Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

 Huge thank you to the publisher for the free ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

From the author of the “full-throttle thriller” (A. J. Finn) No Exit—a riveting new psychological page-turner featuring a fierce and unforgettable heroine.

Three months ago, Lena Nguyen’s estranged twin sister, Cambry, drove to a remote bridge sixty miles outside of Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. At least, that is the official police version.

But Lena isn’t buying it.

Now she’s come to that very bridge, driving her dead twin’s car and armed with a cassette recorder, determined to find out what really happened by interviewing the highway patrolman who allegedly discovered her sister’s body.

Corporal Raymond Raycevic has agreed to meet Lena at the scene. He is sympathetic, forthright, and professional. But his story doesn’t seem to add up. For one thing, he stopped Cambry for speeding a full hour before she supposedly leapt to her death. Then there are the sixteen attempted 911 calls from her cell phone, made in what was unfortunately a dead zone.

But perhaps most troubling of all, the state trooper is referred to by name in Cambry’s final enigmatic text to her sister: Please Forgive Me. I couldn’t live with it. Hopefully you can, Officer Raycevic.

Lena will do anything to uncover the truth. But as her twin’s final hours come into focus, Lena’s search turns into a harrowing, tooth-and-nail fight for her own survival—one that will test everything she thought she knew about her sister and herself...

Genre? Thriller

Backlist? No. Published June 15, 2021.

New to me Author? No.

What did I think?

I'm not even sure I could put my thoughts about this book into words, but I will certainly try. Starting with "WOW!". I think Taylor Adams is becoming one of my favorite authors. I really need to dig into their backlist a little more. I fell in love with the high energy thriller No Exit and then Hairpin Bridge kept that same energy up. One thing I really enjoy about this author is that although he's a male, he writes a very convincing female perspective. A lot of times writing through the lens of the opposite gender doesn't seem to work out so well, but Taylor is great at it. In fact, I really thought Taylor Adams was a girl until I looked into their biography! 

In Hairpin Bridge, Lena takes a trip to meet with the officer who found her sister's body after her "suicide". Lena is unconvinced that her sister would ever kill herself, so she's there to find the truth. Officer Raycevic's story doesn't add up with what Lena knows about her sister. She's set out to confront him about it, even if she's a bit worried about her own life in the process.

The twists and turns in this novel were incredible. I never saw them coming, but they weren't completely ridiculous either! I will definitely be picking up any future Taylor Adams novels and will start looking into the backlist. 

The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks by Julie Valerie

  Huge thank you to NetGalley for the free eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

A wife, mother, and aspiring filmmaker clings to the pursuit of perfection only to have fate play with every plan she’s made in this quirky, contemplative, and empowering novel.

Holly Banks is on a desperate mission to have it all, but nothing in life goes according to plan. She’s quickly learning that keeping up with the Joneses is a full-time job, especially when the women of Primm, her new neighborhood, seem to have it together all the time.

With her husband’s job in flux, her daughter’s difficulty with learning to read, and her mother’s new zest for dating, Holly’s life is already anything but picture perfect. Then her dog digs up an old artifact in the village center, and the mishap draws the attention of local media. Because of course it would.

Holly finds herself at the center of a mystery between two rival towns that, if solved, could change the Village of Primm forever. Attention is the last thing she needs as she’s launching a new business, the village-wide “Parade of Homes” is approaching—though she’s hardly unpacked—and she needs to submit her entry for an upcoming film festival. Can Holly still create her perfect (looking) life? Or is fate about to go off script and give her a story she never could have imagined?

Genre? Contemporary Fiction

Backlist? Unfortunately, yes. I fell pretty far behind on my ARCs last year.

New to me Author? No.

What did I think?

I remember reading the first in this series, Holly Banks Full of Angst, and simply falling in love with Holly. She's quirky, she's fun, and she doesn't quite fit in when she moves to her new neighborhood. She kind of sticks out like a sore thumb and it's just fun to read about. 

This sequel did not disappoint. Holly is still dealing with some passive-aggressiveness from her neighbors. She's still trying to figure herself out. So when her dog is found in the middle of town after having dug up an old artifact, she has no idea what to do. Holly tries to stay out of the media attention surrounding this, but finds herself in an old mystery. 

This book definitely took a turn and had some elements that I didn't expect, but Julie Valerie was able to keep it fun and interesting. I can't wait to find out what happens in Primm next!

