Book Review: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
The Turn of the Key
Author: Ruth Ware
Narrator: Imogene Church
Published: August 6, 2019
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: November 1-12, 2020
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
Jessica’s Review:
The Turn of the Key is my favorite Ruth Ware novel! I hope she keeps writing novels like this one of the gothic suspense genre! This one had everything to love: a mysterious house with a past of its own that has been transformed into a ‘smart house’ that may also be haunted, someone accused of murder and telling their story, a picture perfect family that actually isn’t , and things that go creak and bump in the night! I started this one just after Halloween, but it would have been a perfect read to lead up to Halloween, especially with parts of Imogene Church’s narration. As mentioned in previous reviews, I adore Imogene Church’s narrations!!!
We start the novel with Rowan Caine in prison awaiting trial for the murder of one of the children. Rowan was the newest nanny, though the family has gone through four in the past year, Rowan had seen this as an opportunity to not pass by. Rowan is writing a letter to the man that she hopes will become her new lawyer as she is not happy with her current one. Rowan’s letter is the whole novel and she is telling the lawyer Mr. Wrexham her side of the story.
I did not know what to expect with this one. The hose was creepy in so many ways: its history and just being a ‘smart house’. I know after reading this novel I do NOT want to live in a smart house of any kind! I did not know what to really believe from Rowan, but had no idea how the story was going to end. And those last twists that happened: I NEVER would have seen coming!
This is a creepy, character driven thriller that will keep you involved in the story all the way to the ending!
The Turn of the Key is very highly recommended!!
Book Review: Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour
Watch Over Me
Author: Nina LaCour
Published: September 15, 2020
272 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below.
But she hadn’t known about the ghosts.
Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she’s offered a job and a place to stay at a farm on an isolated part of the Northern California Coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home, a real home. The farm is a refuge, but also haunted by the past traumas its young residents have come to escape. And Mila’s own terrible memories are starting to rise to the surface.
Kim’s Review:
Amazing cover. Totally why I bought it and thankfully it lived up to its gorgeous outside!
I feel bad writing a short review for such a great book, but I think it just needs to be experienced. I believe that everyone will have a different experience while reading it. It’s gonna mean different things to different people and that’s the beauty of it. So I’ll just say that it’s an emotional story, with great characters, and simple plot with engaging metaphors. The best thing to say about Watch Over Me is that you need to read it, then you’ll get it. I really loved it!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Blog Blitz: Blue Skies by Alana Oxford
As a part of the blog blitz, today I share my review for Blue Skies by Alana Oxford. I awarded this one 5 stars!
Book Description:
Life isn’t always a walk in the park, but when Patrice takes her Pomeranians to the park after a rough day at the office, fate steps in. An unlikely hero comes to the rescue when one of her dogs gets loose. Short, pale, and kind of cute, Seth doesn’t have a lot of confidence with the ladies, but he hits it off with Patrice.
But some things might be too good to be true. While Patrice wonders if Seth could possibly be “the one”, fate steps in again with a horrible twist. Will it be a deal breaker or just a storm before bright blue skies?
Blue Skies
Author: Alana Oxford
Published: August 29, 2020
100 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: October 6-8, 2020
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Jessica’s Review:
This was a fun and quick read, and as you get closer to the end you find yourself reading faster to see what happens!
This was a welcome break from the thrillers I read, and this year in general. Blue Skies is a cute romcom novella, where at 100 pages you get a complete story. As I was getting closer to the end I was not sure it was going to have everything summed up but we did.
I adored both Patrice and Seth. You are rooting for those two to get together, but when you find out what the twist is… Wow…. It is definitely unexpected and makes you unsure of what is going to happen.
Blue Skies deals with a relatable situation that anyone with multiple dogs could find themselves in while walking. In fact, when I had the opportunity to join the blog tour, my sister had just had a similar run in that Patrice had at the park: She has two dogs and one got loose and ran off. My sister did not have a ‘unlikely hero’ come to her rescue, but a group of people helped her with her dogs. Everyone is fine, but because of this story I just had to sign up for the blog tour! I pictured my sister and her two dogs as Patrice and her Pomeranians as I read the novella. This definitely added to my enjoyment of the novella as I read it. Another coincidence is that I have an aunt named Patrice: How about that!?!?!?
This is my first read from Oxford and I hope to read more from her.
This fun novella is definitely recommended in this year of chaos that 2020 has become.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
About the Author:
Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.
Contact Alana:
Twitter: @AlanaOxford
Instagram @AlanaOxford