2016 Book #98 – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: Practical Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Date finished: 10/16/16
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publication Date: June 3, 1995
Pages in book: 317 (paperback)
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: own it

Blurb from the cover:

For more than two hundred years, the Owens women had been blamed for everything that went wrong in their Massachusetts town. And Gillian and Sally endured that fate as well; as children, the sisters were outsiders. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, but all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One would do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they shared brought them back-almost as if by magic…

My rating: 4.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (October). This book was about Gillian and Sally Owens, sisters who go to live with their elderly aunts in Massachusetts after their parents death. Gillian and Sally are as different as two sisters can be, but it is their status in the town that ostracizes them from society and forces them to be closer than they might have otherwise. Because there’s something different about Gillian and Sally and their aunts too – they’re all Owens women and they’re all witches. As Sally and Gillian grew into women, neither of them end up where they thought they would be. Sally lives in NY with her 2 daughters and hasn’t seen her sister in years, though they talk on the phone regularly. And Gillian moves through relationships at break neck speed until she meets the one that can make her stay, even though he’s a heartless abusive bastard. And then one night Gillian shows up at Sally’s house with a dead guy in the car, and both sisters lives are changed.
Overall I really liked this book. I’ve read this one before and it was actually my book club pick for this month. This is one of my favorite books of all time, I love how magical it is. For any of you that have seen the movie, the book is very different from the movies. The story lines are very different but I’ve always felt like the idea behind the story line stayed true. I like that the book went into more detail with all of their lives, including Sally’s daughters. There is magic and danger and romance all combined in a great story about love family. This is a great read and I would recommend, especially for those who like a touch of magic in their reads.

The bottom line: I love this book, it is probably my all-time favorite book. It is very different than the movie but I love both the book and the movie! A great read and I would definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

12Oct2016

2016 Book #97 – Till I Kissed You by Laura Trentham

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Contemporary romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Till I Kissed You
Author: Laura Trentham
Date finished: 10/12/16
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 2, 2016
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: #3 in the Cottonbloom series
Where I got the book from: The Reading Room NOTE:I received this book for free from The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Regan Lovell grew up on the wealthy Mississippi side of Cottonbloom—and now, as mayor, she’s determined to save it from the fate of so many small towns. Part of her plan to help the local economy is the Labor Day tomato festival. If only she wasn’t being undermined by Sawyer Fournette, who’s planning a crayfish-themed celebration on the Louisiana side of the river on the very same weekend. The pranks and sabotage are getting out of hand, and she’s had it with him—no matter how much she enjoyed those stolen hours in his truck bed, so many years ago…
Sawyer knows that Regan’s never forgiven him for breaking her heart—but despite his reputation as a low-class swamp rat, he’d never hurt the woman who still secretly drives him crazy with desire. Someone in Cottonbloom has it out for her, though, and Sawyer intends to watch her back…and the rest of her too, if she can ever let go of her distrust. But will a common enemy be enough to unite them—and finally fulfill the promises they made one passionate night under the stars?

My rating: 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Regan Lovell and Sawyer Fournette. Once high school sweethearts, there is now no love lost between them. Ever since Regan caught Sawyer cheating when they were in college, Regan hasn’t been able to look back on her memories of Sawyer without bitter regret and anger clawing at her insides. And now that she’s mayor of Cottonbllom, Mississippi and Sawyer is commissioner of Cottonbloom, Louisiana, they have an excuse for their rivalry. Unfortunately it also throws them together on numerous occasions, which is why they end up spending more and more time together during the summer before their respective towns’ festivals. But when Regan begins to be threatened, Sawyer’s protective streak resurfaces and they’ll both be forced to face the fact that neither of them have really ever moved on from one another.
Overall I really liked this book. I liked the characters and I loved the great amount of tension the author created between the hero and the heroine. The two towns were quirky and full of interesting people. I did think that the ending was kind of an odd fit for the story and that the discovery of the “villain” of the story was a little anti-climactic. This is the third in the series though and after reading it I would definitely be interested in reading the other two books in the series, about Sawyer’s siblings. While at points a little slow, this was an endearing novel that I didn’t want to put down. I would definitely recommend, especially for anyone who is a fan of contemporary romance!