The Arrangement by Kiersten Modglin

  Huge thank you to NetGalley for the free audioARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Ainsley Greenburg is a fixer.
It’s what she prides herself on.

So, when she realizes her marriage is at its breaking point, she makes a decision to repair it, no matter the cost. Approaching her husband to propose the arrangement is supposed to be the hard part, but Peter agrees to the salacious plan almost immediately.

The rules are simple:
They will each date someone new once a week.
They will never discuss what happens on the dates.

Soon, though, the rules are broken, turning terrible mistakes into unspeakable consequences.

When the only person they can count on to keep their darkest secret is each other, new questions and deceits surface. Can they truly trust the person they share a life with, or will the vicious lies that have mounted over the years destroy everything they’ve built?

Once, Peter and Ainsley vowed to stand together forever, but as they push boundaries of deception, suspicion, and temptation, each begins to wonder if ’til death do us part may come sooner than they’d intended.

Genre? Psychological Thriller

Backlist? No. This was published earlier in January, with the audiobook publishing July 1, 2021.

New to me Author? Yes.

What did I think?

The Arrangement is about Ainsley and Peter, a couple who have been together for quite a long time and are feeling the romance fizzle out. From the beginning, they sit down and discuss trying an open marriage. Once a week, they would get to go out with other people. No falling for someone. Purely just a hook up, which they will never discuss with their spouse. From here, I was expecting your typical story of one of them falling for the person they go out with, leading to divorce, etc. etc. NOPE!

Ainsley has promised herself she would never get divorced and she plans to stick to that no matter what. When she felt her marriage cooling off, she cooked up a plan to essentially force Peter to stay with her. I can't say much more without major spoilers, but just know that nothing is as it seems in their arrangement. 

June Wrap-Up

We are halfway through 2021! Here's a look at books we loved, books we didn't love, and books we DNF'd during the month of June. 

 Jayme's Reads (15):

What I Rated Them:

Into the Drowning Deep ☕☕.5

Ties That Tether ☕☕☕☕.5

Luck of the Draw ☕☕☕☕.5

Couple Found Slain ☕☕☕.25

28 Summers ☕☕☕☕.5

Th1rt3en ☕☕☕.5

The Book of Two Ways ☕☕☕.5

Beartown ☕☕☕☕.25

In Five Years ☕☕☕.75

The Lies She Told ☕☕☕☕.75

Hairpin Bridge ☕☕☕☕☕

Pretty Little Wife ☕☕☕☕

White Fragility ☕☕☕.5

The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks ☕☕☕☕.25

Dear Sweet Pea ☕☕☕☕

Favorite Read: 

Hairpin Bridge

Least Favorite Read:
Into the Drowning Deep

DNF?:
None. :)

Rolling over to next month: 

Forget Me Not (currently holding onto this to return to later)

All Girls (just got my hold back - will read in July)

In a Book Club Far Away

The Peace Project

The Bridesmaid

Where is God When I Need Him?

Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids

The Lies She Told by Denise Grover Swank

  Huge thank you to the author for the free eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

It's been a week since Carly Moore’s friend Jerry was run off the road and killed, and the sheriff’s department has already struck out on leads. She’s not about to sit back and let it go, but the last thing she wants is to endanger anyone else. Besides, as she learned long ago, problems come in threes.

A mysterious woman causes a ruckus in the tavern where Carly works and leaves behind a note: We’ve got some unfinished business, Carly Moore. I’ll be in touch. The stranger looks like trouble, and Carly knows it means nothing good. Then, on the heels of that encounter, she gets shocking news: the crime syndicate her father co-ran has been taken down by the authorities.

She’s not foolish enough to think her father has been neutralized, but she realizes she needs to act against him soon if she wants to stop hiding.

The deeper Carly digs into her family’s past, the more dirt she finds. But lies are told for a reason, and there are people around her who are willing to kill to keep the truth hidden.

Genre? It's got a little bit of Romance, little bit of Mystery.

Backlist? No. This was published June 8, 2021.

New to me Author? Not at all.

What did I think?

When Carly first showed up in Henryetta, I instantly loved her as a character in Rose Gardner's world. Now that she's found her way to Drum (and to Marco!) I can't help but love her even more. It seems like every time she starts to get comfortable, something crazy happens. The Lies She Told is no different. Carly receives a mysterious note from a woman she doesn't recognize, claiming that they have unfinished business. But speaking of unfinished business, Carly is still running from her father, even though the Hardshaw group has been caught. Can she keep her friendships in Drum, figure out what this crazy lady wants, take down Bart Drummond, and stay hidden?

