NetGalley Check-in #1

Hello Readers

I have seen quite a few book-bloggers doing NetGalley check-in where they share the titles that they are having on the shelf. So, I thought of doing this check in as well.

FEEDBACK RATIO- 40%

BOOKS ON MY SHELF – 9

THE SHADOW MAN- Helen Fields

The brand new crime thriller from the bestselling author of the Perfect series – Helen Fields is back with her first stand-alone novel!
He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.
Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go. Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth. Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.
 And he’s watching. 

THE BETRAYAL- Terry Lynn Thomas

Attorney Olivia Sinclair is shocked when she receives an anonymous video showing her husband Richard sleeping with someone else. After years of handling other people’s divorces, she thought she could recognize a marriage in trouble.
She angrily throws Richard out of the home they share. But days later she’s arrested—for the murder of his mistress.
Olivia knows she’s innocent but, with all the evidence pointing at her and an obvious motive, she must find the real killer to clear her name.
She may be used to dealing with messy divorces, but this one will be her most difficult case yet. Olivia’s husband has already betrayed her—but would he set her up for murder?

THE STRANGER IN MY BED- Karen King

‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’
When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream had become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.
But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger? 

THE LAST ONE HOME- Victoria Helen Stone

A razor-sharp novel of suspense about the lies families tell—and those we choose to believe—by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe.
Lauren Abrams wants nothing to do with her damaged mother, whose spurious testimony sent Lauren’s father to prison for murder years ago. After a serial killer’s confession to the crime restored justice, Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother. Now an adult, Lauren has come home to the Sacramento family estate for good, her mother’s lies be damned…
It’s been decades since Donna made her cheating boyfriend pay, but she hasn’t forgotten the past. She knows her estranged daughter has made a terrible mistake by returning to the estate. There’s more to the story of the welcoming old homestead—and her childhood—than Lauren knows.
As Lauren settles in, she is haunted by the questions of what really happened with her father, what her mother might be hiding, and what secrets the family ranch holds. It’s getting so dark, Lauren may not be able to see the truth to save her life.

LOVE ALMOST- Hayley Doyle

Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. But when Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, she is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started. Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own.

THE OPEN HOUSE- Sam Carrington

Everyone’s welcome. But not everyone leaves
Nick and Amber Miller are splitting up and selling their Devon family home. But despite the desirable location, the house isn’t moving. Not a single viewing so far.
When their estate agent suggests an open house event, Amber agrees, even as she worries about their gossiping neighbors attending and snooping around their home.
But Amber has more to worry about than nosy neighbors. Because thirteen people enter her house that afternoon, and only twelve leave.
Someone doesn’t want the house to sell, and is willing to do anything to stop it…

THE MIDNIGHT CIRCUS- Jane Yolen

Welcome to the Midnight Circus – and watch your step. The dark imaginings of fantasy icon Jane Yolen are not for the faint of heart. In these sixteen brilliantly unnerving tales and poems, Central Park becomes a carnival where you can – but probably shouldn’t – transform into a wild beast. The Red Sea will be deadly to cross due to a plague of voracious angels. Meanwhile, the South Pole is no place for even a good man, regardless of whether he is living or dead.
Wicked, solemn, and chilling, the circus is ready for your visit – just don’t arrive late.

A DARK AND SECRET PLACE- Jen Williams

For readers of Jane Harper and Rachel Caine comes a chilling thriller from award-winning author Jen Williams about a woman who discovers her late mother had been secretly corresponding with a serial killer for decades.
When prodigal daughter Heather Evans returns to her family home after her mother’s baffling suicide, she makes an alarming discovery–stacks and stacks of carefully preserved letters from notorious serial killer Michael Reave. The “Red Wolf,” as he was dubbed by the press, has been in prison for over twenty years, serving a life sentence for the gruesome and ritualistic murders of several women across the country, although he has always protested his innocence. The police have had no reason to listen, yet Heather isn’t the only one to have cause to re-examine the murders. The body of a young woman has just been found, dismembered and placed inside a tree, the corpse planted with flowers. Just as the Red Wolf once did.
What did Heather’s mother know? Why did she kill herself? And with the monstrous Red Wolf safely locked inside a maximum security prison, who is stalking young women now? Teaming up with DI Ben Parker, Heather hopes to get some answers for herself and for the newest victims of this depraved murderer. Yet to do that, she must speak to Michael Reave herself, and expose herself to truths she may not be ready to face. Something dark is walking in the woods, and it knows her all too well.

THE GOOD SISTER- Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law, delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters.
From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one, with a home and a husband and a fierce desire to become a mother. Fern is the quirky one, the free spirit, the librarian who avoids social interaction and whom the world might just describe as truly odd. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern’s protector from the time they were small.
Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn’t realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.
Spine tingling, creepy, utterly compelling and unpredictable, The Good Sister is about the ties that bind sisters together…and about the madness that lurks where you least expect it

Are you reading or excited to read any of these titles?

Advertisement

𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 (REVIEW)

✨𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨
𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 BY 𝘼𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙠
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
▪️
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞- Poetry
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭- 240

“𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐛𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬.”

Sorry I haven’t texted you back by Alicia Cook explores themes of depression, anxiety, heartbreak. I’ve a lot to say about the way she has put her feelings into words.
I am still astonished by the author’s understanding about what goes on in an individual’s mind when they are suffering from depression and anxiety.
Although I couldn’t connect to a couple of poems but I feel that there was something magical and powerful in the writing style.
The thing I liked the most about this book was that the poems were written in the form of tracks (Track 1, Track 2) and each track had a song associated with the poem. I’ve already added a couple of songs to my playlist.
I loved the concept of the book and I feel that both the sides (Side A and B) worked pretty well but I loved Side B more as compared to Side A.
I’ve written a couple of poems in my reading journal so that I could re-visit those beautiful lines again.
I’m sharing some of my favourite lines from the book—
🍂𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭,
𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦.
𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐞.
🍂𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.
𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔s to Netgalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Alicia Cook 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠.