Her Best Friend's Secret by Anna Mansell

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She deserves the truth. But it will ruin her life. What would you do? 

Emily was meant to be the girl who escaped their small Cornish town. She was going to be the success story. But it didn’t work out the way she’d dreamed it would. And now she’s back home. With a secret that’s even bigger than her failure. 

Emily thinks she can just hide away. But then she runs in to Lolly, her one-time best friend from school, who spontaneously suggests a small reunion with their once close-knit group of friends. Jess and Amanda still live nearby, though none of the four women have spoken in years now. 

But after so much time, everyone’s lives have changed. Nothing is as easy as it was in their schooldays. And everyone’s got secrets. One of which is big enough to ruin not just the fragile friendships, but one woman’s whole life… 

Full of truths about friendship, marriage, and the relationships that define us, Her Best Friend’s Secret is a powerful, relatable and emotionally gripping novel for fans of Jojo Moyes, Diane Chamberlain, and The Silent Wife. 

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Emily, Lolly, Amanda and Jess were the best of friends back in the day having shared some memorable and significant moments with each other. When Emily abruptly moved away it put an end to that. The group's dynamic seemed to change overnight and the remaining three began to grow apart as well. 

They're all in their forties now and at different points in their lives. Emily went on to enjoy acting success in America, Lolly became a physical therapist and is married with kids, Amanda who works two jobs is divorced and semi-estranged from her daughter, and Jess has forged a successful career in advertising and continues to enjoy her singleton life. Emily running in to Lolly on her return home is the catalyst that brings the four friends together again. Interestingly, all four are apprehensive about meeting up. After all these years, what could they possibly have in common anymore? However, they all come around when they recall the fondness they had for one another and that maybe they could do with some girl time. 

This was my favourite aspect of the novel - their reunion! As soon as they were in the same room it was like all that time and distance didn't matter. Getting reacquainted is a bit awkward at first but that bond they built as teenagers is as strong as ever. Behind the smiles they're all dealing with the demands of life and personal situations that feel too big to take on without the support of the girls. As troubling as their own problems are, one of them holds a big secret that could crush the other friend. Which brings me to the most standout part of the story: each of these women are strong in their own unique way. When they find the other in trouble, they come to each other's aid without hesitation or judgment. I loved that Mansell allowed Emily, Lolly, Amanda and Jess to embrace themselves as they are. I'd say out of all the characters I was most surprised by how much I liked Amanda. I think in my younger days I would've judged her the hardest, and this is the advantage of being older and wiser, I guess, because I'm learning to abide by the motto of to each her own. Don't get me wrong, I liked all of them but Amanda astonished me because she owns every decision she has ever made about her life and owes no one apologies for how she's finding happiness. I was rather fascinated by her. 

I'd previously read Mansell's How to Mend a Broken Heart and admired how she captured her characters' emotions in it. She's done the same thing with Her Best Friend's Secret. It takes a few chapters to set up the pieces but it's thoroughly delightful once it gets underway, even though I knew that Mansell would crush me shortly. And she did. It didn't lessen the blow even when I suspected what was about to come. I was so invested in this story, in these four women, in their friendship. I'm happy to say that Mansell does give each of them their well-deserved and fitting HEA. Female friendships are a tricky thing to write. It's hard to find heroines who feel well-rounded and don't succumb to one stereotype or another. Women are complex and when an author can capture that with sincerity and allow them their strengths and flaws, and celebrate their uniqueness, I'm all for it!

~ Bel

*Please see labels below for content warning and/or potential triggers.

Keep Her Safe Blog Tour

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Making a Murderer meets Scandal in this story of police corruption, family secrets, and illicit affairs from bestselling author K.A. Tucker, celebrated for her “propulsive plot twists and searing seduction” (USA TODAY).