Yet again, a phenomenal book by Denise Grover Swank. She never ceases to amaze me. This woman has written and co-written well over 50 books, in a variety of genres, and she does it so well! Even with putting out multiple books with publication dates less than a month apart, nothing feels half-assed. If something in a book doesn't turn out exactly how she wants it, Denise Grover Swank will literally push back the release day and re-write entire chunks. This just shows how dedicated she is to her craft. As a long time reader and reviewer of her books, Thank you Denise. I can't wait for your next installment.

Luck of the Draw by A.R. Casella and Denise Grover Swank

  Huge thank you to the authors for the free ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Life’s not a fairytale for women like me, divorced and creeping up on middle age…until a hot younger man finds my lost shoes.

Crashing weddings is so not my thing. I’d much rather stay home and watch HGTV . . . and ignore the fact that my life is messier than those fixer-upper houses. Because my jerk ex left, and the only thing keeping a roof over my sons’ heads is my crappy telemarketing job.

But then I get a challenge from the Bad Luck Club, the group I joined to turn my luck around: Do something that breaks the rules. One ill-advised confession to my best friend later, I’m strapping on a pair of heels and crashing the wedding of two of the owners of Buchanan Brewery.

The last thing I expect is to meet someone, let alone the sexy younger bartender who calls me out and finds my lost shoes, something straight out of Cinderella. And the very last thing I expect is to fall for him.

It feels like I’m in a dream come true, a fairy tale, but the crap part about dreams is that they have to end.

Or do they?

Genre? Romance (Romantic comedy?)

Backlist? No. This will be published within the next couple weeks, June 2021.

New to me Author? Not at all.

What did I think?

Now that the Buchanan siblings have all shared their story, authors A.R. Casella and Denise Grover Swank could have easily called it the end of the Asheville Brewery series. Instead, we get Luck of the Draw, a continuation of the goings on in Asheville staring a secondary character from the previous novel.

In this one, we get to follow Deeandra (Dee) from the Bad Luck Club. In the middle of a divorce, crappy job, and two boys to raise, Dee answered the ad for Bad Luck Club and hasn't turned back. When her challenge was to "Do something that breaks the rules", she knew she couldn't skip it or she would be out of the club. So, she crashes a wedding. Of course, knowing how these books go, she ends up meeting someone and they really hit it off. But will the secrets tear them apart? Did Dee draw a lucky hand?

Couple Found Slain by Mikita Brottma

 Huge thank you to @netgalley for the free audioARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Critically acclaimed author and psychoanalyst Mikita Brottman offers literary true crime writing at its best, taking us into the life of a murderer after his conviction--when most stories end but the defendant's life goes on.

On February 21, 1992, 22-year-old Brian Bechtold walked into a police station in Port St. Joe, Florida and confessed that he'd shot and killed his parents in their family home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He said he'd been possessed by the devil. He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and ruled "not criminally responsible" for the murders on grounds of insanity.

But after the trial, where do the criminally insane go? Brottman reveals Brian's inner life leading up to the murder, as well as his complicated afterlife in a maximum security psychiatric hospital, where he is neither imprisoned nor free. During his 27 years at the hospital, Brian has tried to escape and been shot by police, and has witnessed three patient-on-patient murders. He's experienced the drugging of patients beyond recognition, a sadistic system of rewards and punishments, and the short-lived reign of a crazed psychiatrist-turned-stalker.

In the tradition of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Couple Found Slain is an insider's account of life in the underworld of forensic psych wards in America and the forgotten lives of those held there, often indefinitely.

Genre? Non-Fiction

Backlist? No. This novel will be published on July 6, 2021.

New to me Author? Yes.

What did I think?

Couple Found Slain is a non-fiction book about 22-year-old Brian Bechtold. Seemingly a regular guy, he walks into the police department one day to admit to killing both of his parents. Author Mikita Brottman goes into the details of the murders, Brian's confession, the trial, the diagnosis, and the time spent in institutions and prison. She talks about the many appeals there have been to try to get Brian out of the institution, saying he is no longer struggling with mental illness.

I thought the subject matter was very interesting. I love true crime! The narrator did a great job as well. However, the book itself was a little dry at times. I'm not sure if that could have been avoided. There were also many times where the focus was on other people at the institution. However, the title specifies that it surrounds one case. 

Overall, it wasn't a bad read. 3.25 stars.