The bottom line: This was a sweet book. I liked the story line a lot and the author did a great job of creating tension between the hero and heroine. A good read, especially if you like romance novels.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

10Oct2016

2016 Book #96 – The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, Magical realism by rebeccabook17

Title: The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin
Author: Stephanie Knipper
Date finished: 10/9/16
Genre: Fiction, magical realism
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication Date: August 2, 2016
Pages in book: 325
Stand alone or series: Stand-alone
Where I got the book from: Library Thing NOTE: I received this book for free from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Sisters Rose and Lily Martin were inseparable when growing up on their family’s Kentucky flower farm yet became distant as adults when Lily found herself unable to deal with the demands of Rose’s unusual daughter. But when Rose becomes ill, Lily is forced to return to the farm and to confront the fears that had driven her away.
Rose’s daughter, ten-year-old Antoinette, has a form of autism that requires constant care and attention. She has never spoken a word, but she has a powerful gift that others would give anything to harness–she can heal with her touch. She brings wilted flowers back to life, makes a neighbor’s tremors disappear, and even changes the course of nature on the flower farm.
Antoinette’s gift, though, comes at a price, since each healing puts her own life in jeopardy. As Rose–the center of her daughter’s life–struggles with her own failing health and Lily confronts her anguished past, the sisters, and the men who love them, come to realize the sacrifices that must be made to keep this very special child safe.
Written with great heart and a deep understanding of what it feels like to be different, The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin is a novel about what it means to be family and about the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love.

My rating: 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Rose and Lily Martin and Rose’s daughter Antoinette. Rose and Lily have always had a special bond, even for sisters. And when Rose has Antoinette, Lily loves the little girl more than anything. But Lily sees a lot of herself in Antoinette and she is afraid of trying to help her sister care for a girl with special needs. So Lily leaves home and starts a life on her own. When Rose calls six years later though, its to ask once again for Lily to come home. Rose needs help more desperately than before, she’s dying and she’s not sure how much time she has left. But can Lily really come home that easily? And can she be responsible for such an extraordinary girl like Antoinette?
Overall I liked this book ok, though I will admit it wasn’t one of my favorites. I liked Antoinette’s character and I loved being able to hear her thoughts and her perspective even though she couldn’t speak, I thought that was an interesting part of the story. The story line of this book reminded me a lot of The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott, so if you’ve read that one and enjoyed it then I would definitely recommend reading this one. And if you like magical realism this is a great one to read.

The bottom line: I liked this book but I don’t think it thrilled me or anything. It was a good book though. If you liked The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott then I would definitely read this one!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

8Oct2016

2016 Book #95 – Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, For the love of books, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: Behind Closed Doors
Author: B.A. Paris
Date finished: 10/7/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: August 9, 2016
Pages in book: 304
Stand alone or series: Stand-alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Grace Angel, who is married to Jack Angel while she’s in her thirties. Grace’s sister Millie has Down Syndrome and after Millie graduates from her current school Grace will be responsible for her care and Millie will live with her. This is one of the main reasons why Grace hasn’t married yet, her previous boyfriends did not want to be responsible for Millie’s care. But Jack is different than all the other men, he really wants Millie to be a part of their lives. As the story unfolds, we are told parts alternating between the past and present, and towards the end of the book the past and present sort of overlap. Even from the first chapter the reader realizes there is something not quite right with the idyllic scene presented to us, though it takes a few minutes for us to put a finger on what’s wrong. As the chapters unfold though, our horror grows at what has happened to Grace’s life, and what may soon happen to Millie’s life as well.
Overall I really liked this book. I have to warn readers though, this book will turn your stomach. The abuse that Grace endures is not for the light of heart. This is definitely a book you will not be able to put down, and the ending will have you jumping and screaming at the suspense. Your mind may need a shower after this one though, the villain of the story is devious and undeniably evil. I was utterly terrified at the end, and because I was finishing it at 12:30am, I was afraid to close my eyes for the next half hour after I finished it. This is a terrifying book but it was a great read with an awesome ending. I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to get some parts of the story because of the abuse but the ending really knocked my socks off. I would definitely recommend!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

7Oct2016

2016 Book #94 – My Brown-Eyed Earl by Anna Bennett

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: My Brown-Eyed Earl
Author: Anna Bennett
Date finished: 10/4/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Pages in book: 352
Stand alone or series: #1 in the Wayward Wallflowers series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

