The Stranger in the Guest Room by V.K. Lockwood Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

This was certainly a quick read! If you don’t have time for a long book or are taking a trip, pick this one up! It has what a psychological thriller should contain – Erika hiding out in a cabin in the Northwoods, to finish writing her book. Brooks, her ex, unexpectedly stops by to see her “one last time,” but the expected snowstorm moves in and is too deep for him to leave. He has mood swings which Erika does not understand. Easton, the neighbor. His periodic visits send Brooks into a tailspin. Erika understands nothing of what is going on with Brooks and he won’t tell her.

This short story contains quite a few underlying themes, leading the reader down one road only to find out it goes in a totally different direction. Love, loss, forgiveness. Again, it is going to be interesting watching/reading Ms. Lockwood as she progresses through her writing career.

The Shadows are Falling by V.K. Lockwood Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

One of the best things about being an avid reader is discovering new authors. Such is the case with Ms. Lockwood.

In “The Shadows are Falling” you will be entertained with a slightly twisted family involving Alaina, her sister Kassie, and their mother who enters near the end of their tale. You will have Corbin, Alaina’s husband, doing what he thinks is right by his wife. You will have someone in this tale who turns out to not be who everyone thought.

If you don’t have time for a 400-page book or are taking a trip and you are looking for a book to take with you in the psychological thriller genre, this one should do the trick. There are some twists that I suspect you won’t see coming, maybe even a little bit of darkness. One of the hardest things, I think, with writing a short story is tying it all together in the end. I think Ms. Lockwood accomplishes that feat. It is going to be interesting to watch/read Ms. Lockwood as she progresses in her writing career.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

This story is told in the voices of Mab (known as One), Monday (known as Two), and Maribel (known as Three). These three girls are triplets living in the town of Bourne. Seventeen years ago, Belsum (a chemical company) opened for business in Bourne, promising jobs, prosperity, a better life for the townspeople. For a town as poor as Bourne, they jumped at the opportunity. The interesting thing about these three sisters is that they are all smart in their own ways. Mab is the smart one, the “normal” one. Monday is the extremely literal sister who has an affinity for all things yellow. Maribel is nonverbal and is in a wheelchair, with the use of only her right hand. After Belsum’s destruction of Bourne, Nora (the triplets’ mom) decides to take them on with the help of Russell, the only lawyer who was willing to help until he wasn’t. Belsum wants to come back to Bourne to right their wrongs so to speak, with the same promises. The triplets took it upon themselves to do what they could to ensure a better outcome. The bond these three sisters have is unbreakable, no matter what. They did make a sister pact after all.

I was highly entertained throughout the telling of this tale. In this tale, you will find humor along with the underlying theme of what a chemical company can do to a town. There is an underlying theme of what money can do to accomplish things that shouldn’t happen. There may even be a hint of newfound romance as well as young love mixed with heartache when some truths are revealed.

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review. 

I found this to be one of those sorts of reads you want to keep turning pages through because the author keeps dropping hints that something bad happened. It is told in the timeframes of “Then” and “Now,” using the voice of Ambrosia Wellington relating her experiences and her truths at Wesleyan. 

It all started when Ambrosia (Amb as she is called) received an invitation to a class reunion in the mail which she tried to hide, but her husband (Adrian) found and decided they should go. What a tangled web of lies and deceit Amb learned how to weave her way through after meeting Sloane “Sully” Sullivan at Wesleyan. This is a tale of how some college girls will do what it takes to fit in at the expense of others. Enter the parties, the drinking, the drugs, and most of all the college boys. 

While this is a work of fiction, I can’t help but think that perhaps this really does happen to some people. To that end, it is a tragic story and really shines a light on bullying and its consequence. It also shines on a light on lies that can haunt you well past their “expiration” date.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens Book Review

I was fortunate enough to have won this ARE via Goodreads. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Stevens.

This tale is told in two voices, one of Hailey and one of Beth. It starts out with Hailey’s story and having to move in with her aunt and uncle along with her small cousin through no fault of her own. Her aunt being Lana and her uncle being Vaughn, as the townspeople call him. Vaughn also happens to be a police officer. Hailey has her own story to tell. Jonny has been Hailey’s friend since grade school. With Hailey, Jonny is able to be himself and not the tough guy everyone makes him out to be. (If you’ve been watching Ms. Stevens’s posts, you’ll see she posted pictures of what she thinks Jonny looks like – he’s pretty cute!) Jonny is also Hailey’s self-appointed protector. Enter Amber. Exit Amber. Enter Beth who is Amber’s sister and comes to Cold Creek to find out what happened to Amber. Beth has her own story to tell. Through no fault of their own, Hailey and Beth cross paths leading to the truth of what happened to Amber. What really ties this story together is Wolf … he is one smart dog!

There is a certain depth to this story. I found this to be an entertaining read with the way Ms. Stevens was able to bring all of the underlying stories together. You have a bad cop and a good cop and some murders. A bit of romance. You won’t believe who the “bad guy” is. I am quite certain I’ll be reading more from Ms. Stevens in the future.