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What if the nightmares are actually memories?

It’s been a year since Poppy’s husband, Jack, was murdered during his morning run through Manhattan’s Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn’t recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?

The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts, unable to distinguish between what is real and what she’s imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband’s death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?

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MY REVIEW

Poppy is grieving the loss of her husband. It has been a year since he was murdered, and the case has not been solved. Soon after her husband’s death, Poppy disappeared from her family and friends for a few days. She never told them where she was or what she was doing, and, in fact, Poppy has blocked those days from her memory. Now that Poppy is attempting to move on, she wants to remember those days, and feels that if only she could regain her memories, she could discover what happened to her husband.

Poppy is a mess of a character. She is, understandably, devastated with the loss of her husband. She self-medicates and drinks too much to deal with her depression. The mixing of pills and alcohol causes Poppy to suffer from blackouts. She thinks that someone is following her, but she’s not sure who or why. Since she’s not the most stable person, it’s hard to believe if she’s really in danger. When Poppy seems to be onto something that may lead to answers, she self-destructs. It’s frustrating, but gripping.

Under My Skin is told from Poppy’s viewpoint, which is confusing and chaotic. An engaging and unpredictable psychological thriller. Dark, suspenseful, and twisty.

I received a digigtal copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Lisa Unger:

1. The Red Hunter
2. Under My Skin
3. The Stranger Inside
4. Confessions on the 7:45
5. Last Girl Ghosted
6. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
7. Christmas Presents
8. The New Couple in 5B

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A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.

A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.

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MY REVIEW

Cora and her husband host a birthday party for their two year old twins, and things go downhill quickly afterwards. Cora discovers a journal of her neighbor’s daughter that reveals a secret. Soon after, the neighbor’s daughter goes missing.

As one weekend’s events unravel, the lives of multiple families are changed. The story opens with a birthday party for toddlers, where Cora has invited family and friends to celebrate her young children. The guests include Cora’s mother Sarah, her friend Jade, and her neighbor Laurel. Each of these women has something going on in her life that they haven’t been able to discuss with anyone else.

Central to the story is Cora, a married mom of toddler twins. She lost her sister, Maggie, in a tragic accident years earlier, and still has trouble dealing with that loss. The loss of Maggie also greatly affected her mother, Sarah, and friend, Jade. The current emotions and actions of these women can be traced back to the night they lost a loved one.

We Were Mothers uses multiple points of view from Cora, Sarah, Jade, and Laurel to tell the story. This book is part women’s fiction and part suspense. Some of the issues the women are dealing with are very real, as is the feeling of having no one to talk to about those issues. One of the things I liked about this book was the women’s desire to protect their children, and how most of their actions are related to the fact that they are mothers. We Were Mothers is a fitting title for the book.

The suspense part of We Were Mothers comes from Laurel’s missing daughter. There are, of course, other events going on, but it seems one missing college student starts the unraveling process.

Some of the topics throughout We Were Mothers deal with motherhood, domestic abuse, and adultery. A good read for fans of family drama and suspense. This book does have a bit of a slow start, and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, but it was still a good, light read.

Books by Katie Sise:

1. We Were Mothers
2. Open House
3. The Break

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An addictive psychological thriller about a group of women whose lives become unexpectedly connected when one of their newborns goes missing.

A night out. A few hours of fun. That’s all it was meant to be.

They call themselves the May Mothers—a group of new moms whose babies were born in the same month. Twice a week, they get together in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for some much-needed adult time.

When the women go out for drinks at the hip neighborhood bar, they want a fun break from their daily routine. But on this hot Fourth of July night, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is taken from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but her fellow May Mothers insisted everything would be fine. Now he is missing. What follows is a heart-pounding race to find Midas, during which secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are destroyed. 

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MY REVIEW

The May Mothers are a mommy group. They all gave birth in the same month, and now get together to share the joys and fears of being new moms. The group normally meets at the park with their babies, but they decide to go out for drinks one night. One of the mothers, a single mom, is hesitant to leave her little one with a babysitter. The others convince her everything will be fine, but she returns home to find her baby has been abducted. As the new moms fall under suspicion for their night out, relationships are tested.

A relevant topic of a group of new moms that meet on the internet and start a mom group to form friendships, receive advice and support, and get out of the house for a while. Being a new mom is stressful, and moms tend to question and compare themselves, and their kids, to others. The Perfect Mother does a good job of illustrating the pressures we put on ourselves for the unattainable role of perfect mother.

Not all of the members of the May Mothers are central to the plot. The characters, whether they are more fleshed out or not, are all relatable. Nell, Francie, and Collette, are especially well-developed. Sometimes stories with multiple characters can get a little confusing, but the characters are easy to keep up with in this one.

The Perfect Mother is a gripping psychological thriller. Great read for fans of domestic thrillers, especially ones with missing children. Disturbing, complex, and suspenseful.

Books by Aimee Molloy:

1. The Perfect Mother
2. Goodnight Beautiful

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Murder, even in self-defense, is a preemptive act. Raven Balback’s obsessive husband demands she return to their marriage. The frightened woman, partially paralyzed from her last encounter with him, flees. Unable to locate his wife, Cole burns the buildings that sheltered her in the past and endangers lives. Raven must decide whether to sacrifice herself for strangers or grasp for a life free of her vows.

