The Secrets We Share - by Edwin Hill

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I participated in a giveaway on Goodreads and won an advanced copy of this book.....back in March!!  WOWZA    It kind of got lost in my to-be-read pile of books and I picked it up thinking it was from a book box but realized I should have read this book back in April!  My apologies for the delay but it was a solid 4-star read from me.   

I enjoyed the switching timelines of the story even though occasionally I felt confused for a bit.  Usually, I wasn't focusing on the book so I'd just flip back and re-read a page or two and clear my confusion. There were lots of twists and turns but in the end, I did figure out the role each character was playing before I finished the book.  Well, except for 1 character and I'm still not sure I think she's who she says she is! 

All in all I would recommend this book if you are looking for a mystery, thriller, suspense type book. It's 296 pages of plot/character twists and a food blogger.  How's that for a tease??

I'd like to make sure I thank Kensington books, the author Edwin Hill, Between the Chapters Book Club for my advance copy.  

You can read my review on Goodreads here: 

Goodreads review

What are you guys reading this summer?

Peruse: The Children on the Hill

Happy Friday!

I'm back with another Peruse mystery box.  This one was based on Jennifer McMahon's The Children on the Hill. 

Once again the packaging is nicely presented but I still miss those really nice boxes from the other book subscriptions.   (Apparently, I'm going to whine about that forever)  

This box contained several items and I do have individual pics for this one.  However, it did not include an author-signed bookplate which was a bit disappointing.   It did have a Peruse bookmark which I appreciate very much.   Do I have other bookmarks...oh yes!  Do I know where they are when I need one...nope, not at all.  If something doesn't come with the book then I will generally use a receipt, airline boarding pass, you know whatever is handy.  When a bookmark comes with the book, I immediately tuck it into the book so it's right there when I start reading and I have it when I need it.  

Once again, a nice hard-back version of the book. 

This was a green tea blend and I tossed it into my large basket of teas in the pantry.  I have not tried it yet but it's l00 degrees in Texas so hot tea isn't exactly on my mind right now.  I'm sure it's a lovely tea and I'll definitely drink it.  

Since I haven't read the book just yet, I'm assuming these gin & tonic bath bombs have something to do with the story.  They are in the bath basket in the bathroom and once again, when it isn't 100 degrees outside I'll be testing them out. 

Now, this is interesting...a DIY pottery kit.   I'll probably whip this out one day soon when it's too hot to go outside and try my hand with it.   I mean I always can use another pot for my plants so that could be cool.

I will admit, this box made me question if I'll keep my subscription. While these things are "fun" I'm not sure about them.  I did however think maybe this was just an off month for me and I'll be receiving a new box probably in the next week or so for June so I'm reserving judgment until then. 

Here's the synopsis for the book from the Author page:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

author page link

Honestly, I haven't read this book yet and I keep pushing it off when I'm ready for a new book.  

The plot doesn't really grab me but maybe I'm wrong.  I may hold this one until October, it seems like a good October read to me and I'm really not into the horror genre and this seems to lean more horror than thriller but I could be wrong.    

My Goodreads goal is 75 this year and I'm sitting at 36 reads right now so it's safe to say I'll get to this one at some point this year.   If you'd like to join me on Goodreads just click my profile link below so we can be friends!

Samma

Stay cool & read on!

Peruse: The Night Shift

Happy Reading Peeps!

I'm here with a book club box that I'm just getting started with but am really enjoying.

This box is by Peruse and I have my subscription through cratejoy, I'm awaiting my affiliate link with them and will post in the sidebar when it arrives.   I've had several subscriptions through their site and have always been very happy when the ability to manage my subscription boxes through their site, plus I can usually find a coupon code to use!  

Let's talk about books now, this was the second box I received and unfortunatley I did not take photos of the 1st box.   The book in the first box was Lucy Foley's The Paris Apartment.  I was pleasantly surprised by that book as her other 2 books had left me wanting more. In my opinion this was the better of the books plus the extras in the box were perfectly fitting to the theme.   

