Posts Tagged 'secrets'

So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen

Published December 13, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Holiday Romance

When Finley decides last minute to go home to her hometown of Christmas, Oklahoma from boarding school she finds that everything has changed and not for the better. Her parents have separated and her mother has been out of town for weeks and her father moved into her grandmother’s inn. Meanwhile her best friend is now dating her ex-boyfriend. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t feel like she has fit in at all in her new school. She has been bullied and struggled to keep up academically. She just doesn’t belong anywhere. Meanwhile, she had spruced up her town’s website so that her classmates wouldn’t realize how run down it has gotten and that led to a classmate and his aunt coming for the Christmas holiday. Arthur was none too pleased when he figured out that much of what she bragged about was unfounded as he is from England and was hoping to show his aunt a traditional American Christmas. Finely promises to do her best to plan some wholesome Christmas activities, but she isn’t sure how she is going to pull it all off. Plus, Arthur doesn’t seem as annoying as he had at school. Is there a chance they have anything in common? Is there any chance she can reconcile her parents? Should she return to school?

This holiday romance is a fun treat for romance lovers. Finley is a very relatable girl just trying to find her place in the world and feels like everything is just going wrong. The characters are all charming and developed, especially Arthur (the love interest), and her grandmother (who runs the inn). Even people who have never been to a small town at Christmas will be enchanted by the adventures they have because it feels right out of a Hallmark movie. The ending is satisfying and realistic, but with a lot of Christmas magic. Recommended for anyone looking for a fun holiday read.

The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic

Published November 7, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Lovett is a silkwitch, which means she has magical powers in the strands of her hair. Each silkwitch is different and Lovett’s ability is that she can open any door no matter what. Lovett has been on her own awhile and gets by by stealing from the rich and hiding in the shadows so no one realizes she is an unwed silkwitch. If she does not find a weaver husband she will be forced to work in the cloisters. One day she walks into a trap set by the son of a weaver, Eliot Lear. Eliot offers Lovett an appealing offer. She must join the vainglory, or competition for the prince to find a bride. It is only for silkwitches since the prince must marry a silkwitch in order to maintain the family power. There was a vainglory the year before that ended in tragedy when Eliot’s sister was suddenly killed. He wants Lovett to infiltrate the competition to find out what really happened to his sister and in return he promises he will find her a suitable match so that she never has to go to the cloisters. Lovett isn’t used to being the one getting played, but ultimately agrees since this could save her future. Once she gets to the castle everything seems darker and more sinister. The prince is nice enough but the King is very intimidating and seems to predict her every move. Can Lovett find out what happened to Eliot’s sister without being found out for who she truly is? Will she manage to escape the cloisters? Will the prince take a liking to Lovett, which would be problematic because he doesn’t know who she truly is or what her motives are?

This fantasy story is exciting and has many twists and turns as Lovett gets deeper into this wealthy world. The other silkwitches all have secrets and special abilities just like Lovett which makes it hard to know who is telling the truth and who has ulterior motives as well. Eliot is an interesting character too. He clearly wants to know the truth about what happened to his sister, but it seems there are other secrets he is keeping as one of those closest to the prince. Meanwhile, Lovett finds there are many secrets to be unearthed in the castle, but it doesn’t take long before she gets warnings to stop digging or else. Readers will want to see more from these characters. Recommended for fantasy readers, especially fantasy romance readers.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Published September 5, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Jet is a 27 year old woman who is still trying to find her path in life. In the meantime, she is living with her parents and trying not to fight with her brother too much on how he is running the family business. Jet does suffer from a kidney condition that she inherited from her father and lately, she has noticed that his symptoms seem to be getting worse. On the night of the Halloween carnival, Jet returns home early to an empty house and is attacked from behind by someone who had been waiting for her. She is struck three times in the head with a hammer and left for dead. She does not die, but after waking up many hours later she learns that the hammer damaged her skull in a way that an aneurysm will kill her in less than a week. She realizes she has the rare opportunity to solve her own murder and sets out to do so with her good friend and longtime neighbor. As her symptoms start to worsen, she becomes more frantic to find out why someone would want her dead. Can she solve her murder before it is too late? Are there other shady things going on with her family that will also come to light? Can she ever find peace with the fact that her life was cut so short?

