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Book Review: The Pact by Amy Heydenrych

I received this book by Jonathan Ball Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

What if a prank leads to murder?

When Freya arrives at her dream job with the city’s hottest start-up, she can’t wait to begin a new and exciting life, including dating her new colleague Jay. However, Nicole, Jay’s ex and fellow employee, seems intent on making her life a misery.

After a big deadline, where Nicole continually picks on her, Freya snaps and tells Jay about the bullying and together they concoct a revenge prank. The next morning, Nicole is found dead in her apartment . . .

Is this just a prank gone wrong? Or does Freya know someone who is capable of murder – and could she be next?

Review:

Who is it? Is it Jay? Julian? Kate? Freya? Who did it? The question I kept asking while reading this book.

The story goes back and forth into the lives of Freya and Isla. We learn about what brought them here to this point in their lives. What makes them survivors of sexual abuse.

It’s a story of bullying in the workplace. A story of sexual harassment. A story of how easy predators get away with this type of abuse because they have money and power. Or so they think.

I loved the plot twist at the end!

This book was well written and I’m sure touched something in readers who have experienced this type of abuse in their lives some way or another.

A great read. And I understand why the hype was about. Well done to Amy Heydenrych

Book Review: An Innocent Thanksgiving by Katy Kaylee

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

My Review:

Okay, so I decided to read this book without reading the blurb. All I knew was that the book was a “forbidden romance”, well I wouldn’t call it forbidden, I’d call it unconventional. Yes! OK! In real life I doubt that it would be considered okay, but let’s face facts, you can’t help for who you fall in love with. The heart wants what the heart wants!

20yr old Maggie, has a major crush on her dad’s charismatic artist HOT best friend, Cal. She’s been pining for him for 5yrs. Finally, on Thanksgiving evening she decides it’s time to act on her feelings. She seduces Cal and he does not resist, even after finding out that she’s a virgin.

5yrs later, on Thanksgiving, Maggie decides it’s time to spend Thanksgiving at home again, but this time she’s not alone. Running into his friend while on a shopping run, Cal is invited back to the Simpson (yes her name is Maggie Simpson – I couldn’t help but immediately think of the baby Simpson on The Simpsons) home to spend the holiday with them. He gets there and he sees Maggie for the first time in 5yrs, awkward! Then it’s time to reveal the truth of Maggie moving away.

Cal discover’s he has a daughter that is 4yrs old. He had no idea that Maggie had a child and that the child was his, because she never told him. Cal confronts Maggie and she cannot deny that Fern is his because the little girl looks like her father.

So why did I call it unconventional? Well, it’s a happily ever after story and quite frankly, it was not forbidden. So there’s a 25yr age gap and he happens to be her father’s best friend. But, like I said earlier, the heart wants what it wants. You couldn’t help but fall a little in love with the story. Cal immediately accepted his responsibility as a parent to the little girl he didn’t know about. He also, fell madly in love with Maggie despite her reservations about him and their future.

I also love the fact that this holiday romance was based on Thanksgiving. Usually around this time of year all you read is about Christmas romances and there’s plenty of that going around, so this was a little different. Katy Kaylee kept the reader turning the page. I did not expect Maggie’s parents to react the way they did. They were way to calm for me. I thought that maybe, just maybe, Mark (Maggie’s father) would blow a gasket and beat the living daylights out of Cal for using his daughter. But, no, Mark, was angry, but in a gentlemanly way. He didn’t resort to violence, he kept his hands to himself. Violet (Maggie’s mother) was a little too accepting, but you understand why when she explains it.

I really enjoyed this adorable little story. No this wasn’t a Romeo & Juliet type thing where people died. It was a simple story of love, regardless of what the age difference is.

My Rating

3 & 1/2 stars

#BookReview: The Woman I was Before by Kerry Fisher

So JUNE started off with a page-turner!

The perfect picture hides the darkest lies.

Synopsis:

A new home can be a happy ending. Or a fresh start. Or a hiding place… 

Kate Jones is running away. She has left her old life behind, changing both her own name and her daughter’s. No-one must ever connect Kate with the mistake that destroyed her life. 

Starting afresh on Parkview Road – a brand new street full of newly built houses – Kate looks at the other women on the street with envy. They seem to have it all: Gisela with her busy life, full house and successful children, Sally with her exciting spontaneous marriage, her glamorous holidays, her high-flying career. The pictures that Kate’s new friends post online confirm their seemingly perfect existence, whilst Kate hides from the world at all costs. 

Until one day, everything changes. Kate is called to the scene of a devastating accident, which is about to test everything the women thought they knew about each other, and themselves.

My Review:

This is a story about Kate, Gisela & Sally. Three strangers who move into the same road on the same day. As they get comfortable with their new lives, twists unravel and we are left wondering what is going on. They post their lives on Facebook, portraying how perfect life is, but behind closed doors, life gets the better of them.

This book was a page turner for me. I loved the characters of Gisela and Kate. Sally I wasn’t really into, she seemed way too pretentious and judgemental for me. All three woman has secrets, until, one day, it all comes spilling out and they learn to face whatever lies ahead with the help of each other.

A story of friendship, struggles and second chances.

If you’re a fan of Big Little Lies, you’ll enjoy this book.

Rating: 5/5