Thank you all for joining me today for a little fun as we review 3 great beach reads for you to grab and pack on your summer trip or poolside time, if you can wait. The books are available in kindle, audible and paperback or hardback and the links are below. I appreciate when you use my links as the small commission helps me keep my work going. Let me know if you have read any of these in the comments and if you have any suggestions for me to review!

The First Mistake

By Sandie Jones

I got swept right into this one. Yes, if you like a thriller, this one rates.

A Little Bit About The Story

The story spins around a remarried widow who lost confidence in life yet managed to build an incredible business. Her new husband works by her side and seems to be nurturing and encouraging. As our heroine gets knocked down again and again, she seems to be gaining her footing more and more each time she gets back up until we reach the climax of the story and well…you’ll have to read it to find out more.

Beach Read?

Absolutely. Definitely pack this for the beach. What do I call a beach read?

A book that captures attention and holds it with little effort so that the distractions of vacation, dips in the ocean, stopping for a cocktail can’t make you lose your place. A book that is light a delectable meal you indulge in on vacation and savor every bite and think, “I want to go back and eat there again!” That’s what I think of as a good beach read.

Thriller?

Sometimes a thriller is evident throughout the entirety of a book. This one reminded me a little bit of a lifetime movie scenario as I was lead to believe certain things were taking place. As the storyline develops more intrigue, more potential betrayals. It was stunning. It was definitely nothing I had ever read before and bravo for the way it was weaved together to get to the final outcome.

Recommendation

What do you think?

I had not read this author before, so I am likely to purchase another from Sandie Jones (surely a pen name). Yes, a 5 out of 5 star recommendation. Get yours right away digital download, delivery or audible!

 

The Golden Couple

By Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

 

This was a new release in May, so I had to purchase a Hardback and take it to the beach. I began the book on a Sunday and completed the 320 page book on a Wednesday. That should tell you a few things.

It Was An Easy Read

Unlike so many novels now a days, this book stayed in current time narration and any references to an earlier time were presented as a memory rather than chapters flashing from one era to another.

There were two characters that you were hearing the story narration through though the story was scattered with several key players.

The account was quick to fall into step with rather than continually anticipating a hook to begin.

Described As A Thriller

As one who absolutely adores a thriller, especially a psychological one, I was disappointed in the end. Definitely a page turner because there were hiccups in the narrative, much like a soap opera where it is all going along ho-hum until it’s time to close out for the day and then there is a twist to leave you hanging.

I will give the book acclimates for keeping my interest and having me consider who and what and why. It definitely held my attention in that way and obviously as quickly as I finished, I wanted to see it through to the end.

Overall Idea

The story centers around one specific couple and a therapy consultant, who are participating in an unorthodox marriage counseling technique and all of the side stories and characters who filter in and out of their lives. Lots of false leads are laid out to keep you guessing and suspecting. Secrets are all around, suspicions abound and slowly but certainly they all fall down.

There was a second underlying storyline that developed and carried throughout the book which actually could have been a stand alone thriller but in my opinion it was not developed but merely dragged along and did not have a thoughtful resolution. It did not add or take away from the other part of the book, so it was confusing why it had not been edited out.

Recommendation

I would definitely recommend it as a great beach read, but don’t go into it thinking it is a thriller if that is your genre because you may be disappointed. I often select books based on the recommendations on the cover as well as a quick skim of the sleeve. Every recommendation on this book had it “compulsive, page-turning, thriller.” As a thrill seeker, I was anticipating too much and to be honest I have read some real page turning thrillers in the past two years so in that sense of comparison it did not stack up. However, it was a really good book and I am only dissing the hype of that one aspect. A great spin, lots of potential rabbit holes that could have resulted in something.

Get yours right away in digital kindle download, or listen right away to it in Audible Audio, If you can wait, order your now paperback edition for delivery.

 

The Younger Wife

By Sally Hepworth

 

I’ve decided to begin writing my reviews in real time as I am reading them.

Page 5 and OMG! I did not see that coming. It was just the Prologue.

 

346 Pages In Under 24 Hours

 

Seriously, I can hardly believe it myself. I slept last night, I spent the evening dancing and chatting with my husband by the pool as we ate appetizers for our “date night” while on vacation with my daughter’s family. I slept in til at least 8 maybe later. I grabbed my book as we packed for the beach this morning and read a while, had lunch, walked the beach with my husband. We returned and then I went full on reading for the next 3 hours after we returned.

Perfect For The Beach!

This was a light-hearted approach to some heavy issues that affect more people than we would know and are rarely discussed. The sister characters were so delightfully developed that their “issues” for the most part made them more endearing to me.

The Story

 

Family. Family current, past and future. Acceptance. Revelations. Loss.

I found some parts of the story undeveloped as I look back on it, things I would have loved to have had been given a deeper look at. However, I didn’t sense that til it was over so maybe it is just me wishing for a longer story. As is, 346 pages is probably about as long as a novel should be.

The narrative centered on one family, it’s adult children, parents and a few characters threaded into the mix but mostly the family.

I never like to reveal much about a story line in a review. Personally I read the jacket  and saw suspenseful, compulsive, thriller and then the inside jacket described a heart surgeon and I bought it.

Again, I have a thing about thrillers, and thriller it was not. But it was a page-turner. I caught myself laughing out loud on the beach today and more than once did I startle from what I read.

Recommendation

Most definitely! A give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

We all have family, no body is perfect, maybe there are secrets. Though I could not personally relate to the things this family went through, I still found it super compelling and interesting and wanting more.

You know you want it, it is available for immediate Download for Kindle, or begin listening on Audible, and if you are like me and love a real page turner, order your copy of

The Younger Wife today.

 

Thanks for joining me today

I have already begun my latest Audible for the plane that will show up in my next review…The Maid.