Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite; Maritza Moulite

A special thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN/Inkyard Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seventeen-year-old Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended and shipped off to Haiti when a presentation at school goes completely off the rails. She will be spending the next two months writing a "spring volunteer immersion project" instead of vacationing.

Alaine is under the watchful eyes of her (Aunt) Tati Estelle and Celeste, her mother. Celeste is a beautiful reporter who is hiding from the media after a very public incident that is being dubbed as "Slapgate" where she slapped a politician on live TV—she is also hiding a devastating secret of her own.

Happy to be away from the media storm, Alaine gets to flirt with Tati’s cute intern, spend some quality time with her mother, and learn about Haiti—she's visiting for the first time. Alaine also gets to explore her family history, one that is riddled with betrayals, myths, and possibly even a family curse.

But it's nothing she can't handle...

I loved the premise of this book as well as the epistolary style of narrative. The Moulite sisters use letters, emails, diary entries, postcards, and articles to tell Alaine's story. There is also Celeste's storyline which, truth be told, I found more compelling than Alaine's, even though Alaine's had a fresh and intriguing voice. That being said, I am also not the intended audience and I think that readers will identify with Alaine because like most teens, she comes across as confident, yet she is also self-concious with a lot of growing to do.

But the narrative gets away from the authors. There were parts that came across as particularly unorganized and subsequently they lose the plot in places. There are also too many tertiary characters and secondary characters that disappear (Alaine's father, her friend) and an unnecessary sort-of romance.

However, despite that it was 400 plus pages, it was an effortless, enjoyable read. I also liked learning about Haiti and absolutely loved the cover.

MAIKA & MARITZA MOULITE are a sister writing duo.

Maika is a Miami native and daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. She is also a blogger and writes for nonprofits and other organizations.

Maritza graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN, and USA TODAY. 

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

A special thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, HarperCollins Canada and Harlequin/Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Your husband has three wives and you are wife number two. You have never met the other women. Because of this arrangement, you see your husband only one day a week—you're the Thursday wife, the best wife. You convince yourself that this agreement works because you love him so much and he's worth it.

When you are doing his laundry, you find an appointment slip in his pocket for Hannah. She has to be one of the other wives. You can't help yourself, your curiosity gets the better of you and you manage to track her down. The two of you strike up a friendship, she is quite likeable even though she is young and naive.

Hannah shows up to one of your coffee dates with bruises and you know that these marks are because she is being abused by her husband—only he's your husband too. But he's never been violent with you, so why now? Do you even really know the man that you married? And who is his mysterious first wife?

Tarryn Fisher is a fantastic author who consistently surprises her readers with her vast style. This book is hypnotic and thrilling, but layered with an innate sadness. She is a detailed and meticulous writer and this book is no exception.

I loved the clever play with the names of the wives based on the main character's name (which we don't find out until later on in the story). It hooked me right from the beginning and didn't let go.

The narrative lives in the head of the main character and she is incredibly unreliable—I mean there are unreliable narrators, and then there are the kind that Fisher writes. In this case, Tarryn creates a psychological thriller of epic proportions. The story is real and raw, fuelled by angst and desire—there are times where it is completely bonkers and I mean this in the best possible way. She is a detailed and meticulous storyteller. Tarryn wields words, they are definitely her weapon.

All-in-all another banger from Tarryn Fisher. Can you believe she recently had a baby and has two books publishing this year? She's pretty incredible. You should also check her on social media—I love 'Tuesdays with Tarryn,' and her unwavering support of women.

BUY NOW

TARRYN FISHER is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels.

Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington with her children, husband, and psychotic husky.

Tarryn writes about villains.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

A special thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in rural Virginia, Miracle Creek starts with an explosion at an HBOT facility, owned and operated by Pak and Young Yoo, Korean immigrants. Sealed inside the chamber are four patients undergoing treatment, and their caregivers. Tragically, 8-year-old Henry and the mother of another patient perish in the fire.

When it becomes apparent that the explosion wasn't an accident, but an act of arson, Pak You is the primary suspect. With an airtight alibi and solid evidence that suggests otherwise, he is eventually cleared by police—but the evidence that helped clear Pak incriminates Henry's mother, Elizabeth.

This powerful story unfolds during a four day trial. Told through multiple voices, it becomes apparent that everyone is hiding something. The reader must sift through evidence, betrayals, secrets, lies, and confessions, to find out who is responsible.

After reading the first few pages of Kim's debut, I thought I had been duped into reading a science fiction novel. But after googling "hyperbaric oxygen therapy" (also known as HBOT), I was shocked to learn that not only it is in fact an actual treatment, but Kim's own son underwent 40 dives for ulcerative colitis. Patients are delivered a high concentration of oxygen in a pressurized chamber, much like a submarine. The treatment is used for: autism, carbon monoxide poisoning, skin burns/injuries, infertility, cerebral palsy, and depression.

As beautifully written as this book was, there is also an innate sadness that I wasn't expecting. There is a desperation from many of the characters, not only in the lengths that they will go to for the health and well-being of one of their loved ones, but also to clear their names. This is also an honest portrayal of the challenges of caring for someone with special needs—Kim doesn't shy away from the sometimes harsh realities that these caregivers face.

The trial testimonies are the perfect vehicle for this story. Kim's writing is razor sharp and relentless in these passages. You can see the influence of her former career as a litigator with the impeccable dialogue in the courtroom scenes.

Kim's writing and originality is what kept me going through this book. While I didn't love it, I genuinely liked it, and do feel compelled to point out again what an extraordinary author she is. The mystery aspect was both captivating and thrilling. But it was the characters themselves that were the negative, perhaps that was the point... Even with the unlikeability factor, the actual character study/character descent is something to be acknowledged, especially in a debut.

