Don't Open Your Eyes.

 

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  

 Thank you to publisher, Random House Publishing|Ballantine for providing me with E-ARC via  Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Annabelle has everything she’s ever wanted. A devoted husband, two wonderful daughters, and a career she loves. She couldn’t be happier. So why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing dreams of a future where she hates her husband and her daughters’ lives are at risk? At first, she chalks the dreams up to an overactive imagination. But when details from her dreams, details she couldn’t possibly have predicted, begin to materialize, she realizes these aren’t just dreams but rather premonitions of a terrifying future. They all point to a singular choice, an unknown moment that holds Annabelle’s life in the balance. 

Then Annabelle has a dream that her daughter, Scarlett, is in immediate danger. Someone wants Scarlett dead and Annabelle has no idea who or why. Suddenly, every choice she makes is fraught with peril, with no inkling of which move could bring this terrifying vision to life. As her present life starts to collide with the future in her dreams, she wrestles with how much control she really has over her destiny and whether or not she can change what is meant to be.

 

 🌷

 
What a ride! 

I was unsure what to expect when I picked up this book. I have heard about Liv Constantine for the past couple of years, but I haven’t had a chance to check out the books yet. The title and the cover captured my attention. Once I read the book's synopsis, I was even more intrigued and needed to find out what would happen. I have read a lot of mystery/ thriller books. Don't Open Your Eyes is unlike any thriller I have read. I am still trying to process the story. The plot took so many unexpected turns that I eventually stopped attempting to predict what would happen next. I love the idea behind the story, dreams that end up coming true? I can't even begin to understand Annabelle's feelings of fear, especially since she didn't know when it might occur. I understand why her husband, James, responded the way he did, but he could have handled it better. I sensed something strange about him from the start, but I couldn't figure out what. I just knew I didn't trust him. 

I enjoyed reading the book from several perspectives, primarily because the characters were all different. I did occasionally shake my head at Scarlett's decisions. I had a feeling it would bring her into trouble someday. It was intriguing to read from the perspective of a teenager. Scarlett annoyed me at times, especially when it came to how she handled her mother, but her character grew on me. The descriptions of the characters' emotions, particularly Annabelle, were fantastic; I could sense her anxiety. Overall, all the details were so clear that I could envision everything, like a movie playing in my head. 

The first few pages were slow for me, and there were few character conversations that didn’t feel realistic to me. Once the plot picked up, I couldn’t stop reading, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I loved Annabelle, even if at times it didn’t seem like it, she was a strong character, and no matter what was happening, she kept on going. I felt like I should seen it coming, but with all the twists and turns in the book, the ending was the most shock of all. Those at the types of books that are my favorites, the ending that you didn’t see coming. I’m so thrilled that I got a chance to read this book! I would recommend this to any thriller/ mystery fans. Be prepared for a exhilarating ride!

The Jackal's Mistress.

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 4.5★

Virginia, 1864—Libby Steadman’s husband has been away for so long that she can barely conjure his voice in her dreams. While she longs for him in the night, fearing him dead in a Union prison camp, her days are spent running a gristmill with her teenage niece, a hired hand, and his wife, all the grain they can produce requisitioned by the Confederate Army. It’s an uneasy life in the Shenandoah Valley, the territory frequently changing hands, control swinging back and forth like a pendulum between North and South, and Libby awakens every morning expecting to see her land a battlefield. 

And then she finds a gravely injured Union officer left for dead in a neighbor’s house, the bones of his hand and leg shattered. Captain Jonathan Weybridge of the Vermont Brigade is her enemy – but he’s also a human being, and Libby must make a terrible decision: Does she leave him to die alone? Or does she risk treason and try to nurse him back to health? And if she succeeds, does she try to secretly bring him across Union lines, where she might negotiate a trade for news of her own husband? 

 

 🌷

 
Gripping. Beautifully written. 

I've been a fan of Chris Bohjalian since I read his thriller, The Flight Attendant in 2021. I loved it so much, I ended up re-reading it. There's something about his writings that makes you fall in love with the characters, even when you know you shouldn't. One of my favorite aspects of his books is the vivid description throughout, which transported me to the Shenandoah Valley in the 1800s. I felt Libby's anxiety and anger. When she found the soldier, she had to make a big decision. Libby knew what would happen if she decided to help him. The friendship between Libby and Captain Jonathan Weybridge is unlike any I've read about before. I loved that it was based on a true story and ended up doing my own research, once I read the author’s note at the end. I was intrigued by the actual story. 

I was captivated by the title of his recently released novel, The Jackal’s Mistress. The title and the cover would intrigue you to pick up the book even if you had never read the author before. It wasn’t long into the book where I understood the idea behind the title. I loved that it took place in Northern Virginia, where I had lived for 15 years. Also, most of the historical fiction books I've read appear to take place during WWII, so I liked this one during the Civil War. I loved his descriptions of the settings and everything that happened during the Civil War. I could see it all clearly. The Jackal's Mistress was a powerful story in so many ways, I still can't get it out of my mind. 

