Nightcap Books

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BOOK INFO
Title: The Women
Author: S.E. Lynes
Publisher: Bookouture
Publish Date: May 21, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 4.40

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
The night she moves in with Peter, she’s so happy, so exhilarated, so in love. Later, she will remember a much smaller feeling, a tiny one percent in her gut. And she will remember pushing that feeling aside…

Samantha Frayn doesn’t know why Peter Bridges picks her – a nobody with bitten fingernails and a troubled childhood behind her – but she falls quickly. He’s older, charming, likes fine wine and French films, and his beautiful home has real art on its walls.

Peter transforms Samantha’s life in an instant. He sees the better version of herself – the one she’s always wanted to be. It’s only normal that there’s a little friction, when she moves in, over domestic matters like where things are kept, or the proper times to eat, sleep and shower. She’s lucky to be with someone who can help her find a new job, move on from childish friends, and speak with greater sophistication.

But as Samantha notices, more and more, Peter’s temper, she starts to wonder if there might be consequences to breaking the rules of the world he has so quickly built around her.

And then she receives an anonymous note that makes her ask: is she the first woman to feel trapped by Peter? Is she being paranoid, manipulated, or could she be in danger?

You can tell the truth about your life, but someone needs to be listening. Someone needs to trust you. And someone needs to save you from the man you thought you loved.

MY REVIEW
Samantha falls for Peter. Peter is quite a bit older than Samantha, and, at first, it seems like he is an encouraging and sophisticated man. After moving in together and having a baby, Samantha realizes Peter isn’t as great as she thought.

This book opens with Samantha and Peter on their honeymoon. It then goes back to when Samantha met Peter, a professor at her university. They get serious quickly, moving in together and having a baby. On Peter’s insistence, Samantha takes a job teaching a creative writing class. She soon starts receiving anonymous notes that lead her to believe Peter isn’t the dream man she envisioned.

A story of lies, manipulation, and control. An entertaining and fast-paced psychological thriller.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means I may receive a very small commission, at no cost to you, if you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase.

BOOK INFO
Title: No Exit
Author: Taylor Adams
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: January 15, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 4.11

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm… and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?

With exquisitely controlled pacing, Taylor Adams diabolically ratchets up the tension with every page. Full of terrifying twists and hairpin turns, No Exit will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless.

MY REVIEW
Darby is driving home to see her dying mother when she gets caught in a blizzard. Having to exit the road, Darby pulls into a rest area to wait out the storm. Inside the building are some vending machines, restrooms, and four strangers. Darby needs to contact her family, but there is no cell reception. When she wanders outside trying to get a signal, she makes a horrifying discovery. In the van parked next to her is a little girl in a cage. With no cell reception and no way to contact anyone for help, Darby must decide what to do.

An intriguing and suspenseful novel. Darby stumbles across something that is clearly not right, but she’s not sure what to do. She knows she needs to find out who the girl is and why she’s locked in a cage. Beyond that, she must discover which of the strangers is behind it. How to find everything out without drawing attention to herself is the trick.

This reads almost like a closed room mystery. It’s not a closed room, instead it’s a rest area that no one can leave due to weather. With no outside contact, Darby is left with only her wits to save the little girl.

An exciting thriller with interesting characters and an amazing atmosphere. My only complaint has to do with the ending… so, I won’t post it to keep this spoiler free. Otherwise, this is a top-notch thriller. Complex, gripping, and binge-worthy.

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.