ANGIE KIM moved from Seoul, Korea, to Baltimore as a preteen, and attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, then practiced as a trial lawyer at Williams & Connolly. Miracle Creek is her debut.

Kim lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons.

The Middle-Aged Virgin by Olivia Spring

A special thank you to the author for generously providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.

Sophia appears to have it all: she runs London's trendiest beauty PR agency, has an amazing boyfriend, and a shoe wardrobe to die for.

But when she experiences a monumental loss, she reflects on what is really important in life and realizes that it is not being a workaholic or stuck in a boring relationship. In fact, her love life is so monotonous, her best friend proclaims that she is a MARGIN, or Middle-Aged Virgin.

Determined to reclaim her life while she's still young enough to enjoy it, Sophia decides to work less, travel, and play more (which includes rediscovering the passion she's been missing in her fifteen year relationship).

How will Sophia, a control freak, fair in the online dating pool? Will she sink, or swim?

The Middle-Aged Virgin is a story of a smart, newly single woman who is making it her mission to reclaim her happiness, find love, and live her life to the fullest.

What I love about Olivia Spring's writing is that it is clever, fresh, and fun with just the right amount of cheekiness. The plot is layered and true to her other offerings, there are some great twits. Spring has an ear for dialogue and the passages between Sophia and her girlfriends (Roxy is from Losing My Inhibitions) were some of the best parts and the most relatable. These girls have a gift for the gab and no topic is off limits. 

Chick lit fans, this one has your name on it.

OLIVIA SPRING is a PR professional from London. She loves cake and has always wanted to be a writer. Because she still works in public relations, she adopted a pen name to spare the embarrassment of any clients that may read anything racy.

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

A special thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this intense thriller, Lila Bennett is an attorney with an insatiable hunger for success. To get to where she is, Lila has made many bad choices, and one of those choices has literally split her life in two.

In one life, after celebratory drinks, she's taken captive by a masked man who seemingly knows a lot about her. Lila is trapped in a concrete cell with her feet and hands bound. She is forced to face her unsavoury actions or be killed.

Although she manages to evade being captured in her alternate life, she is still hunted by someone who is exposing her secrets one at a time. As result, her happiness, and everything she has worked for, is slowly being chipped away.

You see, in both of these scenarios, everything is on the line—her marriage, her career, and her life. Lila must make a list of those in her past that she's wronged to determine who is responsible, before it's too late. And even if she can figure out who is behind what is happening to her, will she even survive? Which Lila Bennett will emerge? Because one thing is for certain, life as she knows it is over.

Inspired by the movie Sliding Doors, Liz and Lisa have ratcheted up the suspense in their newest novel. The story starts out as linear, but when Lila literally muses that her life "could split in two," and that the choices laid at her feet would lead her on completely different paths, the narrative actually splits into two. From here, Fenton & Steinke alternate between the two scenarios at the same point in time (each chapter is title "Captured" and "Free"). Readers are not only treated to some pretty incredible writing, but are tasked to figure out who is responsible.

Lila is a complex, layered character and the perfect unreliable narrator. She's whip-smart, but her intelligence and success are ironically part of her downfall. Also, her conscious is questionable—she gets people off for murder—yet for someone who is so bold and brazen, she actually fosters insecurities about her persona.

What is remarkable, besides the writing, is that it totally makes you start to question some of the decisions you have made in your own life, and that there are always several possibilities in every scenario. Both endings are outstanding and overall, this book is so damn clever! This ambitious narrative style could have easily gotten away from Fenton & Steinke, but it figuratively knocked my socks off.

BUY NOW

LIZ FENTON & LISA STEINKE are the author team of five novels, including Girls' Night Out and the The Good Widow.

Liz and Lisa have been best friends for 30 years.

The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At almost six feet tall with the redhead temper, Zee is an unlikely fairy tale princess for Gentry. She was in an accident that shattered her hip, and as a result goes to physical therapy. It is here that she met her knight (complete with a sword and armor). Zee has a long list of problems: money woes, her beautiful and gullible sister, her five-year-old nephew, her hoarder mother that is housebound, and her boss that is a drug dealer.

Gentry is a knight with a code of honour—he was told two years ago, by voices that only he hears, to be Zee's champion. He is not only autistic, but shy, and keeps a vigilant watch over his princess. He is always ready to rescue her.

When Zee's sister goes missing—is perhaps kidnapped—she turns to her champion. The ripple effect not only changes their lives, but connects them until 'The End' of their fairy tale.

Greenwood's The Reckless Oath We Made is a slow burn and I'm not sure that it is worth the patience. Let me clarify what I mean by that. As an English major, I thought I was going to love the way Gentry speaks—he speaks in Middle English, believing he's a knight—but I found it completely slowed the pace of the narrative, and certain readers will be alienated by the use of this speech. On one hand, the character is autistic, and he is being true to himself and how he chooses to live by what he perceives to be as a knight's code of conduct. But on the other hand, too much time is wasted on his speeches and reenactments. Unfortunately, this is also where she's going to lose more of her audience.

While this book didn't immediately suck me in, I did push through it in order to be able to objectively review it. After giving it much thought, I just don't think the book was for me and was mildly disappointed. Perhaps Greenwood should have abandoned the whole romance aspect, as well as Gentry's reenactments (less is more), and focused more on the mystery. She is clearly a talented writer, and for that reason, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things will be added to my pile of books to read.

BRYN GREENWOOD earned a MA in Creative Writing from Kansas State University. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, Last Will, and Lie Lay Lain.

Greenwood lives in Lawrence, Kansas.