The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell

You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses.You’ve known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really?

I really enjoyed The Girls in the Garden. I decided to read this one after reading Lisa Jewell's novel, "Then She Was Gone" and it won't be the last book of hers I read. Thirteen-year-old, Grace, is found unconscious and undressed in the park's garden after a community party. The story goes back before the assault and is told through multiple point of views to uncover what happened. I especially enjoyed the setting of the story, set in the communal park and garden with all of the interesting characters weaved throughout. Definitely one of those books you don't want to put down. I will say though, the ending was a bit of a letdown with Grace. I found the buildup to be more thrilling than what actually happened. I was expecting more of a twist or finality, which didn't happen. Aside from the ending, The Girls in the Garden, was a great book and lived up to my expectations.

I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become. Which is how she gets into trouble.

I really wanted to love this one but sadly, it missed the mark for me. I could never get into the story and romance between Nick and Bex, and didn't particularly care for either character. I also found there to be far too much dialogue and the fact that it's 500 pages was painful. In the end, I found myself skipping pages and chapters just so I could move on to another book.

Pinch me, please. Is any of this real?

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich

So, I was slightly disappointed with Crazy Rich Asians. Was it terrible? No. Did I enjoy it? Sure. With that being said, I was left wanting more. I decided to add this one to my pile amid all the hype with both the book and movie that came out. However, in the end it was just...ok. First of all, it's way, way, WAY too long. 400+ pages too long. I'm not a fan of super long books to begin with, as they tend to drag on and I lose interest... but, Crazy Rich Asians takes the cake. I'd say I was about half way through when I began getting bored - nothing was happening. I did enjoy Nick and Rachel's relationship, and how humble Nick was - especially compared to his family. But, I didn't  particularly care for any of the other characters, including Astrid and Colin. All in all I'd say it was an okay read, but I don't think I'll be picking up the sequel.

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

“The real horror of my life is not that I’ve killed some terrible people. The real horror is that the people I’ve loved didn’t love me back.”

Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him. In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice…

Funny story - before "You" became the popular Lifetime/Netflix series, I had read Hidden Bodies several months prior - not even aware that it was a sequel featuring Joe Goldberg, the obsessed stalker boyfriend . And I loved it. Seriously, I was completely drawn into Joe's story and his serial killer ways. After reading "You", I have to say, I did enjoy the first book of the series more..but nonetheless, Hidden Bodies was great. I didn't particularly care for Love, Joe's love interest in the book, and the ending keeps you hanging which makes me wonder - will this be a trilogy? I certainly hope so. It has to be a great book and series when you root for the stalker killer, right? I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the thriller genre.

Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day was just seven years old when her older brother massacred her family while she hid in a cupboard. Her evidence helped put him away. Ever since then she has been drifting, surviving for over 20 years on the proceeds of the 'Libby Day fund'. But now the money is running out and Libby is desperate. When she is offered $500 to do a guest appearance, she feels she has to accept. But this is no ordinary gathering. The Kill Club is a group of true-crime obsessives who share information on notorious murders, and they think her brother Ben is innocent.

Ben was a social misfit, ground down by the small-town farming community in which he lived. But he did have a girlfriend - a brooding heavy metal fan called Diondra. Through her, Ben became involved with drugs and the dark arts. When the town suddenly turned against him, his thoughts turned black. But was he capable of murder? Libby must delve into her family's past to uncover the truth - no matter how painful...  

Hmm. So, I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. I haven't read much crime thrillers/mysteries, aside from a few here and there (Stephen King, Paula Hawkins), and after reading Dark Places, now I know why. Well first of all, let me just say that I could NOT put this book down, I felt like I was watching a movie and HAD to find out the ending. But as much as I enjoyed Flynn's writing, I was left oddly disturbed towards the end. Seriously. Is she a secret serial killer or something? Who thinks of this crap? I was not a fan of the cow massacre (traumatized), not to mention the descriptive murder scene of chopping up a little girl's body. UGH. I honestly despised all of the characters, including Libby, and don't get me started on Ben. However, I think that says a lot about what a good author Gillian Flynn is - to have the reader react so emotionally towards characters is pretty impressive. In the end, as disturbing as it was I can't take anything away from the actual story. There were so many twists and turns that kept me reading through the night, and I really enjoyed it (if that's the word for it). I'll be on the lookout for more of her stories, but for now I think I'll go back to my beloved chick lit.

Ever since I was a little girl I had wanted to be

Sweet Water by Christine Baker Kline

When a grandfather she never knew bequeaths her a house and 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tenn., a restless young artist leaves New York to recover her past and rethink her future. Cassie Simon's mother Ellen died when Cassie was only three; raised in Boston by her grieving father, she never knew her maternal relatives. Unprepared for the thick veil of mystery that surrounds them, Cassie is especially bewildered by her brusque grandmother, whom rumor credits with hiding a terrible secret about Ellen's death. In alternating sections told from their respective points of view, Cassie and her grandmother fight their separate battles to cope with the truth about the tragedy

I had high expectations for Sweet Water based on Christine Baker Kline's other novel, Orphan Train, which I was a fan of. I had hoped that Sweet Water would hold up to the same promise, but sadly, it completely missed the mark for me. The whole premise drew me in, a young artist leaving New York to recover her past in the south, sounds like something I would love, right? But wow, the plot fell short. It was a REAL struggle getting through this one. I couldn't relate or sympathize with any of the characters, and ok, I'm sorry, but what is up with the whole relationship between Cassie and her cousin (adopted or not, REALLY?!!?), can you say redneck stereotype? Very odd, and kind of creepy honestly. I found myself skipping pages and skimming the last few chapters, which can't be a good sign. In the end I was left disappointed. Sweet Water was forgettable to me.