My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing – Review

Published on June 24, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books8 Comments

Hi friends. Today, I will be reviewing My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. This was a disturbing, yet amazing read. I found it a bit similar to a book I’ve already read, but it was still interesting and unique in it’s own way.

Book: My Lovely Wife

Author: Samantha Downing

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Some spoilers are marked and hidden!!

Quote: “But I keep my mouth shut, because that’s what friends do. We don’t point out each other’s faults unless asked.”

*The Husband. At first, I was annoyed by the way he was narrating the story, but I eventually got used to it, and began to enjoy his POV. His true name is never mentioned, and his alias is Tobias, however, I decided to call him, The Husband. He is like any other father in his rich neighborhood, teaching golf at the local club, with a wife who is a realtor and two kids. However, his secret hobby is murder. As the story continued, I sympathized with him, and also tried to make excuses for him in my head. By the end of the book, I was rooting for him, which makes me just a tad bit worried about my mental health 😉

*Millicent. She was an interesting character who was constantly full of surprises. She also seemed to be the main brains behind the murders, and a bit controlling of her husband. But what can you expect from a serial killer? Though I didn’t like her, it was interesting to learn about her through her husband’s POV.

*Mystery and Plot. The mystery wasn’t much of a mystery, since we already knew who did it and why – well, you think you know why. I was surprised how things turned out, and couldn’t guess the ending. There was a good amount of suspense, and I was also constantly worrying that Millicent and her husband would get caught which I guess I should have been happy about, but I was still nervous. Most of the book wasn’t very fast-paced, but the end was more of a thriller.

Quote: “You didn’t think we were going to stop, did you?”

*The Husband is a bit stupid. Honestly, I don’t plan murders, and I stay on the right side of the law, yet I felt like I knew that he shouldn’t have made such a ridiculous mistake. I think it’s a bit of a spoiler, so I’m going to hide it in the drop-down.

SPOILER!! BEWARE!! Do not click the arrow unless you want to reveal the spoiler!

After Trisha (?? I think that’s her name) told him that she dated Owen, and she gave some details about his house, The Husband wrote a letter, pretending to be Owen and used pretty much the exact same words to prove that he is indeed Owen and not a copycat. I expected Trisha to notice that those exact words had been used and that that would have been The Husband’s downfall. It seemed very obvious to me that he should not have done that.

*Justice. I personally would have liked for The Bad Guy to suffer a lot more than they did at the end of the book, but I guess justice was still served in its own way.

*Similarities. After I finished reading the story, it occured to me that this book was a bit similar to another book I have read, especially with the ending twist. You can see which book in the drop down below!

SPOILER!! BEWARE!! Do not click the arrow unless you want to reveal the spoiler!

I think it was similar to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Both wives got cheated on, and then they planned an elaborate revenge that included framing the husband for a crime they didn’t commit. However, while I liked My Lovely Wife, I didn’t like Gone Girl.

Quote: “My name is not Tobias. I use that name only when I want someone to remember me.”

Overall, I liked this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it. This was a dark and twisted thriller with an unconventional narrator and a surprising ending. For a debut thriller, I think Ms. Downing did a very good job.

One sentence summary: A twisted and surprising thriller, with an unusual narrator.

Overall, 4 stars!

★★★★☆

Have you read My Lovely Wife? What did you think? Have you read any other thriller from the point-of-view of the killer? Let’s chat in the comments below!

No Exit by Taylor Adams – Review

Published on April 26, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books8 Comments

Welcome back friends! Today, I’m going to review No Exit by Taylor Adams. This was a short action-packed thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked the main character Darby and was cheering for her the whole way. It was also gruesome and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Book: No Exit

Author: Taylor Adams

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside, are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

Some spoilers are marked!

Quote: “There’s refuge in normalcy — if you can hold onto it.”

*Thriller. This. Was. A. Thriller. My heart was pounding through-out the story and it was so “edge of your seat” amazing that I went from my bed to the floor. I’d suggest you not read this before bed.

*Darby. I really liked reading about Darby’s struggle to save the kidnapped girl. Her pain and suffering was immense and yet she still came back and fought to save her. I kind of related to her, since she felt it her responsibility to save the girl herself. I probably would have done the same thing and it made the story more “real”.

*Setting. If you are caught in a winter-storm, dubbed Snowmageddon, and you see a tiny hand moving in a crate in the back of a truck, what would you do? The setting of this story was amazing. Dark, cold, snowy, it all added to the level of despair and made Darby’s attempt to save the girl even harder. I loved the atmosphere and it really enhanced the story!

