How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is Pearson's part two of the Kate Reddy series—oh how I've missed you, Kate!  I actually liked this book better than the first, which I think is an anomaly to like the sequel better than the original.

Kate Reddy is re-entering the work force after being at home with her children because her husband, who appears to be suffering an identity crisis, has gone back to school.  To bag the job, she lies about her age.  She is feeling the pressure from the much younger workforce, from her demanding mother, ailing in-laws, her contractor, and from her sullen teenagers.  And to top it all off, her marriage is F-L-A-T, flat.

How hard can it be to face 50, your husband's mid-life crisis, and to restart your career?  Pretty hard I would say, especially when you are shouldering the entire household workload as well because your husband is useless, and you are also feeling strangled not only from your shaping garments, but from your obligations.  

Kate is every woman, whether old or young, as she embarks on this often hilarious journey of self-discovery—she's more than just a career woman, mother, sister, friend, or wife.  She is as smart as she is funny, she is sassy and strong, and above all, resilient.  With every turn of the page, you will be rooting for Kate and wishing she was your friend.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut by Zoje Stage will not be for the faint of heart.  Baby Teeth is a deeply disturbing psychological thriller told in alternating point of view between Hanna, a silent and disturbed seven-year-old, and Suzanne, her barely coping mother.

Hanna is conniving and precocious and is beyond her years mentally.  She is able to play her parents off one another for her own gain as well as at the torment of her mother.  When she is around her daddy, who she wants to marry, she is a sweet and silent angel that is eager to please.  In the care of her mother, she is evil and violent, and plays on her mother's fear of her.  

Suzette loves her daughter, but is exhausted both mentally and physically, and like her marriage, is breaking down.  Hanna is home schooled so Suzette rarely gets time away from her.  The little girl is becoming more conniving with each passing day—she has turned their family dynamic upside down by making Suzette look crazy and neurotic.  Suzette fears that there is something seriously wrong with her daughter and that Hanna is too much of a threat to her at home.  

Stage takes the reader down the rabbit hole that is is Hanna's mind.  It is a dark and twisty ride, and as mentioned will not appeal to all readers.  If a creepy kid story is your bag, you will love it.  If stories about demented children are not your thing, I suggest you pass.  I have to be honest, this is not something I would have normally picked up, but was intrigued by the cover and synopsis.  After reading, I'm on the fence.  The story is well-written and captivating, but there was a lot of suspension of disbelief—for a seven-year-old, Hanna is far too advanced and this was distracting from the actual story.

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twice a week, the mommy group dubbed as the May Mothers (because their babies all have birthdays in May) meet at the park. They discuss being new mothers, swap stories, and share advice and support.

It is one of the hottest summers on record. As a break from the heat (and the babies) the members decide a night out is in order at the hip local bar. Winnie, a single mother, had never left her six-week-old infant, Midas. Nell, one of the May Mothers, offers up her babysitter so that Winnie can join them. She insists that everything will be fine. On this stifling Fourth of July, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is abducted right from his home. Midas is missing and the police are asking disturbing questions that are putting Winnie's private life on display and the media can't get enough.

None of the other members are particularly close to the guarded Winnie, yet three of them will go to great lengths to help find her baby. Secrets are exposes, relationships are tested, and the mothers are scrutinized.

All I can say is, what a surprise! The writing is taut, the story is well thought out and expertly paced with just enough suspense—nothing is given away too soon.  Apparently this book will be adapted for the big screen and will star Kerry Washington (um...yes, please). Molloy's novel is also eagerly anticipated as one of this coming summer's must reads. I would definitely recommend you add it to your poolside/cottage/beach to read pile.    

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AIMEE MOLLOY lives in Western Massachusetts with her family. The Perfect Mother is her debut.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

A special thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Laurel Mack's daughter has been missing for ten years. Ellie was the perfect daughter—beloved by her family, friends, teachers, and boyfriend. She was fifteen when she disappeared, just days before school let out for summer. The case had gone cold, the police believed that Ellie ran away, that is until new evidence surfaces.  

Not only did Laurel lose her daughter, but her marriage did not survive. She also has strained relationships with her two other children. To stay close to her other daughter, Hannah, she cleans her flat, and she he barely sees her son, Jake, who lives with his girlfriend in another town.    

To her surprise and delight, Laurel meets a charming man in a cafe. What starts out as flirtation quickly turns into something more meaningful. Floyd is a single father of two, and before she knows it, Laurel is being introduced to his daughters. When Laurel meets Poppy, his youngest, she is stunned. Poppy looks exactly like Ellie. All of the questions Laurel has pushed down for years come bubbling to the surface. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away? And why does this little girl resemble her missing daughter?  

Told through multiple points of view, and alternating from past to present, Jewell pens some interesting and engaging characters with enough backstory to keep the reader vested and engaged. There is one minor plot flaw, but if you can suspend your disbelief, you may not be bothered.

With an incredible hook, this is a must read. Predictable? A little. Heartbreaking? Yes. Dark and twisty? Check and check! Although there was nothing new here, I would recommend this book for those looking for a page-turning, thrilling read.

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LISA JEWELL is the internationally bestselling author of I Found You, The Girls in the Garden, and The House We Grew Up In.

In total, her novels have sold more than two million copies across the English-speaking world and her work has also been translated into sixteen languages so far.

Lisa lives in London with her husband and their two daughters.

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

A special thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Gallery/Scout Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This stunning, raw, heartbreaking glimpse into the world of ALS from Lisa Genova will leave you emotionally spent and in awe of those living with this cruel disease, and in awe of their loved ones and the real-life superheroes that are their caregivers.

Richard is a renowned pianist that sells out concerts all over the world, a fine-tuned instrument that executes his performances with precision and passion.  Fast forward eight months—Richard has been diagnosed with ALS and no longer has the use of his right arm.  The loss of his hand is like the loss of a true love, like his own divorce from Karina.  It is only a matter of time before it is his left hand, and the rest of his body.

Karina hasn't moved on from her divorce from Richard, in fact she is stuck in limbo in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher.  It is easy for her to blame Richard for where she has ended up and for the dissolution of the marriage.

When the disease progresses to the point that Richard is fully paralyzed, Karina reluctantly steps in to care for him.  He moves back in with Karina, in the home that they once shared with their daughter, Grace, who is away at university.  As Richard becomes a shell of a man he once was, the couple is forced to face their regrets head on and learn what it means to forgive.

What I love about Genova's books is her ability to educate her reader, not only in matters of the heart and relationships, but about actual neurological diseases and conditions that most would not be familiar with unless they were affected personally.  She doesn't "dumb-it-down", instead she elevates her reader and empowers them with knowledge.  It is this knowledge that makes her stories rich, not only in information, but in character development, yet doesn't bog down the narrative.  Her writing is poignant, sharp, and captivating.  Lisa, congratulations on this book, and your continued success—it is always a pleasure to read and review your work.  

LISA GENOVA graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and DementiaUSA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's association.

Genova is also the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, and Inside the O'Briens. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart.