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Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller My rating: 4 of 5 stars A literary novel recommended by book clubs and lauded for its complex themes and beautiful writing. Structurally, Swimming Lessons moves seamlessly between the present, when Flora arrives to see her ailing father, and the past, with letters written by Flora’s mother, who went missing…

Love Will Tear Us Apart: The totally captivating new novel from the author of Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon My rating: 5 of 5 stars A sophisticated, graceful and poignant exploration of love in all its many forms. Holly Seddon’s newest novel, Love Will Tear Us Apart, unfurls slowly, like a rose in…

Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Elegant, honest and breathtakingly beautiful, Laura Pearson’s debut novel is an impressive and raw portrayal of how one tragedy affects an entire family. In this captivating story Pearson explores the fragility of childhood and how trauma inherently changes our future, focusing on themes of…

The Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood My rating: 5 of 5 stars Nualla Ellwood has leapt the hurdle of the sophomore novel effortlessly and gracefully. The Night of the Accident is an intriguing, compelling and surprising thriller, with a deliciously complex plot, and realistic characters I didn’t exactly trust, but liked and rooted…

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love B.A. Paris! While I figured out the twist really early on, I think that’s more to do with my twisted mind than anything else! Finn’s character was very well balanced – he was annoying and selfish, yet I found myself still…

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica My rating: 5 of 5 stars Equally intriguing and surprising, The Good Girl is full of sharp, flawed characters and compelling plotting that had me flipping the pages as fast as I could to see how it would end. The story follows Mia, who is kidnapped by Colin. Colin…

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon My rating: 2 of 5 stars Set in Pennsylvania, 1968, when people with disabilities were shut away and forgotten by the rest of the world, I picked this book up because the premise and plot seemed mesmerizing. And, truthfully speaking, the writing was beautiful. Unfortunately, the story…

How Far We Fall by Jane Shemilt My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Macbethian novel with a modern twist, How Far We Fall is set in the world of neurosurgery and explores themes of revenge, betrayal and ambition. With sharp, impeccable writing and layered plotting, this is a thoughtful thriller you won’t want to…

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough My rating: 5 of 5 stars I know a number of people are comparing this book to Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes and being disappointed, but I think it’s important to review each book as a standalone, and this book is just as enticing. Cross Your Heart follows Lisa, an…

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser My rating: 5 of 5 stars A group of neighborhood women gather round the back yard firepit with glasses of wine in hand. By morning one of the women is gone. What is interesting is that the story doesn’t center so much on where she went but…