Book Review: The Mindf*ck Series: Sidetracked by S.T. Abby
Sidetracked
Series: Mindf*ck #2
Author: S.T. Abby
Published: December 5, 2016
98 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: March 1-9, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
They always want to break me, but I’m too strong now. Untouchable.
Or at least I was…until her.
****
LOGAN
I’ve had tunnel vision for one main goal for so long, that I forgot there was a whole other world just outside. Until Lana.
She’s everything I never expected, and I love the fact I can never guess her every move or reaction. It’s part of the reason I keep falling. But I also know she shuts me out, hides things from me she feels she can’t share.
One day, I hope she trusts me enough to share.
It isn’t until my job puts her at risk that I realize just how fierce she is, but it doesn’t stop me from doing all I can to protect her. I should walk away to protect her better, but I can’t. Instead, I’m forced to find other ways to keep her safe.
I just hope it’s enough.
Though she is fierce, she’s still fragile…
Right?
Jessica’s Review:
Lana, oh Lana….. You are such a badass, and falling for Logan, isn’t the smart thing for you to do. But you are… And the title of this second novella in the Mindf*ck series tells it all. You are definitely sidetracked from your original revenge plan!
Sidetracked picks up right where The Risk ended, it keeps going and doesn’t stop! We’ve got some jealousy and more that comes into the picture, let alone hunting for serial killers! I’m really not the biggest Logan fan, but I am enjoying the hunt for killer’s aspect! And just what will happen when Logan finds out that his beloved is one he is hunting for?
The end twist I saw coming, but we will see where this series goes from here! Will Logan finally smarten up? Will Lana????
Audiobook Review: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
The Soulmate
Author: Sally Hepworth
Narrators:
Barrie Kreinik
Jessica Douglas-Henry
To Be Published: April 4, 2023
Audiobook: 7 hours 44 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: March 20-23, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.
When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?
And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.
Jessica’s Review:
Secrets and lies is what most of this book is about! It is also a book dealing with mental health and family drama. It is seemingly being advertised as a thriller, but it is not, and I mostly enjoyed it throughout. From the book description sounding intriguing and having read several of Hepworth’s previous novels, I was ready for this one.
We have Pippa and Gabe who recently moved to this cottage on the extreme edge of a cliff with their young daughters. They are in for more than they bargained for since people seem to like to commit suicide on this cliff! Gabe has a knack of talking potential jumpers out of what they are doing until one lady shows up and jumps. Later on Pippa finds out that Gabe knew the woman who jumped and many questions start to come to mind.
We have both Pippa and Amanda as our narrators. Amanda’s narrations take place before and after her jump. Through both narrators the reader/listener find out all kinds of connections that come to a head. Some are unexpected: but remember its all about secrets and lies!
Part of the climax really wasn’t, it was more of a letdown. Ultimate motives really did not work for me. But the ending was ultimately satisfying as everything came together despite everything that occurred.
I did have some issues with the narrators. Their voices seemed so similar for me that it was hard to distinguish between Pippa and Amanda at times. For this particular book, I would say read it. I think I would have enjoyed it more that way.
So far this is the weakest novel by Hepworth for me, but she is still enjoyable and I look forward to reading more by her!
Many thanks to the publisher Macmillian Audio for granting me an audio arc to listen to and review.
Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Review: The Suspect by Kathryn Croft
The Suspect
Author: Kathryn Croft
Narrator: Tamsin Kennard
Published: February 8, 2023
Audiobook: 9 hours 36 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 15-20, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
My family said he killed my mother. They lied…
I was just a little girl, fast asleep in my stroller, the day my mother was killed. I don’t remember anything about the sunny day that turned so dark.
But now, twenty years later, when the man walks towards me in the shadows of an empty street, his eyes on me for just a fraction too long, a shiver goes down my spine. I recognise his face from the picture in the papers. He killed my mother.
I try to run but he wants me to listen. He says that he is innocent, that the police got it wrong, and that my family have been lying to me for years.
My father and sister tell me to stay away from him. They remind me that because of him my mother never got to tuck me in at night or ease me through my first heartbreak. My boyfriend begs me to ignore him and says he could be dangerous. But when he is found dead, I am shaken to my core. Who needed to keep him quiet?
I won’t feel safe until I find out what he wanted to tell me. And when I go to his flat and find a photo that proves he was telling the truth, I suspect that the person who killed my mother is far closer to home than I could have imagined. What dark secrets are the people I love hiding? And if I search for the truth, am I placing my own life in danger?
Jessica’s Review:
All her life Jess has had to deal with her mother’s death that happened in front of her while she was sleeping as a small child. She was told one thing by her family and the killer never really paid for his crime. One day she runs across the man that she recognizes as her mother’s killer and he tells her that he did not do it. Then later on he is found dead. This puts Jess on a journey to try and really find out what happened to her mother.
The Suspect was a bit slow moving at times and I listened as I was driving, so I caught myself losing some interest in it. I did want to know what really happened to Lori, Jess’s mom. We have two timelines, present day with Jess and the past with Lori. Jess is pulled in to try and really find out what happened to her mother that day and along the way she finds secrets and lies aplenty. The ending was a bit predictable for me. Though far from perfect, I would give Croft another try. The narration by Kennard was very good!
Many thanks to the publisher Bookouture for granting me an audio copy to listen to and review!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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