Let's talk about The Night Shift

Upon opening the box you can see most of the items inside.  Sadly, I didn't think I'd be updating my blog so I don't have many individual pics.

Everything is packaged nicely in the box with good presentation upon opening.  I will say that I did enjoy the boxes that the previous box, Coffe & A Classic came in better because those were photo boxes that are very nicely displayed in my craft room holding various things.  

As you can see the box contained the following items;

Hardback version of The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

A movie trivia challenge game

A pair of "fabulous" sunglasses 

& a popcorn chocolate bar

There was also a book plate signed by Alex Finlay included which I added to my book.  I also received one of those with the Lucy Foley book which is a nice touch.

This is the synopsis of the book and you can see how all of these items tie into the plot of the book.

“The night was expected to bring tragedy.”  So begins one of the most highly-anticipated thrillers of 2022.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to bring chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later,  four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store in the same town are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.

Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words. . . . “Goodnight, pretty girl.”

In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused,  who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and the FBI agent who must delve into the secrets of both night--stirring up memories of teen love and lies--to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Alex Finlay as one of the a new leading voices in the world of thrillers.

Author page link

I can tell you that I read this book at the beach and it was way better than I anticipated.  I won't go into more about the book because I hate any kind of spoilers but this was a solid 4 star read for me.  If you've followed me for any length of time you'll know that I don't hand out 5 stars often so a 4 star read is something that I would easily recommend.     I'm excited to see what else this author comes out with next, it'll definitely be in my TBR pile.   

Happy Reading peeps!!

Influenster VoxBox: Emergen C

Hey Peeps!!

Long time no Talk!!  

I'm here today with some quick reviews of a VoxBox that I was selected to sample.

During the *ahem* C-times our family used a lot of the Emergen-C vitamin C packets so we're long-time fans of this brand.   I was pretty excited when I was selected to test out some new products.

I received this box from Influenster and was a little bummed to get 2 Ashwagandha supplements but hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?! 

First up, let's test out the gummies.  I have a love/hate relationship with gummy supplements because sometimes they are super sticky and get stuck in your teeth however, they usually taste delicious!

These not only tasted delicious but were JUST the right amount of chewy texture.   If this is a supplement that you like to include in your daily regimen, I highly recommend trying these out.   NOW, let me preface this with a reminder that Ashwagandha is an adaptive hormone so if you start noticing some odd symptoms you might want to lower your dosage.  Not that something like that happened to me or anything.   

Next up we have the Ashwahandha drink mix.  You tear open the little packet and add 6-8 oz of water.  Easy peasy!   This flavor is a mixed berry blend and it was actually pretty tasty.  My favorite part of these drink mixes.....NO STEVIA!   I'm incredibly sensitive to stevia and cannot ingest it at all without some disgusting side effects so I will spare you the details.     I'm always thrilled to get to sample things without any artificial sweeteners and yes, that includes the stevia.     Like I said, this was very tasty and if you don't like gummies or like having a drink mix to add to some of that water we're always trying to chug down then give these a try. 

Next up is the Apple Cider Vinegar drink mix.  Once again YAY for no stevia.  I was a little hesitant to try this one as I used to drink ACV every morning in my water but my tummy had a hard time with it so now I just drink warm lemon water.   I was so much hoping that this did not taste like ACV and guess what?  It doesn't!!  Not that it's all good, I personally found this to be incredibly sweet.   I think going with more water is the way to go with this one for sure, get that diluted down a bit.   If you like the benefits of ACV but want an easier way to ingest and definitely tastes better, then give this one a try.

All in All, I'd say my experience with this box was positive and if I were going to buy any one of these items again, it would definitely be the Ashwagandha gummies.     

I would like to thank Influenster for sending me the box to sample for free in exchange for my honest opinions and for Emergen-C for supplying the products.

I have a couple of free trials coming my way and I can't wait to review them and share with you guys!

I also have a few book boxes to review that I've been hanging on to as well!  

Have a good one peeps!