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MY REVIEW

Raven is a disabled woman trying to escape from her abusive husband. Her husband, Cole, has contacts that make escaping from him very difficult. She manages to make her way to a new town, but when Cole is unable to locate her, he starts targeting innocent people to bring her out of hiding.

Raven is determined to get away from Cole. Though she is met with additional challenges due to her disabilities, she remains independent and resourceful. Her disabilities are physical (partial paralysis); however, she possesses all her mental faculties. A good thing, because Cole is coming after her with everything he’s got. Cole is methodical and cruel in his hunt for Raven. He is obsessed with her, and thinks he must control everything about her. The story focuses on Raven’s attempt to stay far away from Cole, but there are flashbacks that highlight some of the abusive and disturbing behavior she suffered while married to Cole.

The characters are mostly well developed. Personally, I didn’t care for Raven, though I did feel for her situation and wanted her to get away from Cole. She possesses several great traits in a female protagonist, like being strong-willed and enterprising, but she is also naive. Considering her position and her past experiences, it seems like she would be more discerning. As for Cole, he is really easy to hate. His behavior is frenzied and brutal. The supporting characters add to the story, with some being likable and others not so likable. Kelsey is a particularly maddening character, though very realistic. Hands down my favorite character is Millie, Raven’s service dog.

Reclaiming Raven is Mary Holt’s debut novel. A gripping thriller about a woman on the run. Dark, disturbing, and fast-paced.

I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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A wickedly dark debut thriller about three women who’ve all been involved with the same man and realize the one thing they have in common is that they all want revenge against him…

Divorces are often messy, and Imogen’s is no exception. Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and determined to make things as difficult as possible. When he shows up without warning demanding that Imogen move out of their house by the end of the month or he’ll sue for sole custody of their young son, Imogen is ready to snap.

In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable–something that puts her in control for the first time in years. She’s desperate to protect her son and to claim authority over her own life.

But she wasn’t expecting both Phillip’s ex-wife and new girlfriend to get tangled up in her plans. These three very different women–and unlikely allies–reluctantly team up to take revenge against a man who has wronged them all.

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MY REVIEW

Imogen and Phillip are getting divorced. They are both done with their marriage, but Phillip is making things more difficult with his controlling and abusive attitude. For one, Phillip is demanding Imogen and their son move out of the house by the end of the month, and every time she says no to his demands, Phillip threatens to sue for sole custody of their child. Imogen is frustrated and threatened with Phillip’s behavior, so much so, that she finally snaps when Phillip shows up unexpectedly at the house one night. When Phillip’s new girlfriend and his ex-wife also show up unexpectedly, things get even more complicated.

Told from Imogen’s point of view as she tries to deal with a controlling husband and a messy divorce. Imogen, frankly, seems a bit of a doormat. Until she’s not. She has been in an abusive marriage for years, but never felt she could do anything about it. Phillip is the abusive husband, and while he’s occasionally physically abusive, he’s always controlling and threatening. He’s the kind of character readers love to hate. The other women in Phillip’s life are his girlfriend, Naomi, and his ex-wife, Ruby. Naomi is young and beautiful, so, of course, Imogen hates her, even though she’s happy to finally be rid of Phillip. As Imogen gets to know Naomi a little better though, she learns all is not perfect in her and Phillip’s relationship either. Lastly, Ruby. The ex-wife and staunch supporter of Phillip.

I love a good revenge story, and this one seemed to have the right mix – three wronged women (wife, girlfriend, and ex-wife) and one narcissistic jerk. The Exes’ Revenge was an entertaining read, but not what I was expecting. Each woman has a different history with Phillip, and each woman has a different issue with him. Plus, Phillip has things happening in his life that the women aren’t even aware of. This makes for a story that is all over the place. While it starts out somewhat believable, it gets more outlandish as even more things happen.

With dark humor and some crazy situations, The Exes’ Revenge is a fast-paced, fun read. Entertaining, suspenseful, and twisty.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Jo Jakeman:

1. The Exes’ Revenge
2. Safe House

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A woman is forced to question her own identity in this riveting and emotionally charged thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie or have her delusions gotten the best of her?

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MY REVIEW

Jessie is on her own after her mother’s death. As she grieves the loss of her mother, Jessie moves into her own place and adjusts to life on her own. Unfortunately, Jessie soon learns something that makes her question everything. To complicate matters, Jessie has suffered from insomnia since her mother was dying in the hospital. Due to her lack of sleep, she starts having difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Jessie and Eden. Jessie is a young woman who suffers a great loss when her mother dies. Eden is her mother. Jessie’s story takes place after her mother’s death. Eden’s story takes place twenty years earlier, before Jessie.

Both stories are interesting. Eden’s story is about her desire to have a child, and the trouble she and her husband have with conceiving. Jessie’s story is about her starting out on her own, moving to a new place, applying to college, but also grieving the loss of her mother. When she learns something that makes her question everything, an intriguing mystery follows.

I’m not a big fan of alternate points of view, especially when they involve alternate timelines. It is nice to see how the pieces come together in the end, but the ending isn’t spectacular enough to make this a great read for me. I’ve seen a few reviews that complain of the ending for this one, but I felt it fit with the story being told.

A slow burn psychological thriller. Dark, tragic, and suspenseful.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Mary Kubica:

1. The Good Girl
2. Pretty Baby
3. Don’t You Cry
4. Every Last Lie
5. When the Lights Go Out
6. The Other Mrs.
7. Local Woman Missing
8. Just the Nicest Couple
9. She’s Not Sorry