Every page was filled with so much tension, action, keeping me at the edge of my seat. The beginning started slow but within a few pages, I was so captivated by the story, I read late into the night, finding hard to put down. I wanted to see what happens with Libby and Weybridge next. It’s clear how much research was put into this book. Character development, especially for Libby and Weybridge, was phenomenal. A beautiful story about friendship, found family, love, trust, and survival. I can’t wait to see what Chris Bohjalian adventures has for us next.

Summer In The City.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 4.5★

 

Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer. 

In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since. 

When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay... if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius.
One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city. 

Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise. 

Until it isn’t. 

 

 🌷

 
This story was delightful! I haven't read many billionaire romances, and this is my favorite thus far. I hadn't heard of the author, Alex Aster , until a few days before the release of her latest novel, Summer In the City. Once I started reading her book, I wished I had discovered her sooner. Even though she wrote a story that was at times predictable, I fell in love with it. I stayed up past my bedtime to see how it would end. I've been to NYC a few times, but it's been a few years, and Aster's descriptions of the city's landmarks brought it to life for me. It felt as if I had been transformed there. It made me wish I was there! I loved that Elle was the scriptwriter, but I couldn't help but question why she was kept anonymous. It did give an element of mystery to the plot. 

Elle and Parker were my favorite characters, although Elle may be aggravating at times. Elle seemed to complain a little too much. I like Elle and Parker's relationship and chemistry, and there were a couple instances between them that made me laugh. I liked the fact that the two of them didn’t fall in love with each other right away. I did wonder what would happen at the end of the summer. A part of me hoped that the sparks between them would be strong enough to bring them together. It didn't take long to realize Parker fell for her first, based on how he treated her. I was waiting for Elle to see how much he cared for her. Parker and Elle had an amazing dialogue with one another. I think that Elle needed someone like him. The way that Parker treated Elle, is what every girl dreams about. 

I thought the use of humor in the story made it so much more engaging to read. Summer In The City will take you through a range of emotions throughout the novel. You will cry, laugh, be angry, and frustrated. The character growth was incredible, especially for Elle, who had gone a long way since the beginning of the novel. I hope that Alex Aster will write more romance novels; she has talent for it. I can't wait to find out what more she has planned for us next!

The Bachelorette Party.

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 Thank you to publisher, St Martin's Press|Minotaur Books for providing me with ARC via  Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

 

 RELEASE DATE: JUNE 10,2025.

 

On a remote, craggy island nestled off the coast of Sweden, four friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina—meet every year. Best friends since childhood, the idea is to drink beer, dance by the water, and shake off the weight of life's expectations. The location of the island is a secret to everyone but them. One night of reckless fun and secret-sharing, and then they return to their normal lives. 

Ten years later. Ever since she was a teenager, Tessa Nilsson has been consumed by the story of four friends who disappeared on their annual trip to a remote island together. As her true crime fervor turned into a wildly popular podcast, Tessa urgently covered Sweden’s most gruesome cases, but could never find the answers behind what happened to these women who disappeared, leaving a few maddening clues but no concrete answers. Now Tessa’s podcast has crashed and burned, any chance she had at uncovering the truth vanishing with it. 

Anneliese is Tessa’s best friend, and before she walks down the aisle, she wants to have a bachelorette party. The Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek, sophisticated yoga retreat on a small island off the coast—one with such similar characteristics to the tragedy years ago that it raises the hair on Tessa’s neck. The idea is to drink gallons of cava, do sunrise yoga, and get in their last chance to bond with the bride. Tessa will not pass this up. It’s her last chance to find out what happened to the four women, once and for all.
And it’s someone else’s last chance to get revenge. 

 

 🌷

 
Wow. 

What an adventure! I am trying to think out the best way to express what I just read. The story is still on my mind. I love mystery and thriller novels, especially those that keep you guessing. The Bachelorette Party kept me guessing throughout the novel, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong. The Bachelorette Party was one of those stories where I had to force myself to put the book down, knowing that I would never go to sleep if I didn’t. It was the book that you thought about when you weren't reading it or talking about it with your friends. Every page made me wonder what would happen next with the group. I was curious to see if Tessa would learn what happened to Nacka four all those years ago. 

I was drawn to the book because of the cover, the mysterious illustration is what grabbed my attention. After reading the summary, I knew it was the type of thrillers I would like. I didn’t expect it to be as dark as it was. That was one parts of the book, which made it impossible to put the book down. A part of me was hesitant to finish the book because I was worried about how the book might end. Camila Sten done a fantastic job crafting a suspenseful story that will keep your heart pounding half the time. I was on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. The author also created such compelling characters that it was nearly impossible to dislike them, even though you knew you should.
I liked that the story was told from present time, and past. The emotions portrayed in this book were so vivid that I could see everything that was happening. I loved the setting of the story. This was my first time reading a novel by Camilla Sten, but it won't be my last! I would recommend this book to any thriller fans.