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review

Keep Her Safe is a romantic suspense story that comes together through four points of view - Noah and Gracie in the present, and their parents in the past. Events are sprung into motion on the night that Noah's mother commits suicide. As Austin's chief of police, she was praised for her work ethic but under a lot of pressure, too. The night she dies, she was in one of her drunken stupors and mumbling cryptic messages to Noah. He couldn't comprehend any of it and attributed it to the drinking. But after her death, he's left with so many questions and a bizarre dying request by her to find Gracie, the daughter of her former fallen colleague. Gracie and her mom moved away years before after her father died and was accused of corruption. Noah's mom wanted him to find her and make amends which is an impossible task without any kind of context to go on. When he shows up to where she lives, Gracie is suspicious and cold. Things haven't been easy for her and her mother so a stranger appearing at her door isn't exactly going to be given a warm welcome. Once Noah shares with her what little he knows it becomes apparent to both of them that his mom knew something about her father's death and before you know it, they're partnering together to uncover this big mystery.

There is so much happening in the book and I was impressed by a couple of red herrings that were thrown in. The back-and-forth flip between the past and present sets up all the players, gradually chaining together the sequence of events while giving you just enough details to keep you on edge. As things get more grave and the adrenaline starts rushing, the sexual tension heightens as Noah and Gracie become closer. It's nice that they have their bubble to retreat considering everyone around them is hard to trust. It definitely heightens the suspense and I love how Tucker ties in everything at the end. Keep Her Safe reminded me of how much I enjoy mysteries which sadly, I haven't been able to read enough of recently. It was the perfect balance of can't-sit-still suspense and romance.

~ Bel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA TODAY, The Globe and Mail, Suspense Magazine, and Publishers Weekly. She currently resides in a quaint town outside Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.

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Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys

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The ship has been like a world within itself, a vast floating city outside of normal rules. But the longer the journey continues, the more confined it is starting to feel, deck upon deck, passenger upon passenger, all of them churning around each other without anywhere to go...

1939: Europe is on the brink of war when young Lily Shepherd boards an ocean liner in Essex, bound for Australia. She is ready to start anew, leaving behind the shadows in her past. The passage proves magical, complete with live music, cocktails, and fancy dress balls. With stops at exotic locations along the way—Naples, Cairo, Ceylon—the voyage shows Lily places she’d only ever dreamed of and enables her to make friends with those above her social station, people who would ordinarily never give her the time of day. She even allows herself to hope that a man she couldn’t possibly have a future with outside the cocoon of the ship might return her feelings.

But Lily soon realizes that she’s not the only one hiding secrets. Her newfound friends—the toxic wealthy couple Eliza and Max; Cambridge graduate Edward; Jewish refugee Maria; fascist George—are also running away from their pasts. As the glamour of the voyage fades, the stage is set for something sinister to occur. By the time the ship docks, two passengers are dead, war has been declared, and Lily’s life will be changed irrevocably.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Dangerous Crossing hearkens back to the 1900's, a time when social class dictated one's standing in life, when the world still felt so expansive with much yet to be discovered and when secrets could irrevocably destroy someone. The language and voice in third person definitely creates that old world atmosphere as a young girl full of potential boards a ship that will take her to her new life in Australia. 

The first thing I noticed was that reading Dangerous Crossing was kind of like reading an Agatha Christie novel. I loved Agatha Christie as a teenager where I'd try so desperately and failed each time to analyze as best I could and deduce who the villain was before the final reveal. I found myself doing the same here. The plot does start out slowly to introduce all the players who come from different social classes, and under normal circumstances wouldn't have any reason to mingle with each other to the extent that they do on this ship. The drama and curious behaviours kick in later; by that time I was fully invested in all the happenings and anxious to get to the climactic event. 

Reading this was also a challenge for me as Lily's backstory and POV can be a hard perspective to grasp for today's female reader who isn't subjected to the social and gender constraints of that time. Every time I felt myself irked by something along those lines I had to remind myself that this was the 1930's and I was in Lily's shoes so I had to embrace all of that. Yet even when she was conflicted about her interactions with the opposite sex, she was decisive and maintained independent thought about other social issues. At a time when fascism had gained momentum and Germany was close to invading Poland, Lily even with her limited real world experience showed remarkable astuteness when it came to judging character. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that some of the social and political elements in the book have their own parallels with today's current events.

I felt so content when I finished Dangerous Crossing. I liked its steady pacing and that the ending was equal parts bitter and promising. More so than a mystery, it's a study in human nature and it's a character-driven story that had me sitting forward with eager interest. 

