 by Dutton Books

Blurb:

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate. 

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

Riley Sager is an auto-buy author for me and this one is almost giving me thriller Stranger Things vibes. I’m eager to see where Mr. Sager goes with this one.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read1. Wild Love by Elsie Silver2. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller4. These Bitter Blooms by Emma Hamm5. Prom House by Chelsea Mueller6. The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber7. the rest of this series by Emma Hamm8. The Inadequate Heir by Danielle L. Jensen9. Only If You’re Lucky by Stacey Willingham10. In These Hallowed Halls Anthology

What books were you excited to get but still haven’t read yet? A lot of these are because I don’t feel in the mood to read fantasy often. The rest? Well I have no excuse for those

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 27 May 2024

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Book Blogger Friends! Happy Monday and Happy Memorial Day to my friends here in the US! I didn’t get much reading done last week post gall bladder surgery but I did finish one audiobook.

Last Week I Read:The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

As I mentioned last week, I wasn’t overly enthused with this one and it ended on a rather dull note that I nodded off to.

Murder Road by Simone St. James

I’ve heard rave reviews of this author’s work but I didn’t really feel the same. It was an okay read but I don’t think I will read more from this author.

Glimmers of You by Catherine Cowles

I liked this one but the author seems to put the same elements in all the books in this series and it’s getting a little repetitive and blah. How many stalkers are lurking in this small town?? Seriously…

Currently Reading:Prom House by Chelsea Mueller

I’ve had this book for a while and I kept shifting it around on my shelves for some reason. It’s a short thriller and I’m almost finished with it.

Next Read:What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans

This has been on my TBR for a while and as part of my effort to stop buying books and just borrow from the library, the library’s digital services, and Kindle Unlimited, I just borrowed this from my library’s Hoopla system.

What are you reading this week? How are you spending the long weekend (if you have one)?

The Sunday Post: Easing Back, Stormy Nights, and Memorial Day Weekend

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Easing Back, Stormy Nights, and Memorial Day Weekend

Hey Book Blogger Friends! Long time no see!

I’ve spent the past month prepping for my gallbladder removal surgery which was this past Monday. Everything went well and I’m now home recovering until June 7th. I’ve got the pain level down to nearly none and I’m enjoying my rest time.

It’s been a moody week here in Wisconsin. My grandmother always used to say it always rains for Memorial Day and it looks like that’s going to be the case this year. We’ve also had some bad thunderstorms but I’ve always found the sound of thunder relaxing.

Speaking of Memorial Day… we’re so close to the unofficial start of summer. I have so many fun things planned going into the summer and lots of new places I want to explore. I hope you and your families have a nice long weekend if you’re here in the US.

Recently on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What are you reading? 20 May 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’d Love a New Book From

Audiobook Review: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

Book Review: Wait With Me by Amy Daws

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 27 May 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Middle of the Night

Book Review: An Inconvenient Wife

New Book Mail on My Shelves:

None This Week

Around the Book Blogging World:

All 8 Bridgerton Books, Ranked From Worst To Best

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’d Love A New Book From

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’d Love A New Book From

This week’s TTT is about authors we’d love a new book from. This can be authors who have passed, authors who have retired, who have inexplicably gone quiet, or who might jut not be able to keep up with how quickly you read their books!

1. Rosemary Clement-Moore

Status: Gone Quiet

2. Rachel Caine

Status: Deceased (2020, Cancer)

3. Jeannine Garsee

Status: Unknown

4. Emily Snow

Status: Author Unable to Meet Deadlines, Ghosted Readers, Current Status Unknown

5. Cora Carmack

Status: Author has major health issues, unknown if this series will ever be completed

6. Rachel Hawkins

Status: I just need MORE!

7. Jenny Kiefer

Status: I just need more!

I only came up with 7 but that’s okay. What authors would you like more books from?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Book Blogger Friends! It’s been a minute. I’ve been trying to balance work, writing, blogging, traveling, and prepping to have gall bladder surgery (today in fact) and I had to take a step away. But I’m slowly easing back into blogging…

Last Reads:Echoes of You by Catherine Cowles

I’ve read and loved other books in this series but I hated this one. The abusive ex storyline completely overshadows the romance storyline of friends-to-lovers.

Currently Reading:Glimmers of You by Catherine Cowles

I did continue with the series and I’m liking this one so far.

The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

This audiobook has been dragging. Although I loved the Six Tudor Queens books by this author, I won’t be reading the second book in this duology and I decided to cancel my pre-order of the Mary I audiobook after hearing mixed reviews on that as well.

Next Reads:Ashes of You by Catherine Cowles

I’ve come this far, I may as well finish out the series (I read Shadows of You, Book 4, first so I’ve been reading out of order).

Murder Road by Simone St. James

This one has been on my TBR since it released and I can’t wait to dig into the audiobook.

What are you reading this week? Are there any books about the Tudors you would recommend to me? (not by Phillipa Gregory) I’ve been on a Tudor kick this year.

Audiobook Review: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa UngerBlurb:

Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller by New York Timesbestselling author Lisa Unger.

What could be more restful, more restorative, than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, complete with spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s loving and generous tech-mogul brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’s his birthday gift to Hannah and includes their spouses and another couple. The six friends need this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R, far from the chatter and pressures of modern life.

But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare. A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? And who is the new boyfriend, crashing their party? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?