NEVER SEND A DEBUTANTE
William Ryder, Earl of Castleton, is at the end of his noble rope. Not only has he broken ties with his longtime mistress, his mother has publicly announced her wish for him to marry a suitable young lady―if only to help him raise the twins left in his care. Hiring a governess should solve some of Will’s problems…but when he meets the candidate in question, he finds himself in an entirely new predicament.
TO DO A WALLFLOWER’S JOB
Miss Margaret Lacey is brainy, beautiful, and, once upon a time, Will’s betrothed. But she bowed out of the engagement―and, since then, has never been the same. A tragic accident robbed her of everything, and now, at age twenty-three, her marital prospects are slim to none. Penniless but not without pride, Meg convinces the vexingly handsome Will to hire her for the job. What neither of them could have expected from this arrangement, however, is an attraction that burns stronger than ever. Are these two lost souls finally ready to be schooled in the art of love?

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. Be sure to check out my Blog Tour post on this book, including an excerpt and a giveaway, here! This book tells the story of a Miss Margaret Lacey, a woman determined to obtain a governess position to keep her uncle out of debtor’s prison. Her uncle has been extremely generous taking Meg and both her orphan sisters into his household and supporting them after the death of their parents. Meg is determined not to be a burden though, and so she seeks a position that her friend had heard of in an Earl’s household, only to come face to face with Will Ryder, the man she rejected in a marriage proposal almost 10 years before. The last time she saw Will has haunted her, for she not only humiliated both him and herself but that was also the fateful night she lost her parents. Meg doesn’t see how she could possibly work for Will, but brick by brick he wears down her heard. The more time Will spends with Meg, the more he realizes how much light she brings into his life, and that of his two new young wards. But with their tragic past, do they really have a chance at happily ever after?
Overall I really liked this book! Will’s character was a little overly cocky for me but he was also deviously charming. And I just adored his twin wards, Diana and Valerie, they were such sweethearts. The book definitely grabbed at me, I honestly just didn’t want to put it down! But at the same time, I thought the plot could have been expanded in certain places a bit further. I liked the addition to the plot of a bit of danger/suspense though, as that definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. I felt a certain connection with Meg because I too, probably like many of us, think of myself as a bit of a wallflower. I also liked her strength of character contrasted by her vulnerabilities. For me, this ended up being an extremely sweet and heart warming romantic tale. I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: I liked this book, the story line was interesting and the cast of characters was engaging. If you like historical romances especially, this is a good pick! It is a quick read with a romantic story, just what we all need.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

3Oct2016

2016 Book #93 – Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Hero in the Highlands
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Date finished: 10/2/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Pages in book: 384
Stand alone or series: #1 in the No Ordinary Hero series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Scotland, 1812: He’s ferocious and rugged to the bone, an English soldier more at home on the battlefield than in any Society drawing room. And when Major Gabriel Forrester learns that he’s inherited the massive Scottish Highlands title and estate of a distant relation, the last thing he wants to do is give up the intensity of the battlefield for the too-soft indulgences of noble life. But Gabriel Forrester does not shirk his responsibilities, and when he meets striking, raven-eyed lass Fiona Blackstock, his new circumstances abruptly become more intriguing.
Like any good Highlander, Fiona despises the English―and the new Duke of Lattimer is no exception. Firstly, he is far too attractive for Fiona’s peace of mind. Secondly, his right to “her” castle is a travesty, since it’s been clan Maxwell property for ages. As the two enter a heated battle of wills, an unexpected passion blazes into a love as fierce as the Highlands themselves. Is Fiona strong enough to resist her enemy’s advances―or is Gabriel actually her hero in disguise?

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Gabriel Forrester, a self-made man who enjoys his life as a soldier and whose only desire in life is to keep doing the job that he’s good at. That all changes though when some great-uncle he’s never even really heard of dies and leaves him a title. And so Gabriel becomes the new Duke of Lattimer. This is one of the few issues I had with this book. I feel like if some old guy with no kids was duke for 20 years, they probably wouldn’t have waited until after he died to start looking for who the guy’s heir would be. They probably would have had it figured out ahead of time. So anyways, getting past that issue, Gabriel finds out that he’s a duke and that one of his properties in the Highlands doesn’t ever seem to make money and that it has a surly steward who doesn’t want to send down a set of financials for him to review. So he goes up there to investigate himself, only to find out that his steward is a young and very attractive female. Fiona has been barely holding everything together over the last few years and the last thing she needs now is a nosy Sassenach butting in his head where it doesn’t belong. Neither of them can deny their attraction to each other, but can they learn to trust each other as well?
Overall I really liked this book a lot. I thought it was a sweet and romantic story. And I just loved loved loved Fiona’s character. She was hard-headed and stubborn and just so fierce, it was entirely refreshing to see a heroine so confident and independent. I liked Gabriel a lot too, I loved how straightforward and sincere his character was not only with Fiona but with everyone he interacted with. This book had a good cast of characters, some of the side characters had some funny antics. I thought that the author did a great job of getting the reader to really see into the character’s minds and emotions. This was a great read and I would definitely recommend it!