*Gruesome. This was VERY painful. The amount of pain and torture shocked me and in a twisted way, added to my enjoyment of the story (no I’m not weird….or am I?). I felt the pain of the characters, and the agony that they were in, since it was described and it hurt. Trust me, after this, you will be terrified of door hinges, rest stops, and nail guns for life.

*Short. This book is short, and that helped because I wouldn’t have been able to put it down had it been a long novel. I got through it in about two and a half hours and I still enjoyed it.

Quote: “Sometimes God puts people exactly where they need to be. Even when they don’t know it.”

*Implausible? At the end, there is a shocker, and if you’d like you can read a spoiler below, but I thought that the end was quite implausible.

SPOILER

Darby was shot at, with both a gun and nail gun, had two of her fingers smashed in a door hinge, was out in Snowmageddon for several hours, had been doused in gasoline, twisted or maybe broken her leg, and in general, been battered and hurt about a thousand times, yet she still survived? During the ending, it seems as though she died, however, if you read it twice, you can see that they are talking about her mother who also died on that day from cancer (that’s why she was driving in Snowmageddon anyway). I just think that it is a little of a stretch because she’d been shot, and her fingers had been smashed and she’d lost A LOT of blood, she was NOT wearing a coat, and she’d been running up and down in the cold and well, I really think that she couldn’t have possibly survived (though it would have been nice, but it’s not plausible).

*Gruesome. I also added gruesome in The Bad section because I think that it was a little too much and could have been turned down a notch. But I think it was bearable.

Quote: “Darby preferred to live her life wide-eyed, tormented, running, because nothing can catch you if you never stop.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this, though I’m shifting my original five stars, down to 4. It was an amazing and thrilling ride and I’d definitely recommend it. However, be warned that it is gritty and gruesome and might be too much for some people. This book will probably end up on my” Favorite books of 2019″ list.

One sentence summary: An action-packed thriller with a determined, and courageous main character.

Overall, 4 shining stars!!

★★★★☆

Have you read No Exit? What did you think? Have you read any other books by Taylor Adams? Let’s chat in the comments below!

I Found You by Lisa Jewell – Review

Published on April 22, 2019June 25, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books8 Comments

Welcome back friends. It’s Monday, and today I bring to you my review of I Found You by Lisa Jewell. I finished this last week Wednesday and though I guessed how the stories were woven together, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. There was one aspect that wasn’t fully resolved, but it wasn’t something that detracted from the story.

Book: I Found You

Author: Lisa Jewell

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: ‘How long have you been sitting out here?’
‘I got here yesterday.’
‘Where did you come from?’
‘I have no idea.’

East Yorkshire: Single mum Alice Lake finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement she invites him in to her home.

Surrey: Twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Two women, twenty years of secrets and a man who can’t remember lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s brilliant new novel.

Quote: “Because deep down inside, she was scared. Scared of being alone, scared of being an outsider. Scared that she had all of her chances of happiness; and blown each and every one of them.”

*Story-lines. I really loved the three story-lines. It was interesting to read about the history of the characters and how it tied to the current mystery. I was also curious to see how Lily’s story fit in with Alice’s and the backstory.

*Characters. I really liked Alice. Her far-from-perfect life and the constant mistakes that she makes made her more down-to-earth and a loving person. I originally liked Lily, but as the story continued, I began to dislike her bossy and somewhat entitled attitude. ‘Frank’ was okay, and at the end, I felt so much for him.

*Plot. A man who has lost his memory, a woman whose husband has gone missing, and a tragic backstory that is uncovered slowly makes for a great plot. Though I guessed how everything fit together before the big reveal, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The suspense was great, and the end was okay.

*Slow. It was a little slow, but I liked the tension.

Quote: “But when it is just me. Alone. With myself—there is no sunshine.”

*Legal Aspect. A person gets kidnapped/attempted murder in this book, and the kidnapper/failed murderer isn’t arrested or prosecuted. There’s no mention of a possible trial, or any charges and I find it very hard to believe that it was ignored. It irked me but it didn’t detract anything from the story.

Quote: “Do you see now why I know something bad has happened?”

In the end, I really enjoyed this, I would recommend it, and I hope you like it if you read it. The mystery was a little slow, and I guessed the big twist before it happened, but the slow revelation of what was really going on was amazing. This is one of my favorite reads of the year.

One sentence summary: An intriguing mystery with a slow build-up and a great, yet predictable, ending.

Overall, 5 stars!

★★★★★

Have you read I Found You? What did you think? Have you read any other books by Lisa Jewell? Let’s chat in the comments below!

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson – Review

Published on March 11, 2019September 4, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books2 Comments

Welcome back to the review of the sequel to Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. The Vanishing Stair was an amazing sequel and a definite four star read for me. The mystery was explored some more, new secrets were revealed and the cliffhanger ending was amazing.