~ Bel

How To Mend A Broken Heart by Anna Mansell

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A compelling, heartbreaking tale that will make you laugh, cry and believe in the kindness of strangers. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Dillon and Miranda Dickinson.

Life is good for nurse Kat. That is until the man she intended to marry legs it, she’s unexpectedly promoted to a position with too much responsibility, and a patient arrives on her ward under strange circumstances.

Susan is a mystery. She refuses to speak or interact with anyone, she’s obsessed with a book of fairy tales, and the only name in her diary is that of Rhys – a plumber she barely knows.

Down-to-earth Rhys is trying to get his life back on track after the death of his beloved brother. His mum is his priority, and she needs him as much as he needs her. Or at least she did, until she starts disappearing, leaving him to find comfort in the form of his brother’s girlfriend.

Complicated is an understatement.

As the lives of these three lost strangers intertwine, will they find a way to lay ghosts past, present and future to rest? And when the chance comes to mend their broken hearts, will they be brave enough to take it? 


Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


How To Mend A Broken Heart is the story of three unrelated people - Kat, Susan and Rhys - who are brought together by an accident. The result is life-changing for all three of them. 

Kat, a nurse returns from vacation hoping that the time spent away from her ex would help ease her heartbreak over their horrible breakup. It's not easy to erase several years invested in a relationship that eventually turned to dust. Coming back to work to a promotion is the distraction she needs. One of her cases is Susan, who was brought in earlier after surviving a scary accident. This is her toughest case yet as Susan has not uttered a word since she's been at the hospital. Racking her brain to figure out how to help her, Kat comes across Rhys' phone number amongst Susan's possessions and calls him. Rhys who's drowning in his own drama after his brother's suicide, barely knows Susan. He and his brother used to do some repair work at her house but when he sees Susan at the hospital, he recognizes something in her. That sense of deep loss and closing in on oneself. Rather than walk away, he sticks around hoping that in helping her, he can gain some insight into why his brother gave up on life. None of these three individuals is ready for the impact of what's to come. 

Grief for some people can be debilitating and this story explores how Kat, Susan and Rhys grapple with theirs. It's the way each of them is handling it that's fascinating. What makes some fight while others simply want to give up? What kind of heartbreak can be so devastating that there's no recovering from it?  When and how does that moment of clarity amid the chaos come? As heart-wrenching of a read as this was, it was also an illuminating look into our own natures. 

This is a lovely debut from Mansell that features plenty of heart. While I didn't get the ending that I was expecting, I love how she developed these characters that eventually learn to embrace their past and look forward to the future. Sometimes you have to look hard at the ugly parts to get to the beautiful.

~ Bel

Slide (Slide #1) by Jill Hathaway

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Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth--her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie's slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she's been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Vee suffers from a condition that sends her “sliding” into other people’s minds where she glimpses snippets of their lives before returning to her own body. It could happen once a day or several times a day. Either way she’s always caught unawares. This inconvenience has dramatically altered her life and relationships. She keeps few friends and keeps her secret well-guarded. Everything changes when her younger sister’s friend is found dead and Vee suspects foul play. Now instead of remaining victim to the sliding, she wants to use it to solve the mysterious death without giving herself away. In the meantime, she has to manage school, a strained relationship with her father, her best friend acting weird and a possible first love entering the picture. All that while not passing out at any given moment.

I was in between books and this evenly-paced suspense with the intriguing premise fit the bill. The sliding element may remind some of David Levithan's Every Day but the two couldn't be more different. Slide is murder mystery and a quick read with the author throwing in a few tricks to sway suspicions. I do have some unanswered questions which I guess seem like plot holes right now, however, I was happy to find out that there’s a sequel, Imposter. Just reading the blurb for it has me fascinated and wondering how many of the events in Slide factor into the next book. 

~ Bel

Confess by Colleen Hoover

* * * 1/2

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Colleen Hoover is the queen of putting her characters in the worst imaginable situations ever. The kind of tear-your-heart-out, will-they-won’t-they, should-they-say-something, it’s-too-tempting positions. You feel desperately bad for them. For me the urgency in reading her books is how her characters extricate their way out of these seemingly impossible messes. It’s not always a neat and tidy ending, and lord knows the in betweens are wrought with strife and tears. No matter the outcome, the process to get there is quite the experience.

