Book Reviews

The Night Bird (Frost Easton Series) by Brian Freeman

July 3, 2018 by Leah Leave a Comment

It’s summer and so far I have spent more time than I care to admit reading. My son is doing summer school and I’ve been hanging out near the school (it’s 30 minutes from our house) reading most of the time he’s there. If you remember, series books are my favorite. I try to read them as often as possible. The book I just finished reading, not too long ago, is part of the Frost Easton series, called The Night Bird by Brian Freeman.

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases*

The Night Bird by Brian Freeman, is a book that I received as part of the Amazon First Reads program (formally known as the Kindle First program). The first line of the description had me hooked:

What if you had to relive your most terrifying memory…over and over?

For me, I need to be able to connect with the book somehow. Whether it be with one of the characters, the theme, etc. With this particular book, I couldn’t help think about what it would be like to relive my most terrifying memory over and over. I had to see what happened in the book.

About The Night Bird (Frost Easton series)

From Amazon –

Homicide detective Frost Easton doesn’t like coincidences. When a series of bizarre deaths rock San Francisco—as seemingly random women suffer violent psychotic breaks—Frost looks for a connection that leads him to psychiatrist Francesca Stein. Frankie’s controversial therapy helps people erase their most terrifying memories…and all the victims were her patients.

As Frost and Frankie carry out their own investigations, the case becomes increasingly personal—and dangerous. Long-submerged secrets surface as someone called the Night Bird taunts the pair with cryptic messages pertaining to the deaths. Soon Frankie is forced to confront strange gaps in her own memory, and Frost faces a killer who knows the detective’s worst fears.

As the body count rises and the Night Bird circles ever closer, a dedicated cop and a brilliant doctor race to solve the puzzle before a cunning killer claims another victim.

From the moment I started this book, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t help but wonder, if given the chance, would I want the opportunity to erase my most terrifying memory? Is that something we should allow people to have the opportunity to do? After reading the book, I can honestly say, that is NOT something I would want the ability to do! As tempting as it would be to get rid of bad memories, I’m good with keeping them tucked away where I can remember them if I want to!

What Do You Think?

Interested yet? The Night Bird is free with Kindle Unlimited. Don’t have a Kindle Unlimited account? Well guess what…this is your lucky day! Right now, for Amazon Prime day, they are running a promotion that you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for just $0.99! Say what?!? Simply click on the banner below and get started!

For more books by Brian Freeman, visit his website at brianfreemanbooks.com. He has several sets of series books that I want to start reading! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think of this book!

The Best Summer Reading List

April 29, 2018 by Leah 18 Comments

We are FINALLY starting to get warmer weather here in Michigan. While it was cold this weekend (think winter coats and hats…not even joking), the forecast for next we has 80 twice on it! I am beyond excited for the warmer weather and plan on enjoying a pedicure tomorrow to celebrate! Since summer is right around the corner, and for some people, school is out in about 30 days, it has me thinking about my reading list for the summer. To me, summer reading is the best! It doesn’t matter where you are reading…when the sun and warmth is involved, it’s the best!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases*

Image via Pexels

I have a very eclectic taste in books. My number one favorite book to read are series books. I get super invested in the characters and I always like to know more. I’m not going to lie, when a series comes to an end, I get sad. It’s almost like saying goodbye to a friend. That probably makes me sound pathetic, but that’s OK. That’s how invested I get in the characters.

If you like reading with a Kindle (I totally do), then you need to check out Kindle Unlimited. Right now, for NEW Kindle Unlimited subscribers, you can get a three month membership for just $1.99!! It’s normally $9.99 per month! This is a HUGE savings! Give it a try! There are a lot of great series books (and non-series books) available on Kindle Unlimited!

Summer Reading List

I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for a new book to read. Getting suggestions from others is one of my favorite things to do. Not only do I value other people’s opinions about various books, but it gives us something to discuss afterwards! Below you will find all the books I think you should read this summer. Some are books that I have already read, while others are books on my list to read!

A Shade Of Vampire

The A Shade of Vampire series is one of my favorites (and it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited). Remember how I told you I like series books? Well this series currently has 59 books out!! Each book is a quick read. Pick up the first few copies for your next vacation and you will be sure to be entertained! The style of writing is also something I very much like. Each book is written from the viewpoint of each character. You know who’s “talking” because the author puts their name at the top of each chapter. Definitely give this series a try!

When I’m Gone: A Novel

When I’m Gone is an absolutely beautifully written story about a woman that began writing her husband letters on day one of her cancer treatment. She arranged to have those letters delivered to him periodically throughout the first year she was gone, sometimes on special days (holidays, anniversaries, etc). It’s through those letters that this husband starts to unravel secrets that makes him question if he truly knew his wife and the life they lived, as well as helped him to see that life does go on. I absolutely LOVED this book. I could not put it down!