This review may contain minor spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Book: The Vanishing Stair

Author: Maureen Johnson

Series: Truly Devious

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.

For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.

The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of the Truly Devious series, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

Quote: “All the money, all the power—none of it compares to a good book.”

The Good:

*Mystery. In this book, the Ellingham mystery takes center stage and I really like that because that’s the main reason why I picked up the first book to start with. I was also eager to find out what happened to Ellie and what her secret was. Solving two mysteries at the same time was a little mind-exhausting, but still so much fun.

*Characters. I liked Stevie much more in this book. She didn’t sound so whiny, and she seemed much more mature. Nate was always my favorite, but I loved him even more in this book. His reluctant but fierce loyalty to Stevie and always helping her when it is against his better instincts is very touching. My favorite quote by him: “Why. Do. People. Do. Stupid. Things.” (Stevie answers: “Because we’re stupid.”)

*Ending. Chaima’s review of The Vanishing Year conveyed my thoughts on that ending so well. That cliffhanger is probably the best I’ve ever read and it’s making me crave the third book so much! So many questions were answered, but at the same time, they opened doors for even more theories. I’m pretty sure I’ve solved it, but there are still several unanswered questions and it ended on such a tense note and I really really need the third book.

(As you can see, there is a reason why I usually read series when all the books in it are out, instead of waiting a WHOLE YEAR for the next one.)

Quote: “The real magic rocks are the friends we make along the way.”

The Bad:

*David. What. Is. His. Deal. He totally went off in this book and seems to have no regard for his or anyone else’s future. I understand that Stevie might have broken his heart, but he shouldn’t just throw his life away just for the fun of it.

*Riddle. There’s a crucial riddle in this book and it’s solution wasn’t what I expected at all. I thought that the answer was something no ordinary person would think to do. I don’t know, maybe I’m just not good at solving riddles/thinking outside the box?

Quote: “Detection has many methods, many pathways, narrow and subtle.”

The Wrap:

All in all, I REALLY liked this, I would recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it if you read it.

One sentence summary: A great sequel with an intriguing mystery, amazing cliffhanger, and lovable characters.

Overall, 4 shinning stars

Have you read The Vanishing Stair? What did you think? Did that ending make you crave more of the Truly Devious series? Do you think you’ve solved it? Let’s chat in the comments!

One of Us is Lying By Karen M. McManus – Review

Published on February 21, 2019February 18, 2019 by Rukky @ Eternity Books9 Comments

Welcome back to another book review! Today, I shall be reviewing One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus. This novel had a very interesting plot, amazing characters, and a twist that blew me away. I gave it five super shining stars.

Book: One of Us is Lying

Author: Karen M. McManus

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary: Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
AndSimon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

Quote: “Things’ll get worse before they get better.”

The Good:

Characters. Maeve and Nick are my favorite characters in this book. Maeve because she is super nerdy and loves to hack anything and everything! Nick because he is the wonderful bad boy with a broken home and no family to speak of. ~~(is it bad that I love any character who is a criminal and comes from a broken home?)~~ Bronwyn and Addy were okay. I really felt for Cooper after his secret came out. People can be very petty and nasty sometimes.

Plot. The idea of five kids in a room together when one of them dies and the others are suspects in his murder is amazing. It builds tension, and a sense of distrust, especially since everyone in that room had a good reason to want the last kid (Simon) dead. Simon annoyed me because he’s such a gossipy meddler. My private life is my private life and I see no reason for you to publish it for the world to see. And considering how toxic high-school can be, he is one cruel character. People make mistakes and they should be allowed to learn from them without it being broadcast to the world.

THAT ENDING!!!! I was completely blown away, and shocked. I wasn’t able to guess it and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to either. I don’t know what I was doing when I didn’t want to read this before..😭😭

Suspense. The tension in this book was super high. At times in the story, you will question everyone’s motives and you’ll wonder whether your previous thoughts about who or who didn’t killed Simon were correct.

Favorite quote:

“Bronwyn Rojas, I solemnly swear not to murder you today or at any point in the future. Deal?”
“You’re ridiculous,” she mutters, going even redder.
“It concerns me you’re avoiding a promise not to murder me.”

Quote: “I know what it’s like to tell yourself a lie so often that it becomes the truth.”

The Bad:

How the mystery was solved. I’m a little skeptical about how X (I’m not gonna ruin it, you’ve gotta read it to know who I’m talking about) connected all the dots when no one else did. It was just too easy, ~~and maybe I’m just jealous that I wasn’t able to connect them before X did.~~