Confess is no different. I was instantly taken with Auburn and Owen and waited patiently for their secrets to come out. Both have been visited by personal tragedies and have the scars as reminders every day. Even though they have an obvious, inexplicable attraction, it’s a precarious dance for them as their attempt at a relationship is thwarted before it has even started. This is where those pesky secrets become hindrances or game-changers. Their hands are tied and it seems that Auburn has more to lose than Owen.

I liked the beautiful artwork that is included in the book. Auburn and Owen felt more accessible to me when I got to see the paintings they were seeing. And they are gorgeous paintings, too. Luckily for us, we can see the colour prints on Hoover’s website!

Confess ranks high up there for me and it solidifies Colleen Hoover as one of my favourite authors. The scenarios she writes about are not always comfortable ones – some even left me with mixed feelings – but in her hands I feel I have the open-mindedness to explore these moments despite my reservations. She's a fantastic writer and Confess is just further proof of of how much heart she puts into every word on those pages!

~ Bel

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

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“If we know this story, we haven’t seen it yet in American fiction, not until now. . . . Deep, heartfelt.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.

With its alluring title and breathtaking first two sentences, I found myself being pulled in to a world where a family is ruined by silence and undone by the ultimate tragedy.

Ng effortlessly weaves together both the past and present of five people who are essentially strangers to one another despite being of the same family. Husband and wife, James and Marilyn, are a kind of anomaly in their town being an inter-racial couple. James who’s Chinese wants nothing more than for his children to blend in. Marilyn who was raised by a mother with traditional views of how a woman should be, has always wanted to stand out. Their most intimate thoughts remain unspoken and they make no mention of their past. And thus they’ve created an environment where everything is shrouded in heavy silence. The children comply docilely, internalizing their own feelings.

Silence is the theme of this book. No one talks…or listens. Children are burdened by their parents’ unmentioned failures and unrealized dreams. It’s eerie how in spite of the fact that each kid is so withdrawn, they are keenly observant of the other, noticing little details that escape their parents. Everyone grows further apart as James and Marilyn continue to believe in the fantasy they’ve created in their heads. Lydia was the linchpin of the family with the weight of her parents’ ambitions on her. With Lydia’s shocking death, their delicate family dynamics come apart, revealing each one’s fragility.  

I was enthralled by how seamlessly Ng connected one person’s backstory to the next person’s perspective. The best way I can describe it is it felt like I was watching things unfold in real time. I don’t think I’ve come across this writing style before and the effect is astounding. Even now, a few days after I’ve finished it, I still find myself caught up in the emotional upheaval. It’s an expertly written novel that delves deep into that space of denial and insecurity that the characters are afraid to admit to. I ma certain that this will make it to my Top Ten of the year.

~ Bel

Best Worst Mistake (Brightwater #3) by Lia Riley

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Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best… 

Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.

After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.

But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never thought of myself as a fan of small town romances and yet, Lia Riley has made a convert out of me. Best Worst Mistake has ended up being my favourite of the three so far!

Wilder is the oldest, mysterious Kane brother who’s been MIA from Brightwater for years. He’s purposefully stayed away because of the painful memories his hometown holds for him. Upon surviving a devastating accident, he is forced to return home where his family can keep an eye on him. He reluctantly gives in but remains aloof. Since his movements are limited, he spends his time reading and taking up crafty projects.

Quinn has returned to Brightwater to escape her disappointing career in LA. The lifestyle here is exactly what she needs. Being home also allows her to be closer to her ailing father. She works at the local bookstore that just so happens to be delivering loads of books to this mysterious Wilder. An incident involving Quinn's dad leads to their first meeting. She is instantly intrigued by and attracted to Wilder’s surliness. Wilder prefers it when his abrasiveness  scares people away but Quinn responds to him differently. She’s not intimidated in the least. Instead she goes head-to-head with him and he rather enjoys it. And that’s how this little romance begins.