My Review:

The first time I tried to read this book I wasn’t thrilled by it but I’ve found sometimes that rereading in a different format helps so I gave it a go in audiobook.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is about 3 couples that plan a vacation in a remote luxury rental in the Georgia mountains.

First up is Hannah and her husband Bruce. Hannah is nervous about leaving their baby with Bruce’s mom for their first getaway since Gigi was born.

Then there is Hannah’s tech mogul brother Makko and his yoga influencer wife, Liza. Dark allegations have been swirling around about Makko’s company and Makko himself and he and Liza have been struggling to conceive. They definitely need a getaway.

Finally there is Hannah’s best friend and Makko’s ex-girlfriend, Cricket and her new beau Joshua. What better to bring them closer together than a steamy getaway?

But once they arrive at their luxury rental things begin to go sideways. Their host hovers, the chef tells a chilling story of murder and ghosts, a storm is bearing down… and then the power goes out.

I love locked door mysteries and listening to this one in audiobook definitely did the trick for me. There are a lot of POVs to keep track of and one of them I kept guessing how that character was going to fit in at the end, but it worked. This story dives deep into family bonds, DNA ancestry testing, and children of sperm donors. The DNA ancestry part definitely hit home for me, as I have firsthand knowledge that you can find out things you wish you’d never known doing those tests.

I really enjoyed this one the second go-round and I’m glad I gave it another try! It was tense, atmospheric, and the way the characters blended together kept you guessing.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

Book Review: Wait With Me by Amy Daws

Wait With Me (Wait With Me #1) by Amy DawsBlurb:

When romance novelist Kate Smith suddenly gets writer’s block as she’s beginning the final installment of her international bestselling steamy Bed ‘n Breakfast series, she’ll do pretty much anything to get her groove back.Like sneak into a Tire Depot waiting room because her words flow there just like complimentary coffee-smooth, sweet, and scorchingly hot.She manages to fly under the radar until the rugged and charming mechanic, Miles Hudson, notices the quirky redhead slinking in and out of the employees only entrance. But she’s way too intriguing to blow the whistle on. Doing a test-drive of her new book idea sounds like a much better option.

My Review:

Some books you know you’re going to love before you even start them.

Per my usual, I read this series out of order, reading book 5 first. I was intrigued by Kate, the erotic romance author and knew I had to read her and Miles’s story!

Kate Smith aka Mercedes Lee Loveletter sneaks into the Customer Comfort Center of the Tire Depot to write every day. After struggling with writer’s block, she was surprised to find the place that gave her the greatest word flow was the waiting room at the Tire Depot. So every day she grabs a complementary coffee and pastry and knocks out the words. Everything is going great, nobody is suspicious, until she meets Miles.

Miles Hudson is a mechanic at the Tire Depot and when he spies a beautiful redhead sneaking out the employee entrance to the Customer Comfort Center, he has to know more about her.

What starts out as Miles keeping Mercedes’s (Kate’s) writing spot on the DL turns into a friendship and then so much more… but Miles was burned by his ex and isn’t ready to let someone in again and Kate has been keeping a few things secret from Miles – including her real name. Will they be able to make it work? Or are they headed for a break down?

Another hilarious, spicy read from Amy Daws! I laughed so hard when Kate’s writer friend has pizzas delivered to the Tire Depot in her name and when her friend Dean sends her the fake invoice from the Tire Depot for all the complimentary coffee and pastries. Miles and Kate have such great chemistry and I really blew through this story! It might be my favorite by this author so far!

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

Book Review: Last on the List by Amy Daws

Last on the List (Wait With Me #5) by Amy DawsBlurb:

CEO millionaire, Max Fletcher is a single dad in desperate need of a nanny.

Cozy Barlow is in the middle of her self-appointed “gap year” and doing everything she can to detach from her past.

But when her sister begs her to interview for the nanny position of a high maintenance client, she doesn’t have a good enough reason to say no.

And when Max locks eyes on the twenty-something in a tie-dye sweatsuit who pitches the idea of daydreaming all summer—he prepares to give this bad nanny the boot.

One problem: Max’s little girl thinks this plus-sized in body and spirit nanny might be her new bestie, so she hires her on the spot.

Now Max is stuck with this bizarre woman who hates everything he represents—corporate greed, money, status, power.

But one stormy night when the power goes out, he discovers Cozy doesn’t hate him. In fact, he’s the leading role in her fantasies.
Fantasies, he would very much like to make a reality.

My Review:

After binging Wyatt and Trista’s story, Nine Month Contract, I figured since Max and Cozy were an established couple they had to have had their own story somewhere, right? And I was lucky they did with Last on the List!

Max is an uptight CEO/single dad who has sworn off relationships. What he is in need of is a nanny for his 11-year-old daughter Everly while his ex-wife and her new wife go out of the country for the summer for work.

Cozy Barlow left the corporate world behind after a devastating health crisis seven months ago and is taking a “gap year.” Her new motto? Why do more when you can do less. So when her sister puts her up for a nanny gig she shows up in a tie-dyed sweatsuit and immediately wins over the precocious Everly, much to buttoned-up Max’s dismay.

But as the two spend more time together they begin to peel back the layers and realize there is more to the other than their first impressions – including their scorching hot chemistry.

This book was a lot of fun. I love that this author creates heroines that are plus size, which is refreshing. Max was so devoted to his daughter and I loved that Cozy bonded with her right away too. Max seems a little uptight in Nine Month Contract so it was nice to see him in a different light in this book and I can’t wait to discover the rest of his friends in the previous books!

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!