The Girls by Emma Cline (Sorry!)

It's not you, it's me. 

I'm opting not to finish this book after reading 30%.
It's NOT due to the writing. Emma Cline has really shown tremendous writing skill here. The way that she can recall the thoughts and feelings that come with being a 14-year old girl? How does she do it? It's uncanny, but damn, it's so psychologically insightful.

I'm not quitting due to the pacing... the story moves along just fine. The text is complex enough to give my brain a workout, but not confusing. Cline is good at this. This book is one that will be talked about, for sure.

It's just... the subject matter that is a bit much for me. As the main character gets closer and closer to Suzanne and her crew, my nerves are getting rattled too much. We see her making choices and I want to grab her and tell her to STAY HOME.

I read about a toddler with a sunburn, and how they were raised, and I had to tap out. Done.

Sorry. I'm a weeny.

THANK YOU to Random House and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

From Amazon.com: Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.



As Corinne would say, this book was a total "mindfuck"! Holy shit, it was GOOD! 

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda is told sort of out of order... there's a beginning, then it starts going backward for two weeks, then we're brought back to the beginning, then it goes forward a few months. There are also flashbacks to 10 years ago.

Sound confusing? Fret not, dear reader. Part of this book's awesomeness is that Miranda navigates this unorthodox storytelling expertly, slowly unraveling the plot and keeping the reader interested hooked. Seriously, I could.not.put.it.down.

Like The Girl on the Train, you find yourself accusing characters, retracting your accusations, accusing others, and then when the lightbulb goes on... you have nothing to say but, "Whoa!"

Twists, turns, lies, betrayals, secrets, love, dreams, and more are loaded into an awesome story.

None of the characters are without flaw, but all are relatable. By 50% I had alternately fallen in love with and then later hated most of the characters.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, because Miranda reveals it on her terms, at her pace, like a mutha' effin' boss.


I'm calling it now: This book is going to be huge. 

READ IT. It comes out on June 28, 2016. You can thank me later! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My Rating: 5/5 

Stirred by Tracy Ewens

"Everyone has life experiences, things they did when they were young and stupid. I..well, I guess I woke up one morning, or maybe after a few mornings, and realized that I don't have anything tucked away. I don't have any cool stories or experiences. I wanted those. I still do."

Sage is a mixologist at her friends' bar/restaurant and loves her job. Her background is in mechanical engineering, but she found herself unhappy, unfulfilled, and wanting more of a life. She wants to have that metaphoric "bottom drawer" filled with tucked away memories, secrets, and adventures to look back upon. She decides to find herself by being her own friend... along the way she makes some real and true friends that become like family to her. The older brother of her best friend turns out to be the man of her dreams.

Garrett is Sage's best friend's oldest brother and a hard-working, serious farmer. He's so used to being the one in control, running the show, shouldering responsibility, that he hasn't had the time or inclination to realize that something was missing from his life.

"He's spent his life letting other people shine."

Until Sage gets drunk and reveals her feelings. After that, neither one finds it possible to move on.

Stirred is a love story that kind of explores "what if?" your fantasy finally came true. Both Garrett and Sage have been hurt before--different ways, but still-- and have to work past their own emotional baggage to find out if they are willing to open up all the way and let love, true and real, in.

I loved the way Ewens crafted the development of Garrett & Sage's love story... it wasn't insta-love at all. Yes, Sage was "in love" with Garrett from the beginning, but once she got closer, she realized what love really is. Through each other's eyes, they are able to see the worth in opening up for another, and they each  deserve that kind of happiness.

Sage was a cool character. She had a great sense of humor, and could stand on her own two feet. I loved how intelligent she is, and that she wasn't afraid of personal growth and being honest about her feelings. There is nothing more annoying than a female MC that hides her feelings. 

Ah, Garrett. What is there not to like love? He's most women's fantasy: a hot farmer/business owner that cares about his family, takes great care of his dog, and is strong enough to pick Sage up like she's a feather... the scene at the end with the dresser. Swoon! 

"You probably have a bigger bottom drawer than you realize, Sage."

I also loved the way Ewens mixed steaminess and romance without getting graphic. The kiss in the wine cellar had me holding my breath... and the scene in the barn during the rain storm... WOW. 

Although this is part of a series (this is #5), it works well as a stand alone. Ewens provides the perfect amount of background information to fill in gaps & explain relationships, without going off on tangents. 

When NetGalley sent me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, I had no idea that it was a series but now that I've read the last, I want to go back to the beginning and read them all. 

My rating: 4.5/5