I can’t believe how badly I wanted to burrow my way into this book. People, I’m not even a fan of winter or the snow and here I was wishing I could transport myself to Brightwater to visit this little bookstore, then pop over to the café for a hot drink and pastry and then hang out at Wilder’s cabin. That last part is so not me. I’m normally a room service girl but somehow, Lia Riley managed to have me wishing I could cozy up to a warm fireplace and hang out with the entire Kane family. This is a tightly knit group of family and friends that I have come to adore. And speaking of that, I couldn’t adore Quinn enough. I have a special affinity for her. Perhaps it’s that she babbles when she’s feeling awkward. Or that she works in a bookstore and loves wearing geeky t-shirts. Then there’s Wilder. I honestly thought there was no way I could love a Kane brother other than Sawyer. Well, I was wrong. I responded to this character who is devoid of any ego but haunted by secrets. He’s sturdy; someone who quietly observes from the background and who is ever ready to be there for you at a moment’s notice. Yes, I puffy heart him something fierce!

I think you get the gist. Reading Best Worst Mistake is like being wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket. Read this entire Brightwater series. It’s good for your heart and increases smiles by 110%!

~ Bel

Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

* * * 1/2

A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.

After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.

But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.

As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks…

Admittedly, I requested to review this book based on Fitzpatrick’s name alone. It’s not just because she wrote one of my favourite series – Hush, Hush. It’s also because she impressed me last year with her standalone release, Black Ice, a departure from the paranormal world she had inhabited. Having enjoyed that, I had no hesitation in reading her latest.

Dangerous Lies follows sixteen year-old “Stella” who has been placed into Witness Protection after agreeing to testify against the perpetrator of a heinous crime she witnessed in her own home. She’s uprooted from her hometown of Philadelphia and taken to Thunder Basin, Nebraska, where she’ll stay for the summer until the case is set to go to trial. This small town is far-removed from her former life. She’s annoyed to be left in the care of a retired cop, Carmina, who actually has the gall to set boundaries and curfews for her, something she’s never had to deal with from her own strung-out, ineffective mother. The only thing that could be a bright side in this middle-of-nowhere town is local hottie, Chet Falconer. The two get along well and Stella has to quell her attraction to him by reminding herself that she does have a boyfriend waiting somewhere out there with whom she hopes to be reunited soon. Carmina warns Stella to stay away from Chet but of course, she doesn’t listen. In fact, Stella spends quite a bit of time at the beginning looking down her nose at people, putting her arrogance on full display and defying Carmina. You can well imagine what sort of stupidity that can lead to.

As I read Dangerous Lies, I challenged myself to gather the clues and put the pieces together before Fitzpatrick’s final unveiling of the truth. She set a nice pace and surprised me with some diversions and twists I didn’t see coming. That's the point, right? Fitzpatrick also gives Stella a strong personality with a voice that expresses her disdain for her current situation. When you first meet her, she's just oozing hostility. And although she's in a new setting, Stella's terrifying nightmares still accompany her along with the guilt over her mother's condition. I was happy to see Stella eventually change her tune as she gets accustomed to Thunder Basin and the locals. Everything in this temporary home has given her a new perspective on what her life was like in Philly and what she has gained in the time she's been here. 

I enjoyed Dangerous Lies and how our heroine went from feeling invincible to realizing that she can allow herself to count on people who care about her. Turns out Thunder Basin is a good place after all!

~ Bel

What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

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Scroll down for info about a fantastic giveaway!

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

Ryden is weighed down by so much guilt – getting his girlfriend pregnant, his girlfriend dying because of it, feeling inadequate as a father for his baby girl Hope, and not being able to keep up with school. He’s trying desperately to fulfill his responsibilities but this is also a seventeen year-old who has a lot of growing up to do.  

Verdi gives a realistic portrayal of what life is like with a baby. His world is turned upside down and inside out. It’s hard enough on any new parent let alone a teenager with very limited resources. And the guy wants to do the right thing by his child. But he also wants time off to experience a bit of the life he’s had to give up in order to be a father. Much of the story focuses on his struggle to figure out what a father should be. He grew up without one and he wonders how much of that factors into his ability to be a good dad to Hope. He also wants to pursue his love of soccer with the intention of getting a full ride to college. A full ride means a stellar education and the promise of a more secure future for him and his child. But the demands of that commitment to the team add more pressure to his already tight schedule. At many intervals he was rather naïve about what he could accomplish considering his circumstances. Yet, I didn't want to see his hopes dashed. 