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book, I always like a good historical romance novel! I would definitely recommend, especially if you enjoy Highlander novels.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

29Sep2016

2016 Book #90, #91 & #92 – Short stories by Renee Ahdieh

Posted in Book reviews, The Saga of Shahrzad and Khalid, Young Adult by rebeccabook17

So last year I read The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh and just loved it. I pre-ordered the 2nd book in the series pretty much immediately (The Rose and the Dagger) which unfortunately I haven’t gotten to yet. I was also excited to discover that Ahdieh published a few short stories within The Wrath and the Dawn series to help give the reader various backgrounds to the main story line. I recently read all 3 so I thought I would share my thoughts, though since they were such short reads I decided to put them all into one post.

The Moth and the Flame – 4.0 stars – 37 pages – This short story tells some of the back story of Despina and Jalal, which I really enjoyed. I almost felt like I would have been interested in hearing a longer version of this, maybe even a full-length novel. I thought this was a great pre-quel to the series. This short story even has some interactions with Ava, the first Queen so it has some great background information for the first book.

The Crown and the Arrow – 3.25 stars – 11 pages – This short story tells of Khalid’s point of view on the day that Shahrzad was chosen as his seventy-second bride. I thought it was a good view into Khalid’s thoughts and a good lead-in to The Wrath and the Dawn but other than that did not include many new details.

The Mirror and the Maze – 3.75 stars – 11 pages – This short story is actually from the period after the first book but before the second book in the series. It tells Khalid’s point of view upon returning home to Rey and finding his city is in flames and his people killed and injured. I think this was a great short story for leading into the second book and I find that I’m itching to get to it now!

29Sep2016

2016 Book #89 – My Husband’s Son by Deborah O’Connor

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: My Husband’s Son
Author: Deborah O’Connor
Date finished: 9/28/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: twenty7
Publication Date: June 16, 2016
Pages in book: 280
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Heidi and Jason aren’t like other couples. Six years ago, Heidi’s daughter was murdered. A year later, Jason’s son Barney disappeared. Their shared loss brought them together.
By chance, Heidi meets a boy she’s certain is her husband’s long-missing son – but Jason is equally convinced it’s not him.
Is Heidi mad? Or is Jason hiding something? And can their fragile marriage survive Heidi’s search for the truth . . .

My rating: 1.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Heidi and her husband Jason. Heidi and Jason met because they have one very large thing in common, they’ve both lost their children in traumatic ways. Heidi’s daughter was killed while she was still a little girl and Jason’s son disappeared when he was three. But then one day Heidi thinks she sees Barney, Jason’s son who would be eight years old now. Jason doesn’t think its him but Heidi is convinced and tries to think of ways to convince Jason that this boy is Barney. Along the way though she learns some things about her husband, and herself too, that she never knew.
This story and I just did not click. Heidi’s character was utterly infuriating to me, she was just plain bat shit crazy. She’s climbing on top of dumpsters trying to get a picture of a young boy through a window, then skulking around that same boy’s house in the middle of the night, and she doesn’t think people will think anything of this. And then when her and her husband are at his ex-wife’s house and they’re in his missing son’s bedroom and Heidi randomly decides she wants to have sex with Jason? Like what the shit is that? And what the hell was her deal with that Tommy guy? She’s just like oh I’ll go meet him at an abandoned motel and hope that if I spend time with him I’ll get the chance to be around his neighbor’s nephew more? And then when Tommy starts hitting on her in an extremely forward way she doesn’t really seem to resist that much which the whole thing was screwed up. AND THAT ENDING OMG WHAT THE SHIT WAS THAT Who does something like that, like that is probably the most screwed up thing I can imagine a human being doing to another human being. Ok sorry, rant over. Suffice it to say that I didn’t care for the book.

