Month: July 2017

Hello!

I have finished several books lately and need to share those reviews! The latest book I finished was Find Her by Lisa Gardner. It was the first book I have read by this author and have another book by her in my “to read” pile.

Flora Dane is a victim.
Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.

Flora Dane is a survivor.
Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall, covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.

Flora Dane is reckless.
…Or is she? When Boston Detective D.D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime– a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him– she learns that Flora has taken on three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim, or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner and kept me guessing, but let me warn you, it is very dark. One chapter is from the detectives point of view, the next is present day Flora’s view and the next is told by Flora as she is held captive by her capture. I must share I would give this book 4 stars, except the end got wrapped up pretty quickly and had some typical wrap up events…the cops suddenly hearing a gun shoot and just being in the right place at the right time. So I will give this three stars. Its a fun read and will keep you guessing…almost until the end.

Welcome Back!

This month I also read the book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

From Good Reads:
Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

I really liked this book! I can’t say for sure what drew me to this book. It’s not the kind of thing I usually pick up, and I haven’t read anything by Reid before. I was hooked in the first three chapters!

It’s perfect, easy beach read material. It’s not particularly deep, it does not take the genre to new levels or make you think about something new, and yet it DID feel different. Evelyn Hugo’s story was so delicious and compelling that it stood out, and kept me turning pages in a desperate need to discover the stories behind her seven husbands, and the answer to the one question everyone wants to know: who was her greatest love?

I give this book 4.5 stars!!