This mystery story is every bit as exciting as Holly Jackson’s other titles. As Jet investigates she finds out so many secrets that those around her never wanted to come to light. She also slowly starts to realize that she could not trust many of the people she has known for years, which is very disheartening to learn. The ending is fresh and exciting and will leave readers surprised (and that is saying something considering some of Jackson’s other titles). There are a few people introduced quickly at the beginning that can get confusing to keep straight, but ultimately each character has a purpose. Highly recommended for fans of mystery authors such as April Henry and Harlan Coben.

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

Published July 1, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Amy and her best friend, Sarah, have been looking forward to senior year (and more specifically) the week prior to the rest of the students coming where they get to set up their room, go to parties, etc. Things don’t go as planned, however, when Amy wakes up to find Sarah and her boyfriend stabbed to death in Sarah’s room. Quickly, things spiral out of control as Amy must account for how she could have slept through such terrible murders while she was in the same suite. Meanwhile, Liz, the outcast newspaper editor wants to be the first to break the story, but finds herself blocked everywhere she turns. She has never felt more like the scholarship kid/outsider than she does as she watches everyone close ranks around these terrible events. Eventually, Amy and Liz decide to try to work together in order to find out what truly happened that fateful night. Can they find out the truth? Will they ever find anyone who can truly be trusted? How well did Amy really know her best friend?

This mystery story is fast paced and exciting all the way through. The setup is described well so it is believable how this could have happened while Amy was so close by. The motivations of all the characters are also understandable and it is easy to see why it takes so long for all of the pertinent facts to come out. Senior year carries a lot of the stresses, insecurities, and questions about the future no matter if you go to a local public school or a fancy boarding school and this book does a nice job of showcasing that. The final reveal is very satisfying and exciting which will leave mystery lovers wanting to see more from this author. Recommended for those who enjoy April Henry or liked The Counselors by the same author.

Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias

Published May 6, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Suspense/Mystery

Carina is looking to start over after a mysterious incident left her a social pariah back home. She takes the opportunity to be a nanny for a wealthy and powerful family in Jamaica. Her mother originally comes from Jamaica but for some reason has never wanted Carina to go so she must keep her whereabouts secret. The moment she steps foot into the beautiful house where she will be working she notices mysterious things, such as the scent of honeysuckle, and begins to wonder if there is a ghost haunting her. Other workers also believe there is a mysterious force that keeps renovations from progressing, items getting destroyed, and extreme heat, amongst other things. One friend even offers to take Carina to a local woman who claims to be able to help with such supernatural occurrences. Meanwhile, Carina starts to realize that the perfect family she works for has some dark secrets of their own. Is there someone out to get her? Is there anyone she can trust at this estate? Can she get to the bottom of who is haunting her before it is too late?

This suspenseful supernatural story will keep readers guessing until the end because there is so much going on. Carina is clearly running away from something at home, but what that is and how she came to be in Jamaica remain mysterious for much of the book. The Hall family and their beautiful estate also harbor some secrets of their own, which is why Carina often feels a supernatural presence. Is the presence someone from Carina’s past or the Hall’s past? Does it mean to harm them or reveal inconvenient truths? Fans of supernatural mysteries will love the setting and vast array of characters and will find the ending exciting and satisfying.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez

Published February 4, 2025 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Historical Fiction

Inez lives in Buenos Aires with her aunt and cousins. Her parents spend half the year in Argentina and half in Egypt where they work with archeologists. Inez has longed to go with them since she can remember, but her parents have always told her she must remain in Argentina. Suddenly, her father sends her a package that only contains a gold rings. When her parents are lost and presumed dead she goes against everyone’s wishes and makes the long journey to Egypt. She is met by her uncle’s employee, Whit, who has been told to put her on the next boat back to Argentina. However, Inez cannot be handled that easily and decides she isn’t ready to go home yet. She manages to make it to the hotel her parents stayed at and finally sees her Uncle. Her Uncle is not happy to see her and tries over and over to send her back home, but Inez feels she can be useful to the work they are doing, especially since she can now detect items that belonged to Cleopatra after trying on the ring her father sent her. Could he have sent her Cleopatra’s ring? Why did he send it when he believed so strongly in keeping artifacts where they originated? Did he know his life was in danger and is that why he sent her the ring? Will she and Whit ever get along or will he always see her as a nuisance?

