When I Kill You by B.A. Paris

 

When I Kill You by B.A. Paris - 304 pages

Nell Masters is certain someone is following her. The hairs on the back of her neck rise when she travels to and from work, there are silent calls to her office, and a huge bouquet of flowers arrives without a card. And Nell has a reason to be looking over her shoulder, because she has a secret that she’s hiding from everyone in her life, including her new partner, Alex. But Alex also has secrets of his own.

Fourteen years earlier, when Nell went by the name Elle Nugent, she witnessed a student, Bryony Sanders, getting into a stranger’s car. When Bryony was found murdered, Elle became obsessed with finding the person responsible. She was convinced she knew who it was and her fixation with Brett Parker, the man she accused, led her down a dangerous path . . .

Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this unnerving feeling of being watched is all in her mind. Has someone from her past discovered her new identity? Has the stalker become the stalked? Or is there something even more deadly at play?

This was just "okay", I found the main character, Nell, annoying.  She does a LOT of assuming, causing a lot of issues/inconveniences.  I guess I'm not a fan of a weak, cowering main character.  I know it's the basis of the book but dang, she really is something. But, I will say that despite this, I did want to keep reading b/c I wanted to find out who was stalking Nell.  Overall I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

 

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach - 243 pages

Penpal began as a series of short and interconnected stories posted on an online horror forum. Before long, it was adapted into illustrations, audio recordings, and short films; and that was before it was revised and expanded into a novel!

How much do you remember about your childhood?

In Penpal, a man investigates the seemingly unrelated bizarre, tragic, and horrific occurrences of his childhood in an attempt to finally understand them. Beginning with only fragments of his earliest years, you'll follow the narrator as he discovers that these strange and horrible events are actually part of a single terrifying story that has shaped the entirety of his life and the lives of those around him. If you've ever stayed in the woods just a little too long after dark, if you've ever had the feeling that someone or something was trying to hurt you, if you remember the first friend you ever made and how strong that bond was, then Penpal is a story that you won't soon forget, despite how you might try.

I saw this book pop up several times on different horror book forums so thought I'd give it a go.  This book did not live up to the hype.  It was just "ok".  Left me wanting/wishing it was scarier.

Right Behind You by Diana Wilkinson

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

Right Behind You by Diana Wilkinson - 349 pages

I have no idea why he thinks I had anything to do with Danielle’s accident. My only crime was being in the vicinity when she fell down the stairs.

Being forced into therapy for stalking, though, is well over the top. But my therapist, Justine, is quite the character. I know what she wants to hear, and I’m also a master at playing the system.

When she twigs what’s really on my mind, she might not be so cool. I’m starting to enjoy watching her try to unravel my secrets. And make no mistake, there are plenty of dark corners to explore…..

I like how the author portrays the main character, Beverley, as this very manipulative, cunning, revenge seeking individual.  Soon the hunter becomes the hunted.  While this book peaked my curiosity, and I would say it was a good book, but it wasn't a great book.  

Under Currents by Nora Roberts

Under Currents by Nora Roberts - 436 pages

Zane Bigelow seemingly has the perfect family -- surgeon father, stay at home mother, and loving sister.  But beneath the surface there are the undercurrents of abuse.  Then one terrible night everything blows up.  Now, years later, he is returning to town and meets Darby who has knowledge of undercurrents herself.  Will they be able to face the past together to survive them.

This is the latest by Nora Roberts.  I enjoyed it.  It stretched the imagination a little that one couple would endure so much violence in their lives.  Still, I really enjoyed the book.

The Liar by Nora Roberts

The Liar by Nora Roberts - 501 pages

Shelby was shocked to learn after her husband's death that nearly everything about him was a lie.  He's left her with millions in debt to repay.  He was a thief and conman.  And ultimately, they weren't even married.  So she moves back home to Tennessee to try to make a life with her daughter in her hometown and with her family.  There she meets Griff, a contractor new to town.  While she wasn't looking for romance, she just might have found it . . . along with a lot more trouble leftover from her husband's lies.

I didn't think this was Nora Robert's best book or her worst.  It was a fairly average romantic suspense novel.  I thought the big reveal at the end was pretty obvious from the start of the book -- after all if the character is a liar, why wouldn't the big reveal be a lie also.  I also thought Shelby's constant fear she would be sent to prison and that she needed to pay back all of her husband's debts was unrealistic.  If she was never actually  married to him she would not be responsible for his debt -- especially as she could prove several times that he had forged her name on documents.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

The Next Always by Nora Roberts -- 324 pages

The first book of the Inns BoonsBoro Trilogy has made a great first up and coming new best seller for Nora Roberts. Clare and Beckett have known each other since they were 15, but only Beckett knows what Clare does not, Beckett is still in love with Clare. Well Clare is back in town, but with three boys in tow, but this does not stop Beckett from getting what he had wanting since he was 15. While he is trying to pursue Clare he is also building an inn with his brothers and mother. This house/inn has been in shambles for a really long time and it is time to put it back together and bring this town some new tourists. Now you know there will always be some sort of trouble, but you just have to read it to find out.