The bottom line: This book just did not click with me, I found the main character of the book entirely frustrating and completely insance. I thought the story line had a lot of potential but I couldn’t get past certain issues that I had with the plot.

Link to author website

Click here to go to the book’s Amazon page

27Sep2016

2016 Book #88 – At Risk by S.G. Redling

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: At Risk
Author: S.G. Redling
Date finished: 9/26/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Pages in book: 238
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Colleen McElroy grew up wealthy and pampered, the daughter of a prominent society family in Lexington, Kentucky. But her privileged upbringing could not prepare or protect her from her cruel and abusive first husband. Although her calamitous marriage left her with physical and emotional scars that have yet to heal, they haven’t prevented her from doing her best to rebuild her life.
Charismatic Patrick McElroy has scars of his own from his traumatic childhood in the foster care system, but with his business partner, John, he has built a celebrated, state-of-the-art home for at-risk youths. When one goes missing, Colleen is plunged into a nightmare of uncertainty about the girl’s disappearance. Is she paranoid, seeing disasters where there is just bad luck, or does an unspeakable evil lurk behind the new life she’s made for herself? No longer sure of whom she can trust, Colleen will have to rely on herself to discover the truth.

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Colleen McElroy, a woman who gets herself involved in a very sticky situation. Colleen was recently divorced from Heath Searon (within the last couple years) who beat her so badly that she had to have her spleen removed. Colleen meets Patrick McElroy while he is helping her with some around the house projects she takes on when moving into her own place. She very quickly falls in love with him and is married not even a full year after her divorce from Heath. This piece of information was a tad bit surprising to me since Colleen was so deeply scarred from her first marriage I would have thought it would take more convincing to get her to come around. But anyways, Patrick and his business partner, John, own Macaroni Brothers Freight Company. John’s wife, Bix, as well as John and Patrick, grew up in the foster care system and now they use some of the profits from their business to run a foster care home for children. When Colleen starts seeing John with her ex-husband Heath though, she begins to suspect that there may be something shady going on. Can she prove anything without putting herself in danger though?
Overall I really liked this book. I thought that there were a couple holes/unbelievable areas in the plot line but they didn’t end up taking away from the story for me. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen. And there were a lot of great plot twists in the story, I didn’t want to put it down! I liked that the reader saw Colleen get some of her strength as a person back by the end of the book too. She went through some awful things but in the end she was able to forge ahead and be more like the daring woman she once was. This was a great read and i would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: This book had me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding. It was a quick read but definitely thrilling. I would recommend!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

23Sep2016

2016 Book #87 – Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Date finished: 9/21/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Pages in book: 358
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

“As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me. . . .”
Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.
Welcome to Christine’s life.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (September). We haven’t read any thrillers really in book club this year so I was excited to read this one, especially since I haven’t read it before and its a pretty popular book/movie (movie starring Nicole Kidman). This book tells the story of Christine Lucas, who wakes up each day not realizing where or even sometimes who she is. Sometimes she wakes up thinking she’s a child, and other times she thinks she’s someone in her young twenties, but she’s really in her late forties. Christine has been living every day anew after a tragic accident leaves her with amnesia. Every time she goes to sleep the slate (her memory) is wiped clean and she can’t remember pretty much anything. Her husband, Ben, patiently guides her through this process each and every day, selflessly putting Chris’s happiness before his own. But then Chris starts seeing Dr. Nash, who is trying to help her recover her memory. And one of his methods involves her keeping a journal. This concept allows her to read events from precious days and commit those events to memory during the current day instead of losing them when she foes to sleep. But that is when Chris starts to notice that Ben’s stories don’t add up from day to day. And with her memory loss putting her in such a vulnerable position, how much can she really trust her husband? Or how can she really afford not to?
Overall I ended up really liking this book. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish before the meeting (it was this past Monday) so I read over half the book already knowing what the ending was going to be and who the bad guy was. Somehow though that didn’t ruin the book at all for me. This book grabbed me right from the first page and I thought the author did a great job of drawing in the reader with the way the book was set up. I also thought the author did a great job of building tension in the story. I was completely freaking out towards the end of the book, screaming at Christine to RUN! While the thought that Chris missed so much of her life because of the amnesia is sad, I thought her character had a great amount of strength. I really liked this one and I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: I liked this book a lot, it had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen! A great thriller, I would recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page