Category: NetGalley

Book Review, NetGalley

My First Cookbook Review! The Pesto Cookbook by Olwen Woodier

Abby

The Pesto Cookboo

Publish Date: April 17, 2018

This is my first cookbook review! I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storey Publishing, and Olwen Woodier for a preview of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Look at that beautiful cover. So many bright, vivid colors. Fresh herbs. This cover is definitely eye catching. It makes you want to pick up that spoon and have a taste of that pesto. Yum!

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This book is a comprehensive guide to pestos. It begins with the basic pesto recipe and then that’s where it gets interesting. Continue reading “My First Cookbook Review! The Pesto Cookbook by Olwen Woodier” →

Book Review, NetGalley

Book Review: Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

Abby

Not That I Could Tell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3 Stars

Publication Date: March 27, 2018

I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

We’ve all experienced this: an evening of wine, friends, a fire pit, honest conversation, laughter, and bonding. Then – waking up the next morning slightly (or majorly) regretting that last glass and sharing too much.

It happens everywhere, including the quirky small Ohio town of Yellow Springs. Except that this time, one of the women, Kristin, disappears suddenly without a trace, presumably with her young twins who are also missing.

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Continue reading “Book Review: Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser” →

Book Review, NetGalley

Book Review: Sociable by Rebecca Harrington

Abby

Sociable

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3 Stars

Publish Date: March 27th 2018

Books Like This: The Circle by Dave Eggers, The Startup by Doree Shafrir

I am a sucker for books with a Digital Age plot!

I received an advance copy of this book from Doubleday Books through NetGalley.

I’m attracted to novels that reference social media, texting, the Internet… anything online. Why? Because it’s relatable. We are all addicted to Facebook, Twitter, texting, and the Internet. We rely on technology for many aspects of our life. And I love books that are associated with things that I can identify with, but hopefully with a more glamourous perspective.

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Continue reading “Book Review: Sociable by Rebecca Harrington” →

Book Review, NetGalley

Book Review: The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

Abby

Family 1

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 3 Stars

Publish Date: March 6, 2018

“Good neighbors always spy on you to make sure that you are doing well.” – Pietro Aretino

I received an advance copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.

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The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbors, and children play in the street.

Isabelle is the new neighbor that just moved in. She doesn’t fit into this picture of family paradise. She doesn’t have kids or a husband; what is is doing in this neighborhood?

Isabelle soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers- Ange, Fran and Essie – who have their own secrets to hide. Ange is a control freak, Fran won’t let her sweet, gentle husband near their new baby, and, three years ago, Essie struggled with a really bad bout of postpartum depression and left her baby in a park.

As their obsession with their new neighbor grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread – and they’ll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see. Continue reading “Book Review: The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth” →

Book Review, NetGalley

Book Review: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

Abby

Sometimes I Lie

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars 4 Stars

Publish Date: March 13, 2018

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Alice Feeney for the opportunity.

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Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it.

Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, the reader slowly uncovers what happened, and why. It makes you wonder: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth? Continue reading “Book Review: Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney” →

Book Review, NetGalley

Book Review: The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum

Abby

Coincidence 1

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Publish Date: March 6, 2018

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Yoav Blum for the privilege of previewing this book in exchange for an honest review.

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What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? What if there’s no such thing as a chance encounter? What if there are people we don’t know determining our destiny? And what if they are even planning the fate of the world?

Enter the Coincidence Makers—Guy, Emily, and Eric—three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targets—scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and me…

When an assignment of the highest level is slipped under Guy’s door one night, he knows it will be the most difficult and dangerous coincidence he’s ever had to fulfill. But not even a coincidence maker can see how this assignment is about to change all their lives and teach them the true nature of fate, free will, and the real meaning of love. Continue reading “Book Review: The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum” →

Book Review, Edelweiss, NetGalley

Book Review: Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

Abby

Hearts 1

My rating: 5 of 5 stars 5 Stars

Publish Date: February 13, 2018

This book has the medical drama, excitement, and steamy work romance of Gray’s Anatomy, and the female bonds, motherhood struggles, secrets, heartbreak, and wit of Big Little Lies tied up in one delectable package. I LOVED it, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

I received a copy of this book through Edelweiss and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Edelweiss, NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Kimmery Martin for the opportunity.

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This book is about friendships.

The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous, and immediately caught my eye.

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This is the story of Zadie Anson and Emma Colley, who have been best friends since they met in medical school when they were in their early twenties.

Now they’re happily married wives and mothers with successful careers — Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon. Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina are busy but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague upends their stable routines.

As chief resident and primary handsome hunk, Nick Xenokostas AKA Dr. X, was the center of Zadie’s life–both in and out of work– until he breaks her heart. Zadie has moved on, but Nick’s unexpected reappearance shocks both Zadie and Emma for different reasons that are slowly uncovered as the book progresses. Emma has been keeping a secret that will rip Zadie’s heart into pieces.

I think this quote from Buddha sums up the basis for this story: Three things cannot be long hidden – the sun, the moon, and the truth. Continue reading “Book Review: Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin” →