domestic drama

Review: This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

~ megs14malloy

This Might HurtThis Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Hoping for a fresh start, Kit Collins signs up for Wisewood, purportedly a Wellness Retreat, set on a remote island off the coast of Maine. This could be just what she needs to get her floundering life in order.

Initially, her stay was to be 6-months, where she would be completely cut off from the outside world, including from her older sister, Natalie.

Natalie, pretty much her younger sister’s opposite, is a successful business woman with a fairly structured life.

All that gets thrown for a loop, however, on the day Natalie receives a seemingly threatening email stemming from Wisewood: We know what you did. Would you like to come tell your sister – or should we?

That’s enough convincing for her. Natalie packs her bags and off she goes on a mission to save Kit; and let’s be honest, to save her secret too.

Over the course of this story, we follow both Natalie and Kit’s perspectives, but we also get a historical perspective from an unknown third character.

Eventually, the person’s identity is revealed, but basically, this perspective is following a charming little girl being psychologically abused by her domineering Father.

Most interesting to me was following along with Natalie as she arrives at Wisewood and slowly deciphers what it is all about. The whole-vibe is quite cultish and I feel like Wrobel did a nice job with that.

I also really enjoyed the historical perspective of the little girl, growing up the way she did and what she chose to do with her life.

In other areas though, this fell short of my expectations. The pace was quite uneven for me, with my interest level waxing and waning heavily throughout. By the end, I really couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.

I finished this 2-weeks ago and already have completely forgotten what the big secret was. That’s not a great sign.

Wrobel definitely has a knack for exploring complicated familial relationships. They certainly abound in this story.

Truthfully, some of the circumstances are difficult to read, so if you feel like you could be sensitive to any plot involving significant mental abuse, and at times physical danger, you may want to proceed with caution.

Overall, I personally could have used higher stakes with a lot more suspense and intrigue. This is still a solid story, if a bit lackluster. With this being said, I’m sure many Readers will enjoy it. Sadly, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Please don’t take my word for it though. As we all know, reading is highly subjective. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, pick it up and give it a go!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Even though this one didn’t quite knock it out of the park for me, I still enjoy Wrobel’s writing and ideas. I would definitely pick up future works from her.

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Review: The Heights by Louise Candlish

~ megs14malloy

The HeightsThe Heights by Louise Candlish
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

While working at a client’s condo, Ellen Saint, spots a man she knows across the way on a rooftop deck. She can’t believe her eyes.

Sure, he’s aged and other things about him seem different as well, but it’s definitely him. She would know him anywhere.

Ellen is shocked to see Kieran Watts that day because he is supposed to be dead. She knows this because she had him killed herself.

As you can imagine, this turn of events flips Ellen’s world upside down. She becomes obsessed with Kieran all over again. It takes over her every waking thought.

Through flashbacks we learn how this seemingly harmless suburban housewife could come to hate this young man, a close friend to her son, so much.

It’s clear Ellen believes Kieran is at fault in regards to a tragedy that changed their family forever. She will never forgive him and feels he got away with it when he should have been harshly punished. Vigilante justice comes to mind.

The Heights was a tough one for me. From the beginning, Ellen’s character put a bad taste in my mouth and it really never went away.

Normally I love a tale of obsession, but there was something about this one that just didn’t sit right for me.

I thought the end, like literally the last 10-15%, brought something interesting that I wasn’t expecting, but other than that I found this to be fairly boring and at times annoying.

I have really enjoyed three of Candlish’s previous novels, Our House, Those People and The Other Passenger, so just because this one missed the mark for me, I still consider her to be one of my favorite Domestic Thriller authors.

With all of this being said, I did like the way this story was formatted; the way Kieran’s relationship with Ellen’s family was revealed, the tragedy that changed everything and the revelations at the end.

Also, as I always say, just because this one didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you are intrigued by the premise, if you want to know what the heck Kieran did to become so vilified, you should definitely pick this one up and give it a try.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to picking up Candlish’s next book!

