Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

A special thank you to the author for a copy of the book.

Zadie Anson, a pediatric cardiologies, and Emma Colley, a trauma surgeon, have been best friends for almost twenty. Having met in medical school, they have maintained their relationship through all life has thrown at them—their demanding careers, marriages, and children.

When a buried secret (related to a torrid affair with a chief resident) threatens their relationship, both women examine the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers. When it becomes evident that Emma knew more that she ever let on about the circumstances that nearly derailed both of their lives, Zadie starts to question if she really knows her friend at all.

I was thrilled to have won a signed copy from Kimmery. She is so lovely and included a hand-written note with the book.

Martin's debut is a medical drama that is a study in the complexities of relationships. The novel is narrated by both women, however, we also hear from Zadie in the past. Because of this, it becomes apparent that Emma is the one with something to hide. Someone died, and it is she who suffers immeasurable guilt. The basis of the novel is the unraveling of not only the secret, but the effect that it will have on their bond.

Zadie's story seems to centre more around her chaotic home life—she's the mother of four young children—whereas by contrast, Emma's chapters are consumed with the guilt she is harboring and the fear that she will be exposed. It is her story that gives the novel its contemporary feel.

There was enough medical jargon to make it authentic. Martin doesn't dumb anything down, instead she elevates her reader, but not enough so that readers are left confused, or worse, disinterested. There are some pretty vivid and graphic descriptions, but if you can stomach medical dramas on TV, you won't be phased.

Martin explores the sometimes delicate and obligatory aspect of a long-term relationship, especially those that are forged by women. Sometimes these relationships are tolerated, not unlike marriages, not only because of the time put in, but because of the shared secrets.

A solid debut. If you are a fan of Grey's Anatomy, I highly encourage you to pick up this book.

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KIMMERY MARTIN is still a practicing physician in addition to being an author. She is a lifelong literary nerd who enjoys reviewing books and interviewing authors. Her next book, The Antidote for Everything, will be published in February of 2020.

Martin resides in Charlotte, North Caroline with her husband and three children.

The Exes' Revenge by Jo Jakeman

A special thank you to the author, Jo Jakeman, for providing me with a copy of the book.

Three women are connected by their romantic involvement with the same man. At first they have only this in common, but come to realize that they actually have another thing in common...they all want revenge against him.

Phillip Rochester is controlling, abusive, and narcissistic. Imogen, Phillip's second ex-wife, is dealing with the messy fallout from their divorce. He is becoming incredibly difficult, even going as far as demanding that she move out of their house by the end of the month or he will sue for sole custody of their son.

In an act of desperation and madness, Imogen does something so unthinkable and completely out of character, yet it gives her all the power in the relationship for the first time. What she could never anticipate is that both Phillip's other ex-wife and his new girlfriend would get caught up in her plan. These vastly different women become the most unlikely allies to take revenge on the same man that wronged them all.

In this psychological thriller, Jakeman opens with Phillip's funeral. Her twisty plot plays out between the past and present to reveal how Phillip died. This is an efficacious way to quell the reader's desire for revenge on such an abusive individual.

Imogen's character descent is fascinating. At first, she's a typical unreliable narrator—her perception is her reality so the reader naturally sides with her where the exes are concerned. But the more the story plays out, and the further across the line she goes, the more we learn about the other women.

This dark debut was originally titled Sticks and Stones, though I much prefer the current title, The Exes' Revenge. Jakeman's novel is not only hypnotic, but incredibly satisfying from start to finish. The pace is spot on, as is the revenge and there is also some dark humour sprinkled throughout which is incredibly clever. I literally could not stop reading and stayed up way too late. Thank you, Jo Jakeman, for taking me on this ride!

JO JAKEMAN won the Friday Night Live competition at the York Festival of Writing in 2016.

Born in Cyprus, she worked for many years in London before moving to the countryside with her husband and twin boys.

The Exes' Revenge is her debut thriller.