Saving Noah

This next book was another that I could not put down and it made me want to read everything by this author. Saving Noah challenges you to think about the unthinkable when it comes to your children. Will you still love them the same if they commit an act so heinous it makes you sick to your stomach and cringe, had you heard it about someone else? Will your family be able to withstand something like this? If you haven’t read this book, or anything by Lucinda Berry, you need to. She is an excellent author!

Say You’re Sorry (Morgan Dane Book 1)Her Last Goodbye (Morgan Dane Book 2)Bones Don’t Lie (Morgan Dane)What I’ve Done (Morgan Dane Book 4)

It’s time for another favorite series of mine! The Morgan Dane series is one where you will instantly connect with the characters and become wrapped up in the book. The first three books of the series are currently out. While the fourth book, What I’ve Done, can be pre-ordered and is set to release in September. This series is about a woman who started her career as a prosecutor. After helping a friend out by defending her son who has been accused of murder, Morgan has jumped the prosecutor ship and teamed up with a P.I. firm to begin defending those she would have otherwise put in jail.

The Memory Watcher

If you like a book that has you saying, “wait…what?” in the middle and then causes you to stay up late until you finish the book, then this book definitely needs to make your summer reading list. I remember when I read this book. I was at a lacrosse tournament for my son. While the kids played in the pool, I read. I actually gasped out loud, causing my daughter to ask me what was wrong, when I got to a certain point in the book. From that moment on, I read every second I could. I had to see how this book ended and I had to see how it ended right that second!

Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross Book 1)

James Patterson is my absolute favorite author. I have been reading his books for many years now. While James Patterson has a lot of stand alone books, I believe his series books are where he excels. The Alex Cross series is my favorite. The first book, Along Came a Spider (which was also adapted into a movie) captures your attention and has you on the edge of your seat. Visit James Patterson’s website for more info on the order of the Alex Cross series. I highly recommend this series.

1st to Die (Women’s Murder Club)

While I am singing James Patterson praises, another series by the same author that you need to add to your summer reading list is the Women’s Murder Club series. Like the Alex Cross series, you will get invested in these characters and literally begin chomping at the bit for the next one to be released. This series follows the four main characters: a homicide detective, a lawyer, a crime reporter and the city medical examiner. Together they make up the Women’s Murder Club and they join forces to solve some pretty horrible crimes.

Do You Ever Read Anything Else?

I pretty much tend to gravitate towards the serial killer, suspenseful type books. However, I also like to read memoirs written by various celebrities, autobiographies, and non-fiction books. Some of those books can be seen below. Like I said, I have a very eclectic taste in books!

sTORI Telling Spilled Milk: Based on a true story Scrappy Little Nobody Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs The Stranger Beside Me Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It Escape

If you have read any of the books above, please leave me a comment and tell me what you thought of them! I truly hope you add one or some of these books to your summer reading list. Also, if there are books that you think I just have to read, please tell me! I am always looking for books to read. To stay up to date on everything that is posted here, please consider signing up for my news letter. Your emails are secure and they will never be sold or used for any other purpose than to send updates when I post something new.

I hope you have a wonderful summer and enjoy your summer reading!

The Ultimate Summer Reading Bucket List

April 26, 2018 by Leah 5 Comments

Can you believe that the school year is almost over? Where has this year gone? It’s insane. In a few short months I will have a high schooler (say what?!?) and a middle schooler. I really can’t believe it. This year, my daughter really got into reading. She is currently reading the Harry Potter series and loving it. I want to continue to foster that love for reading so I put together this Ultimate Summer Reading Bucket list. After printing one out for each kid, they can hang it in their room and start checking off the different bucket list items! There’s something for everyone on this list!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases*

Print out your FREE Summer Reading Bucket List Printable HERE

CafePress – I Like Big Books – Natural Canvas Tote Bag, Cloth Shopping Bag Relaximals Cat Kids Reading Pillow The Book Seat – Book Holder and Travel Pillow – Red

One of the things you can do to help foster that love for reading, is to take weekly trips to the library. Not only do you knock an item off the summer reading bucket list, but you also give your child (and yourself) the opportunity to check out a TON of different types of books at once! Definitely utilize the librarian. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone up to our librarian, told them an example of a book the kids like and they then give us a bunch more that are similar.

E-Book Reading

If your kids are like my daughter and prefer to read on a Kindle, then definitely check with your local librarian as to which online service they use to borrow books. My local library uses Overdrive and Hoopla (though, I do believe that Hoopla will only work with a table, not a Kindle since you have to use the Hoopla app). Another great thing with the Kindle is the Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans. Kindle Unlimited is great! You can borrow up to 10 books at one time. Not sure if you will like it or use it? Click on the link and start your FREE 30 day trial. The Kindle Unlimited membership can be used to read books on a Kindle, on your desktop/laptop computer or on a tablet with the Kindle app.

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader – Black, 6 Fintie Slimshell Case for Kindle Paperwhite – The Thinnest and Lightest PU Leather Cover with Auto Sleep/Wake for all-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Fits all 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Versions), black – EKD0021AD-US Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7

Whatever you do this summer, READ! Schedule electronic blackout times where you and the kids spend the time reading a book or use this summer daily planner printable and put reading on their daily to do list! Have a conversation about the books you are reading while you eat dinner. Kids like to talk about the books they are reading. As I mentioned, my daughter is reading the Harry Potter series. She’s so excited about this series, that she read two books in two weeks. She likes to talk to us about the differences between the book and the movie. And boy does she get upset when they make “stupid changes” in the movie!

Don’t forget to print your FREE Summer Reading Bucket List printable RIGHT HERE!

Psychological Thriller – Hello Again by Brenda Novak

February 27, 2018 by Leah 12 Comments

Psychological thrillers are my favorite books to read. My husband always shakes his head when he sees what I’m reading. I just find them super interesting. They are filled with mystery, drama and usually, serial killers! However, Brenda Novak’s latest book, part of the Dr. Evelyn Talbot series, Hello Again is a must read! You will NOT be able to put this book down! I had many late nights reading this book! Be sure to keep on reading to the end for a chance to win a signed copy of this book!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases*

Like I mentioned above, Hello Again by Brenda Novak is part of the Dr. Evelyn Talbot series. The other books in this series are:

Hanover House
Her Darkest Nightmare <–read my review

Why Psychological Thrillers?

Why not? With this particular series, Dr. Evelyn Talbot experienced an absolutely horrific experience at the hands of her high school boyfriend. Rather than shut down and withdraw from the world, Evelyn Talbot fought back. She opened a prison in Alaska that houses the worst kind of criminal. The psychopaths. Her main objective with this prison is to study these men and draw conclusions about why they do what they do. She does this, all while, never giving up hope that the psychopath that tormented her so many years ago, will be caught.

Hanover House Her Darkest Nightmare (Dr. Evelyn Talbot Novels)Hello Again (Dr. Evelyn Talbot Novels)Face Off (Dr. Evelyn Talbot Novels)

The next book in this awesome psychological thriller series, Face Off, comes out in August of 2018! I’ve already marked my calendar so I can make sure to get a copy! I need to see how this continues!

How would you like to win a signed copy of Hello Again?!? Simply enter using the giveaway widget below and one lucky winner will be chosen at random (US and Canada only please).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Harlan Coben Suspense Novel – Caught

February 14, 2018 by Leah 17 Comments

One of my favorite authors, that is relatively new to me, is Harlan Coben. His novels draw you in and you literally don’t want to put it down. This latest novel I read by him called Caught, was one that kept me up late into the night! While I love reading late at night (it’s just so quiet), it’s not so great when I realize it’s 3 a.m. and my alarm is going off at 6 a.m.! As a reader, I’m sure you’ve been there. You get to that point in a book where you literally can’t stop reading!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases*

Image via Pexels

Caught By Harlan Coben

I love books that are suspenseful. If it has me on the edge of my seat and possibly even scares me a bit, I’m happy. That’s my kind of book. Caught by Harlan Coben fit that category completely.

17 year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst.

Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined.

Caught

With a teenager of my own (and another soon to be teenager), this book scared me in a completely different way than most I read. Having your teen go missing is any parents worst nightmare. Harlan Coben did a phenomenal job breaking down exactly how a parent would feel if this were to happen to them. The addition of the sexual predator storyline was also key. Especially in this day and age. So both aspects of the book worked for me and definitely drew me in.

The ending though…my gosh…I did NOT see that coming. I actually thought I had the book figured out. Nope! Harlan Coben totally took the book in another direction that I totally did not see coming. BUT…it totally worked. As I thought about the book afterwards, while I didn’t think about that possible ending, I realized that it was excellent for this storyline and something that would totally happen. Maybe not 100% the way it all played out, but pieces of it were spot on.

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader – Black, 6 Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8 All-New Kindle Oasis E-reader – 7

Other Books by Harlan Coben

As I mentioned before, this is a newer author to me. Another book I read by him that I really enjoyed is Home. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of that book. It was very good! Two others by Harlan Coben that I recommend are Hold Tight and The Stranger.

Book Reviews

What if you had to relive your most terrifying memory…over and over?

About The Night Bird (Frost Easton series)

What Do You Think?

Image via Pexels

Summer Reading List

Do You Ever Read Anything Else?

Print out your FREE Summer Reading Bucket List Printable HERE

E-Book Reading

Don’t forget to print your FREE Summer Reading Bucket List printable RIGHT HERE!

Why Psychological Thrillers?

Image via Pexels

Caught By Harlan Coben

Other Books by Harlan Coben

What is your favorite Harlan Coben book that you think I should read?