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Review: The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

The Golden CoupleThe Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Avery Chambers is an unconventional therapist with a promise to cure your woes in just 10-sessions.

Hearing about Chambers from a friend, Marissa Bishop seeks Avery’s help to aide in repairing her damaged relationship with her husband, Matthew.

Marissa had one night of infidelity. She doesn’t dare tell Matthew on her own, therefore, Marissa saves her confession for their first session with Avery.

From all appearances, Marissa and Matthew are a golden couple, perfect in every way. They intrigue Avery and she is anxious to see how Matthew will react to Marissa’s secret.

Although angered, Matthew takes it surprisingly well and agrees to commit to Avery’s therapy to repair their relationship.

Thus, Avery’s treatment begins.

Alternating between Avery and Marissa’s perspectives, this novel pieces together the truth behind Marissa and Matthew’s marriage, while also providing a background for Avery’s character as well.

I enjoyed my time learning about all of these characters. They were all interesting and provided plenty of drama to keep my head spinning.

Overall, I would say this is a pretty straight-forward story, as far as Psychological Thrillers go, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.

If you enjoy some rich people Domestic Drama, you should absolutely give this one a go. Personally, I’ve had great success with this author duo and I look forward to picking up anything else they may choose to write together.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As always, I appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

~ megs14malloy

Not a Happy FamilyNot a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What could be better than a holiday dinner with family?

Yoga class, walking the dog, your favorite pair of leggings, reading, online shopping, taking your bra off after a long day at work, sitting by a crackling fireplace, trying a new beverage at Starbucks, getting your period, going to the dentist…okay, apparently there are a lot of things that are more enjoyable to holiday dinners with your family.

You know what I’m talking about. You know.

Maybe you have too much to drink. Maybe everybody has too much to drink. Comparisons between you and your siblings come up. Maybe even the dreaded political discussion and the next thing you know, you’re throwing on your favorite wool peacoat and storming out into the night in a huff of thinly-veiled rage.

I mean, I guess it depends on the family.

The family in this story, the Mertons, although wealthy, are not a happy family. Their holiday dinners get very messy indeed.

When the family comes together for this particular Easter dinner, things get especially uncomfortable.

The patriarch of the Merton family, Fred, seems to take great pleasure in making his three adult children, Catherine, Dan and Jenna, miserable. It’s like he is actively trying to make their lives more difficult.

The night ends fairly early, with everyone leaving a little disgruntled. Ahhh, dinners with family, am I right?

The following morning, when Irena, the family’s long-time domestic help returns to clean-up, she finds the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Merton. They’ve been murdered.

Now everyone in the family is a suspect. They all had a motive. Most of them had an opportunity. Who done it?

Going into Not a Happy Family, I will admit to being apprehensive. I’ve had a hit or miss relationship with Lapena, so had no clue how this one would be for me.

My favorite aspect was how the story was formatted.

The short, alternating chapters, made it an incredibly fast read and I was fully engaged. After each perspective, I was sure I had it all figured out.

Alternating between everyone, you get a full picture of what being a part of the Merton family was actually like. It wasn’t pretty.

All of the children were treated poorly by their father and the mother never seemed to stick up for them. She certainly didn’t put a stop to it.

Also, there’s a large inheritance involved, so that always adds a layer to the motive cake.

With this being said, there were other players involved, so don’t narrow your focus too much. You never know who could be out to get jerks like this.

From the very first chapter I was hooked into this story. Lapena wastes no time jumping into the nitty-gritty and it kept me guessing until the very end.

The audiobook was quite good. I definitely recommend that as a format to take this story in.

This is my favorite Lapena thus far and I am looking forward to reading more of her work!

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Review: Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey

~ megs14malloy

Where the Truth LiesWhere the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In Anna Bailey’s debut, we get a deep dive into the small town of Whistling Ridge, Colorado, where a 17-year old girl, Abigail, has gone missing.