This historical fiction story is fun and full of adventure. Readers will enjoy the unusual setting for a historical fiction novel and become invested in Inez and her quest for the truth. There are several supporting characters and there’s definitely a feeling of unease about who can be trusted, but even at the end of this first novel it remains unclear whose motivations are honest and who might be waiting to betray Inez. There is a touch of romance as well, so anyone who enjoys romances set in unique time periods will also like that aspect of it. The ending feels exciting and not too rushed, while also leaving the door open to a very exciting sequel.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Published December 3, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery and Historical Fiction

In 1956, Marion Brooks is a dance teacher living with her sister and father in New York City. When she is unceremoniously fired for allowing her young students to have a little fun in their ballet class and her long time boyfriend indicates that he is planning to propose, she decides she wants to do something daring to feel like she has some control over her life. So, she goes to an open call for auditions to be a Rockette. Surprising even herself, she makes it to the final round and is chosen to be a Rockette dancer. Her father is not supportive, however, and believes that she needs to get married and settle down so that he doesn’t need to worry about her anymore. She disobeys and moves to a boarding house that is just for young ladies either working on Broadway or trying to get hired to be a performer of some kind. She finds the Rockette practices challenging because they require such uniformity, but she knows she can do this and she believes her mother, who died when she was young, would’ve wanted her to follow her dreams. Meanwhile, a serial bomber has been terrorizing the city for years and the police seem no closer to catching this person. When a bomb goes off in Radio City Music Hall, she meets a young doctor who has been working on a new brand of science: profiling. She believes that if they work together they might be able to find the bomber, but can they do it without becoming targets themselves?

This historical fiction book follows an intriguing time period in 1950s New York where women’s paths were beginning to have more avenues, but there were still a lot of traditional expectations placed on them. Marion’s dad does not like the idea of women working in any field except as a secretary, teacher, or nurse. Therefore, he feels Marion getting a job as a dancer is ridiculous and unnecessary when she could just get married. It’s very interesting to watch these young women try to push the boundaries of what is appropriate for them in this time period, while also wanting to stay safe and respected. Marion has to choose between a safe path and a more adventurous one and she chooses the latter, even if that means she might find herself in the bomber’s path and without familial support. Recommended for anyone who enjoys books about unique settings and time periods in history.

Such Charming Liars by Karen M McManus

Published November 12, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Kat and her mom, Jamie, have lived with Gem since Kat was four and they fled her abusive father. Gem runs a jewelry forgery business and Jamie has realized that this is not the life she wants for her daughter and has asked to leave the business. Gem says if she does one more job she can leave it all behind her. Jamie is supposed to switch out a valuable necklace at a wealthy man’s birthday party while dressed as wait staff. On their way to the party, though, they run into Luke, whom Jamie was married to for 48 hours years ago, and his son, Liam. Undeterred, Jamie vows to get in and do the job so they can have a fresh start. Unfortunately, it becomes clear that Jamie will not be able to perform the switch due to circumstances beyond their control, and Kat is forced to step in for her. As she approaches the wealthy guests, she sees Luke is now dating the daughter of the wealthy billionaire having the birthday party and knows it is part of a grift, but as long as no one gets in her way she does not care what Luke and Liam are up to. Then, a terrible tragedy happens that completely upends the party and locks down the estate. What will happen is Kat can’t switch the necklace? Will she and Jamie get embroiled in the latest scandal to befall this family? Is there any way for Liam and Kat to work together and possibly reconnect their sibling relationship lost long ago?

Fans of McManus’s One of Us is Lying will enjoy this title from beginning to end. There are many twists and turns in the story as it slowly becomes clear who is working against each other and how the plans for each character get altered along the way. Kat and Liam have both had unconventional childhoods, but both are resourceful and resilient with every new challenge that comes their way. The supporting characters are all interesting with ulterior motives, but there is a lot going on so the final resolution may take some readers by surprise. The setting has a fun, throwback feel like the Clue Mansion and there are lots of places for the characters to explore while they are stuck on this property. Recommended for readers looking for light, well developed mysteries.

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Barnes

Published October 29, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

The Grandest Game is an elite competition created by Avery Grambs and the four Hawthorne brothers where one lucky winner wins multi millions. It’s not easy to join or win the competition, however. A few contestants are chosen by Avery and the rest must follow clues in order to earn a ticket to play. Once the 7 contestants are chosen and make their way to the competition, on an island, it becomes clear that the clues will be challenging and they will be forced to work in groups for the first round. Anyone not completed by sunrise will be eliminated from the competition. Each player has their own motivations for wanting to win, and of course they all have secrets they would prefer everyone didn’t know. How can they trust anyone, even people they are assigned to work with? In a group of highly motivated people, how can anyone find a way to get ahead?