Ryden’s frantic search for Meg’s journals become his obsession. He’s convinced that reading them will give him answers, a stronger connection to Meg and her thoughts. He doesn’t bank on them giving him more questions. He's also blindsided by his growing feelings for his co-worker, Joni who takes his mind off of his chaotic life. It’s a reprieve when he’s with her because he can temporarily suspend this other part of his life and just be. It’s a jerk move but the guy is confused and overwhelmed by life in general so he’s not exactly making the wisest of decisions. 

With sincerity and honesty, Verdi gives us a heartbroken single teen dad trying to adjust to life with his child. He's doing his best to make ends meet and to learn what it means to be a parent with the help of his resilient mother and two other friends who knew Meg well. Understanding where all the pieces of himself and Meg fit take an emotional toll on him. But part of growing up and maturing is understanding what can be fixed, what needs to be let go of and when to ask for help. There's hope for Ryden yet, and this guy who wants to be everything for his daughter, is a hero.

~ Bel

Enter the giveaway for your chance to win one of three signed copies of What You Left Behind and three signed bookmarks courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire! You can also read the first chapter.

After Hours by Claire Kennedy

* * * 1/2

Isa, Xavi, Peter, and Finn know that a job at the high-end Waterside Cafe isn't just about waiting tables. It's about the gossip, the hook-ups, the after-hours parties and, most of all, it's about Tips.

Tips--the high-stakes game based on dares. Whoever completes the most dares wins the collected money. A sum that could change a wasted summer into a Summer to Remember.

Isa is the new girl with an embarrassing secret, and as long as she stays on top of her game, she sees no reason why anyone could ever find out.

Xavi will do anything for the money...absolutely anything.

Peter, Xavi's stepbrother, has been in love with her for years, and he thinks the game is the perfect time to confess his feelings.

Finn is in the game just for the thrill. He has enough tips coming in to keep him happy...even if those tips come with some conditions.

From seduction to stealing to threats, the dares are a complete free-for-all, and only the best can win.

The sophisticated Waterside Cafe is anything but classy behind the scenes...and things are about to get dirty.

This will be a short but sweet review as the best thing about After Hours is unlocking its secrets chapter by chapter. I was very intrigued by this story of several teens who have everything to gain and much to lose. I’m normally not a fan of several points-of-view but in this case, I liked it. Probably because each character's chapter is short, it makes getting to the point that much more enjoyable for me. I'll also mention that while I've never worked in the restaurant business, I've heard some stories which made me that much more curious about After Hours.

From what you can gather from the description above, each employee who works at Waterside Café has an agenda. They're all guarded and on alert wondering who can be trusted while keeping a close eye on the suspicious ones. The game they play, Tips, is an eagerly anticiated game where once they're invivted to participate, they can make quick cash as long as they complete the dare. That cash represents different things to each one of them though not everyone’s reason is immediately disclosed.

Each one of these characters fascinated me as I tried to uncover their motives. Their lives are complicated, their secrets potentially scandalous and some of them have surprises up their sleeves. Tensions worsen after one particular game goes south and then everyone has to put their heads together to fix the problem. Seeing how all the mischief and mayhem play out is what makes After Hours a very fun read!

~ Bel

Flirting With Scandal (Capital Confessions #1) by Chanel Cleeton

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The author of I See London sets her sights on Washington, D. C., with a sexy new series about three sisters, the secrets they keep, and a powerful blog with a knack for exposing scandals...

Jackie Gardner knows all about dirty little secrets. The illegitimate daughter of one of the most influential senators in Washington, D.C., she grew up surrounded by the scandals and shadows of politics. Now that she's landed an internship with a powerful political consulting firm, she's determined to launch her career and take this city by storm.

William Andrew Clayton was born for politics. He knows the drill: work hard, play discreetly, and at all costs, avoid scandal. At twenty-six, his campaign for the Virginia State Senate is the first step to cementing his future. It's time for him to settle down, to find the perfect political spouse. He needs a Jackie Kennedy, not a Marilyn...

When Jackie meets Will in the bar of the Hay-Adams Hotel, sparks fly. But the last thing Will needs is to be caught in a compromising position, and an affair with a political candidate could cost Jackie her career. When what began as one steamy night, becomes a passion neither one of them can walk way from, they must decide if what they have is really love, or just another dirty little secret...