Abi’s friend, Emma, is wracked with guilt because she left Abi behind at a party on the night she disappeared. Abi was supposed to be meeting up with a boy in the woods and insisted Emma leave her, but she never should have.

Not only does Emma feel bad about leaving Abi there, others in town blame her as well.

The police believe Abi ran away, but Emma knows that’s not true. Abi would never have left without her. Emma decides to take the investigation into her own hands. She needs to find out what happened to her friend.

Abi’s family is a mess, but truth be told, they were a mess before she disappeared. Her two brothers live in constant fear of their father’s unpredictable temperment, while their mother frequently appears checked-out.

Over the course of the story, multiple town secrets are brought to light. There’s all sorts of racism, prejudice, bigotry and religious fervor. There’s a lot of unlikable characters and unsavory circumstances.

Personally, I never felt connected with this story. None of the characters were distinct to me and I had a difficult time tracking it all through the multiple perspectives and then/now timelines.

I decided to give this 3-stars because I know there is a good story hidden in here somewhere. It tackles a lot of important, sensitive issues and I would never want to take away from that. However, for me, this reading experience was more of a 2-star.

I couldn’t wait for it to be over. With this being said, just because this wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean it is not a good book. If you read the synopsis and it sounds interesting to you, please give it a shot. It could very well be a new favorite for you.

Maybe I was just in a mood or something. Who knows? Crazier things have happened, but yeah, as of today, not a great experience for me. Extremely forgettable and bland. Solid, mehhh.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it. On to the next!

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Review: The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Guilt TripThe Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Rachel, Jack, Noah and Paige are a friendship foursome with a lot of history. Rachel and Noah have been best friends since college and there was a time when they considered being more than friends.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. Now twenty-years later, Rachel is happily married to Jack, while Noah is married to Paige.

When Jack’s brother, Will, decides on a destination wedding with his flamboyant fiance, Ali, the foursome, with Ali in tow, travel to the beautiful country of Portugal for the event.

It never takes long for drama to arise when Ali is around. It seems to follow her everywhere, and as predicted by the friends, is created before they’ve even left the airport.

Ali’s exuberant, over-the-top nature gets under everyone’s skin. There’s never a break with her. It’s always something.

Rachel is unnerved to observe that Ali seems to be paying special attention to her husband. While Jack doesn’t appear to be recipricating her advances, Rachel still begins to wonder, what exactly is going on there?

As they settle into their cliffside villa, things continuously get worse. Ali flaunting herself around is making everyone uncomfortable, especially now that Jack has revealed to the friends something he heard about her from a work colleague.

Is this even a woman he wants his brother to marry?

But Ali isn’t the only one with secrets. Everyone has something to hide and as suspicions begin to creep across the group of friends, all is threatened to be revealed.

This was a compelling story. I definitely had fun reading it; particularly the first half. I’m all for excessive domestic drama. I love long-buried secrets, deceptions, betrayals; it’s addicting. The setting was great and I loved the whole destination wedding scenerio.

I was hooked. Nevertheless, there were some finer details that didn’t sit quite right with me. It’s a good story, but not perfectly suited to my tastes.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked it. I’m not mad I read it. It was interesting, it was shocking, wild and not a bad way to spend a weekend!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion.

I think if you love quick, domestic suspense stories, you should definitely give this one a shot!

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Review: The Dare by Lesley Kara

~ megs14malloy

The DareThe Dare by Lesley Kara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two things have greatly influenced Lizzie’s life: her epilepsy and the tragic death of her best friend, Alice, when they were just 13-years old.

Twelve years later, Lizzie has finally found contentment. She has successfully moved out of her parent’s house and in with her fiance, Ross. Her parents couldn’t be more happy. Lizzie is engaged to a doctor, the perfect person for her.

Whilst unpacking boxes that have been stored in her parent’s attic, Lizzie comes across one from her teenage years. It contains items that really dig up memories of Alice and her death.

Lizzie was with Alice when she died and was clearly traumatized by the event, but she can’t remember much. Having suffered a seizure, her brain wiped clean all memory of that fateful time.