Fans of the Inheritance Games series will enjoy this title because it is all riddles, games, and clues in an exciting format. As the game progresses, the reader learns more about each character, why they are here, and what their motivations are. The clues and puzzles are especially interesting in the Grandest Game and would be amazing to see visually in a movie. The ending is satisfying, but many readers will be disappointed that this is only the first challenge of this game. Highly recommended for fans of the series.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Published September 13, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Fantasy

Paedyn Gray has been passing as a psychic ever since her father was brutally murdered in their home. In her kingdom, if you don’t have a magical ability you are banished or worse, so it is imperative that no one find out she’s an Ordinary. When she inadvertently saves the life of a prince everyone suddenly takes notice of her and she is forced to join the Purging Trials. The Purging Trials is a brutal competition in which Elites show their power by using their magical abilities to win dangerous events in which some do not survive. Once Paedyn begins the Purging Trials she becomes close with both princes, Kai and Kitt. Kai is the enforcer of the kingdom and is used by his father to murder or banish those he feels unworthy to live there. Kitt, on the other hand, will one day be king and tends to show more compassion and sympathy toward his subjects, but he also believes his father’s way is the only way and has no plans to change anything once he ascends the throne. Meanwhile, there is an underground movement to overthrow the king due to his ruthless tactics and malicious laws and as Paedon gets to know those around her in the Elites she can’t help but feel torn between these two groups. What would happen if Kai and Kitt found out she had ties to the rebels? Who was behind her father’s murder and can she find a way to avenge him? What will happen if the Elites find out she is truly an Ordinary?

Fans of fantasy series will love this book as it combines popular elements such as magical abilities, ruthless competitions, corrupt kings, and of course secrets. The characters are all well developed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to change and grow as secrets are revealed. The ending is well developed as the plot twists reveal everyone is hiding something and their relationships will be forever changed. Fans of The Testing series, The Red Queen series, and other similar fantasy series will enjoy this book and be racing to get the next one in the series.

All That’s Left to Say by Emery Lord

Published September 5, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery/Realistic Fiction

Hannah lost her best friend in the world when her cousin, Sophie, suddenly overdosed. Everyone was totally blindsided and couldn’t believe that Sophie would use drugs. Blinded by grief, Hannah decided to change her appearance and enroll in Sophie’s private school in order to find out who gave Sophie those pills on that fateful night. Somehow, meeting all of Sophie’s friends is much harder than Hannah expected and finding the truth continues to elude her. Plus, many of these kids have wealthy parents so every time she tries to get close to learning something new she knows they will have resources to protect them. When prom night comes and she finds herself in the principal’s office, drenched, fighting for her right to stay at this school she knows that her secret investigation will become public knowledge. How will she ever find Sophie’s possible killer if everyone knows she is her cousin? Will she lose all of the friends she has made due to her lies? How well did she really know Sophie?

The premise of this book is intriguing, but the reality is much more about drug trends than the mystery of Sophie’s death. In many ways it’s good to have books out there that discuss the rising opioid crisis among teens and the devastating repercussions for them and their families, but fans looking for a suspenseful mystery may find the ending a tad unexpected. The very realistic handling of this tough subject is great for all of us to be aware of and the growth of Hannah’s character throughout the story really shows how complicated this issue really is. Recommended for students and parents looking for a real, true discussion about the current opioid crisis.

The Girls From Hush Cabin by Marie Hoy-Kenny

Published April 4, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Calista, Holly, Zoe, and Denise were best friends at the summer camp they went to every summer and they loved their camp counselor, Violet. A tragedy strikes the camp and forces it to close and a few years go by as they finish up high school and slowly drift apart from each other. Then, one of them learns that Violet has died tragically and they all come together again to go to the funeral. At the funeral they are stunned to learn Violet died by drowning because she was a very strong swimmer. Even more shocking is that her appearance has completely changed and they almost don’t recognize her. They start to become concerned that this might not have been an accident. Despite the fact they all have things they need to get back to, they decide to stick around and find ways to investigate what happened on their own. They are forced to face the reality that Violet was not perfect and in many ways manipulated the girls in their youth. Can they get to the bottom of what happened to Violet? Can they reconcile the past and become good friends again?

This mystery has an interesting premise and four strong main characters. The details of the past are slowly revealed until it becomes clear what led to the close of the camp they all loved so much. They all have things they are dealing with at home as well. The final reveal won’t be satisfying to some mystery readers, but it does explain everything and gives hope to the four characters that they’ll be able to move on from this. Recommended for fans who enjoy mysteries.