Just For The Summer (Part Of Your World,#3)

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. 

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. 

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

 

 🌷

 
Outstanding. 

I shouldn't be surprised by now, but Abby Jimenez took me by surprise again. I finished the book a few days ago, and I still can't get the story out of my mind. There is so much I want to say about Justin and Emma's story, but I don't know where to start. Just For The Summer is written with a lot of emotion, a combination of heartfelt and heartbreak. I felt like I was experiencing everything with Emma and Justin. I had never experienced what Emma did with her mother, but as I read her story, I felt as if I had, and my heart broke for Emma on several occasions. At first, I couldn't tell if Emma wasn't seeing her mother for who she was or if she was pretending. Emma appeared to always have an explanation for her mother's actions. I wish she would realize that what her mother was doing was not for love. I wasn't sure how long Emma could put up with it. 

I adored Maddy and was glad Emma had a friend like her. Someone needed to watch out for Emma. I wish Emma had listened to Maddy about her mother, but I could understand why she didn't; she had hope that her mother would change. There was part of me that hoped for Emma’s happy ending; that her mother would change. Based on Amber's behavior, I didn't have high hopes. Amber was one of characters didn't like. I was aware that she had issues, but it was no excuse for how she treated everyone around her, particularly Emma. The emotions in this book were so real that I felt them alongside Emma. From the moment that Justin and Emma agreed to date Justin, to find their soulmate. I wondered if they would be able to go through it, and if not, who would give up first. I had a bad feeling about from the start. I had a feeling someone's heart was about to be broken. 

I adored Justin, but how could you not? He's the type of guy that every girl fantasizes about. I have feeling that it was more than just a task for Justin from the moment he met Emma. I admired how he treated her and how inventive he was with their dates. I admit that I found myself laughing at some of the things he sent Emma, as well as some of their messaging exchanges. The ending was one of my favorite parts. I had loved this entire series, and there is part of me that wishes that there was more. These are the stories that will remain with me and that I will return to in the future.

One Week Of July.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 4.5★

   Thank you to the author,Melissa Mestro for ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

 RELEASE DATE: JULY 1,2025.

One week. One girl. One love story worth writing about. 

Leighton Prescott is enjoying the last summer before college in his picturesque small town. His life is close to perfect—loving family, loyal friends, big opportunities—but despite everything seeming so right, something still feels so… wrong. 

Leighton’s future was decided for him at a young age, and he’s never questioned it for fear of disappointing his parents. With those future plans nearing, though, he can’t stop wondering if he is about to make a huge mistake. 

Then a girl wanders into the little bookstore where he works, and she not only steals his heart but also challenges him to confront what he’s been avoiding. Leighton must make a choice: continue with the narrative that was written for him or become the author of his own story. 

One Week of July is about finding your voice, falling in love, and discovering who you are. Will Leighton get his happy ending or will he learn that happy endings are just a work of fiction? 

 

 🌷

 
A beautiful story of friendship, love, and recovery. 

One Week Of July is the kind of story I love reading. I'm so grateful to my friend Melissa for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful story. I adored July and Leighton, and the bond that they shared. Every chapter left me wondering what would happen next, if the two of them would stay together. I was curious about the title. It all made much more sense after I got into the book. Naturally, I was curious about what would happen at the end of that week. There was part of me that hoped that July would end up staying. July drew me in from the moment she stepped into Leighton's bookstore. Besides Leighton and Kennedy, she was my favorite character. I can't imagine what she went through. My heart broke for her on several occasions, and I'm glad she met Leighton; the two of them were destined to meet. 

I loved that it took place in a small town. Those stories will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will read any story that take place in a small town. It’s not often that you will come across a story that is told from male’s perspective. Melissa did an excellent job of capturing the story from Leighton's perspective. However, there were a few occasions when I wondered what July was thinking, especially when she wasn't with Leighton. I adored the name of Leighton’s bookstore. I also loved that July’s favorite book was The Outsiders, which is also one of my favorite books. I felt that the tension between Leighton and his mother was resolved a little too quickly. In overall, I couldn't get enough of this novel, and it took me through a variety of emotions. I loved Kennedy and the relationship that she had with her brother. The emotions portrayed in this novel were outstanding and I felt as if I was there with Leighton.

 
I loved how July encouraged Leighton to pursue his dreams. It reminded me of my closest friends and parents. I liked how the book addressed anxiety, something I've struggled with since I was a teenager but has improved with time. If it weren't for school, I'd have finished the book much faster. I already know that Melissa Mastro is the author to watch out for, and I cannot wait to see what she has for us next. I highly recommend this book. This is a story you will never forget.