Dragging on her the most is the fact that Alice’s family, in addition to other kids at school, blamed Lizzie for Alice’s death. They believed she wasn’t telling the whole story.

Alice’s older sister, Catherine, harrassed Lizzie ceaselessly after that. Apparently believing she could scare the truth out of her. Lizzie’s story has always remained the same: she doesn’t remember.

It was so bad, Lizzie’s family had to move house after the accident. They needed a fresh start.

Now that Lizzie has finally got the true fresh start she has been dreaming of, a life with Ross, her past suddenly seems to be coming back to haunt her.

Told through past and present perspectives, The Dare is an absolutely addictive roller coaster ride of deceptions and suspense.

I really enjoyed Kara’s 2019-release, Who Did You Tell?, so was very much looking forward to getting to this one. I love how she weaves past and present perspectives together. She has such a knack for showing how much events in our pasts can influence our present, and this story was no exception.

Lizzie is a great character. She was someone I could really get behind. While initially I thought she may be naive, I think in made sense in light of all she had been through. Her innocence didn’t diminish her intelligence however, and I thought she was able to handle all that was happening to her with incredible control and thoughtfulness.

The level of deceipt in this novel is off the charts. Once the reveals began to unfold, my jaw spent half the time on the floor. My pulse was racing just anticipating what Lizzie would need to do to escape her prediciment.

If you like nail-biting, twisty-turny, who do I trust, Domestic Thrillers, you absolutely need to check this one out!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. At this point, I can confidently say, I will pick up anything Kara ever writes!

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Review: The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

~ megs14malloy

The Other PassengerThe Other Passenger by Louise Candlish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Jamie and Kit are part of a group of London commuters known as the Water Rats.

They have the luxury of making their daily commute via riverboat on the Thames, as opposed to more traditional, oftentimes more frustrating modes of transportation.

They drink coffee together in the morning and more spirited drinks after work. It’s not a bad way to start, or end the day.

On the first Monday back to work after the Christmas holiday, however, Jamie is approached by two police officers as he disembarks from the boat. Apparently, Kit hasn’t been seen since the Water Rats Christmas drinks celebration a few days prior.

They had all been a bit sauced when they finally boarded a late boat to get home. The boat was practically empty, but it seems another passenger reported that Jamie was the last person seen with Kit.

Jamie is under suspicion. He can hardly believe it. He and Kit did have a bit of a row, but then he went straight home. Back to his longtime partner, Claire, who can certainly attest to his whereabouts.

As the hours, then days, tick by with no sign of Kit, things begin to get progressively worse for Jamie. It’s all a bit of a downward spiral.

Through a past perspective, the evolution of Jamie and Kit’s friendship is brought to light, including their signficant others, Claire and Melia. Kit and Melia have a contentious relationship, with Jamie and Claire witnessing evident unhappiness on more than one occasion.

Could Kit have run off on his own, or has something much more sinister happened to him?

Jamie needs to find out. His very freedom may depend on it.

It’s no secret that I am a fan of Louise Candlish’s brand of Domestic Thriller. There’s something about the way she weaves a tale that I am absolutely addicted to reading.

It’s always over the top, full of unlikable characters, as well as plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.

The Other Passenger did start out a little slow for me, but around the midpoint, it really heats up. After that the gas pedal is all the way to the floor until the conclusion.

This is one of those stories where the last little bit left a devilish smile on my face. I always enjoy that type of wickedly satisfying ending.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

I am so on board for anything Candlish writes, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!!

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Review: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

~ megs14malloy

Such a Quiet PlaceSuch a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The private neighborhood of Hollow’s Edge has always been a desirable place to live. It’s close to the local private college and a lot of the residents actually work there together.

Because of that, and many other reasons, Hollow’s Edge offers that bougie upper-class feel that many people seek. It’s a solace from the outside world of sorts for the people who live there.

That is until the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A murder for which one of their own, Ruby Fletcher, was sent to prison. But Ruby wasn’t really one of them, was she?