The Night in Question: An Agathas Mystery by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Larson

Published March 22, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Iris and Alice are back in this new Agathas mystery and their friendship seems stronger than ever despite their very different backgrounds. While attending a school dance at the infamous local Levy Castle they can’t help but feel a little haunted by the fact that a famous actress, Mona Moody, died mysteriously at this very place in the 1940s. When a bizarre attack happens to a girl in their class, they find themselves in the center of another mystery and despite their success in helping to solve their friend Brooke’s murder (in the previous book), no one wants or seems to appreciate their help. The police seem to be focused on the friend who was found at the scene holding the murder weapon, but Alice does not think she is capable of something so heinous. Plus, Alice finds it curious that all of the Mona Moody archives that had been on loan from the historical society appear to have been rifled through at the attack scene. Is it possible the two cases are connected? Can they find a way to help find the right person who committed this attack? What surprises might they find inside this castle?

Fans of traditional mysteries will enjoy this title because there are a lot of references to old mystery tropes such as hidden staircases, old diaries, etc. The characters have developed a bit more in this novel too and it’s understandable why Iris’s mom might be hesitate about her new friendship with Alice as well as why Alice’s relationship with her own parents is so complicated. The resolution is interesting and holds up with the facts presented and there’s still room for more sequels as it is obvious there is more to learn about the main characters. Fun for mystery fans, especially those who like Agatha Christie.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph

Published January 24, 2024 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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                  Genre: Suspenseful Thriller

Sam Hall was a child tv star until tragedy struck and he stepped away. Rumors have plagued him ever since as no one really knows the truth about what happened to his family and why he wanted to quit acting. Sam and his friends have a yearly tradition where they go into an abandoned hut in the woods on Halloween and reveal their innermost secrets. They believe it is cathartic and will help them heal, but this year their session was interrupted by screaming and someone throwing eggs at the hut that are filled with blood. They are all justifiably scared by this, but they convince themselves it was a Halloween prank and try to move on. Soon, however, they all start receiving creepy messages from someone named Sasha and it is quickly revealed that this “Sasha” has something to do with one of their secrets. It becomes clear that someone knows the secrets they revealed in the dark that night and they are coming to life to haunt them. None of them want to seek help because then they would have to reveal their innermost secrets, but as the threats become more serious they wonder if they have any choice and what lengths the person behind this will truly go to in order to get what they want. Would this person actually harm them? Is there any way to confront their attacker without having to let the entire world know their darkest secrets?

This story was surprisingly creepy and suspenseful. The threats are intricate and keep getting spookier and spookier. Eventually, they do bring in their families, but their reaction to the threats is very unexpected and helps build up to the climax of the story. Most readers will find the ending satisfying, but it is still a little crazy who is behind it and how far they were willing to go to terrify these teenagers. The story does send a positive message about how bad things happen to everyone and it’s important to try to heal, move forward, and look at any positivity that may have come from the bad things. Many teens often feel like everyone else has it all together and they are the ones struggling when in reality everyone has stuff they are dealing with. Recommended for fans of more suspenseful mysteries. 

Reign by Katharine McGee

Published November 15, 2023 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Romance

In this fourth and final chapter of the American Royals series, Jeff and Daphne are getting married because Daphne told Jeff she’s pregnant (which is a lie). Beatrice is still in a coma from the accident she suffered in the last book and Sam doesn’t know right away about her sister’s accident because she had run off with her boyfriend to live a quiet life on the beach. Once she learns that her sister has not woken up yet she rushes to her side only to find that in her absence Jeff has been named the acting King and she has been completely left out in the cold. She must prove herself to be accepted back into the family business, but is that something she really wants? Meanwhile, Jeff is suddenly forced into the principal position of power and he begins to wonder if anyone really knows who he is at all or if they just see him as the royal heir? Nina is doing great in college and trying to shed her feelings for Jeff after learning of his engagement, but try as she might she cannot avoid romance for long. How will this riveting series end for these characters?

This final chapter of the alternate America Katharine McGee has created is everything readers will want it to be. There is action, romance, drama, surprises, and so much more. Plus, while the book does offer hope for all of the characters it comes with realistic expectations and outcomes. Fans who have followed this series will be very pleased with how this book remains faithful to the characters while also moving the story along.

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