Calling all Scandal and Gossip Girl fans - this one’s for you! It has everything you need for a juicy read: lust, secrets, fame, manipulation. All set in the nation’s capital.

Jackie is a tough-as-steel hardworking college student currently interning at Price, a campaign consulting firm. One night she’s at the Hay-Adams grabbing a drink after a particularly rough day at work. Will happens to be there as well. He notices Jackie and makes a move on her which she happily accepts. Both are acting out of character as Will doesn’t do one-night stands and Jackie doesn’t get involved with politicians.

Even though nothing comes of that night, they do see each other again when he hires her firm to help manage his senate campaign. And guess who is assigned to help him? Awkward, right? These two cannot contain their lust at all. They are so reckless that you kind of want to shake them. The harder Jackie rails against the two of them being together, the more persistent Will gets. Seriously, these two have no self-control whatsoever.

There are two things that make an involvement with Jackie complicated.  The first is her lineage that if it ever comes out could ruin several people’s lives. The second is the Capital Confessions blog that keeps a close eye on all the seedy goings-on around town. If that blog ever catches wind of what Jackie and Will are up to, it would be the end of his campaign and a blight on both of their careers.

There’s a lot of “magic time” in this which as I’ve mentioned before they’re very reckless about. They lose their senses around each other and one of these days it’ll blow up in their faces. Then there’s also the fight over who controls the relationship and how deep their relationship should go. Jackie is not one to give in easily and Will is determined to convince her that they as a couple work. They just need to stop humping like bunny rabbits long enough to have a thoughtful conversation about their future.

All that being said, Flirting With Scandal was tremendous fun! It’s far removed from Cleeton’s previous International School series featuring college age characters which I loved. This is a grown up affair where hard choices need to be made and decisions have consequences, some being very public. There's no shortage of suspense as you're waiting for either someone to walk in on Jackie and Will or for her secrets to come out.  This is a fun and dirty start to the Capital Confessions series!

~ Bel

Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

* * * * 1/2

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Suspenseful and disconcerting. That’s how I sum up Tiny Pretty Things. Underneath the alluring cover and innocent title, is a sinister story about ambitious people who want to get ahead regardless of the price. In the process, they each lose a little bit of their soul.

Each character has a unique identity. Gigi is the vibrant, happy-go-lucky girl who revels in the pure joy of dancing. Bette, is the diva of the school who has everyone under her thumb. Her older sister's success pushes her to elevate her game which would be resorting to pranks, intimidation and manipulation. Gigi’s innocence and popularity are threats to her success. Then there’s June, whose stand-offish nature is her weapon. June doesn’t have friends. She has competition. She has a surgical approach in how she analyzes everyone to target their strengths and weaknesses. At times Gigi’s charismatic personality almost breaks down her iciness but June is exceptional at compartmentalizing. Despite their differences,  all three want the same thing: to be the lead in the next production.

These young people undergo intense auditions and grueling rehearsals. It's a sensational environment where things can often get fierce. As the story progresses, the characters become more distraught and desperate. The things they do to each other and to their bodies are horrifying. They make you wonder at what point they lost their moral compass to blur the line between right and wrong. I mean, do they still love the art of ballet, or performing or are they so deeply entrenched in its dark underbelly that they don't know anything else? I know I became more distressed with each chapter as “mishaps” and foul play became more serious. Gigi, who is the only genuine person there, appears to be the innocent lamb nestled deep in the lion’s den.

The feeling I had as I read Tiny Pretty Things was the same jittery feeling I had when watching the tv show Revenge - always on edge because you never know what the next surprise will be. I both cared about and despised these characters for all their heartache and their flaws. There are reasons why Bette and June are as vile as they are but even those don't erase the the truth that these girls are treacherous when it comes to achieving their dreams. At times they’re something to be feared and at others, they’re close to crumbling.

Charaipotra and Clayton have written an enthralling story about bloodthirsty ambition featuring dynamic and diverse characters from different backgrounds, even breaking some stereotypes.  The fact that these characters sway back and forth between being decent and wretched, leaves you guessing as to how things will turn out by the end. 

~ Bel