She didn’t own a house in Hollow’s Edge. She was just staying there with Harper Nash after Harper’s fiance moved out. Ruby was younger than everyone else, not as settled. She was known to raise a few eyebrows from time to time.

Now a year and half has passed since the Truett’s tragic deaths. Ruby has been released from prison on a technicality and guess where she ends up?

Right back in Harper’s house. Harper is horrified. There is a possible murderer living under her roof. A murderer who is most likely quite peeved that her friend’s testimony may have helped put her away in the first place.

It doesn’t take long for rumors and suspicions to begin circling around Hollow’s Edge, sowing seeds of contention amongst the remaining residents.

It’s clear to Harper that Ruby is up to something, although she’s not sure what. She knows Ruby is hiding things from her; the scariest of which may be her intentions. Is Ruby seeking revenge, or something else?

Such a Quiet Place is pure entertainment. It kicks off very quickly and the suspense really never lets up.

I though Miranda did a great job building the tension over the course of the story. I was completely enthralled by it the entire time; wanting to know the truth about the Truetts and Ruby Fletcher.

For me, this is a super solid Domestic Thriller. It had red herrings, twists, reveals, unlikable, judgemental characters and a steady, nail-biting pace.

I love stories set in insulated neighborhoods. Stories that portray the often dramatic interactions between neighbors and friends. It’s amazing the sort of secrets that can be found in such places.

I was really looking forward to this title and I had a ton of fun reading it. Completely engaging, beginning to end.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I can’t wait to see what twisted things Megan Miranda comes up with next!!

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Review: The Therapist by B.A. Paris

~ megs14malloy

The TherapistThe Therapist by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

B.A. Paris, my Queen of Manipulation, is back with an all new Domestic Thriller, The Therapist, releasing this Tuesday, July 13th.

When they began their relationship, Alice and Leo, were making a go at it long-distance. However, as time passes, it no longer feels enough to just see each other on the weekends.

Deciding to make the jump of living together, Leo buys a house in an exclusive, gated-community called, The Circle, in London. As lovely as it is, it’s a far cry from Alice’s little cottage in the country.

Making the transition easier is the fact that Alice actually got to keep her cottage, renting it out to tenants temporarily, because Leo was able to get such a bargain on the house.

When Alice finds out how he was able to get the house at such a steal, however, she’s furious!

A woman, Nina, had been murdered in the house, in their bedroom. She cannot believe Leo withheld this information from her. He’s a liar and Alice is so angry about the whole thing that she can’t even stand to be around him while she processes it all.

Leo, sheepish at being caught out, agrees to give Alice some space to work through all she’s learned. Alice, for her part, doesn’t just work through it though, she becomes obsessed with it.

Alice doesn’t believe the official story that Nina’s husband was the killer. She can’t explain why, she just knows that isn’t right.

As strange occurances begin happening at the house and suspicious neighbors seem to be lurking around every turn, Alice isn’t sure just who she can trust.

Gaining some assistance from a Private Detective also interested in Nina’s case, Alice begins a deep dive into the life of the woman who used to live in her house.

With numerous red herrings, a protagonist that I wasn’t sure I could trust, more twists and turns than an amusement park roller coaster, I could tell I was reading a B.A. Paris!

I listened to this entire audiobook today while performing my regular Saturday chores around the house. I ended up cleaning things that didn’t even need cleaning. I had to know how this was going to turn out.

I came nowhere near predicting the end, although I don’t generally try to do that. I like to just go along for the ride and let the author take me where they choose.

I will admit, toward the beginning, feeling frustrated with Alice. She’s a bit bullheaded and I just couldn’t understand why she was so fixated on Nina. However, I was satisfied with how that was ultimately explained and as I grew to know Alice, it made a lot more sense.

The intensity definitely continued to build at a nice steady pace as the story went on. There’s a lot of suspects!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

B.A. Paris is definitely one of my go-to Domestic Thriller authors and I had a blast with this one!

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