Review: The Singles Game

Summary: The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Revenge Wears Prada—a dishy tell-all about a beautiful tennis prodigy who, after changing coaches, suddenly makes headlines on and off the court.

How far would you go to reach the top?

When America’s sweetheart, Charlotte “Charlie” Silver, makes a pact with the devil—the infamously brutal tennis coach Todd Feltner—she finds herself catapulted into a world of celebrity stylists, private parties, charity matches aboard mega-yachts, and secret dates with Hollywood royalty.

Under Todd’s new ruthless regime, Charlie the good girl is out. Todd wants “Warrior Princess” Charlie all the way. After all, no one ever wins big by playing nice.

Celebrity mags and gossip blogs go wild for Charlie as she jets around the globe chasing Grand Slam titles and Page Six headlines. But as the Warrior Princess’s star rises on and off the court, it comes at a cost. In a world obsessed with good looks and hot shots, is Charlie Silver willing to lose herself to win it all?

Sweeping from Wimbledon to the Caribbean, from the US Open to the Mediterranean, The Singles Game is a sexy and wickedly entertaining romp through a world where the stakes are high—and no one plays by the rules. -- Simon & Schuster

How appropriate is it that today is the release day for the new novel THE SINGLES GAME by Lauren Weisberger? I spent much of my weekend watching some great tennis at Wimbledon, and I was totally in a "tennis" mindset. It probably helped that I had recently finished reading the entertaining book THE SINGLES GAME. I am so in the mood to grab my racket and hit a few balls around with someone!

THE SINGLES GAME tells the story of a sweet and fairly innocent tennis star named Charlie Silver. She has a reputation for being a clean-cut girl with her ribbon woven braid, but the best she's ever been ranked is 23 in the world. Not too bad but she definitely wants more!

When she injures herself at Wimbledon one year, she disappears from the tennis world for a few months. In that time, Charlie decides to reinvent herself. She fires her long-time coach (and good friend) and hires a killer coach who won't allow her to touch her much-loved coffee. And that's just the beginning, Feltner gets Charlie a stylist, has her attend the in-parties, signs her up to participate in celebrity matches, has her eat only healthy foods (no carbs!), and makes increase her practice schedule. He even arranges for Charlie to stay in hotel rooms near the hottest male tennis player in the world.

Charlie returns to the world of tennis as a "Warrior Princess." Gone is the sweet braid and in its place are Svarokski crystal mini tiaras and an all black wardrobe. Her tennis has also improved under Coach Feltner! As Charlie moves up the tennis ranks, she realizes that the "new" Charlie isn't without drawbacks. She begins to lose sight of what's really important in her life like friends and her father, and she has to face whether being the number one tennis player in the world is worth it!

I found THE SINGLES GAME to be a very fun book, and I do think summer is the perfect time to read it. I love that the release was so close to the action at Wimbledon, and I honestly have found myself more interested in tennis than I have been for years. As I watched the tennis matches over the weekend, I couldn't help but think of the "other" side of tennis -- what goes on off the court.

Charlie was a fantastic character! Of course, I loved Charlie before her injury and redesign; and I didn't want her to change. However, I could also understand why she wanted to go all-in on a sport that she had dedicated her life to... at the expense of almost everything. It was fairly predictable that Charlie's rebirth would come with some negatives, and I certainly hoped that she would make the "right" decisions by the end of the novel.

Another fun part of THE SINGLES GAME was the relationship Charlie ended up having with Marco, the number one male tennis player in the world. They were both beautiful and, needless to say, the press went wild with their off-court relationship. It was a fun story, and although it wasn't entirely unpredictable, I think this romance will appeal to many readers looking for a fun summer romp!

Finally, I loved getting an insider's look at the world of tennis. I'm far from athletic, but tennis was one sport that I did play as a kid. For years, I have always been interested in these athletes both on and off the court. I've followed the lives of many tennis players, and I've even read a few biographies and memories about these athletes. So THE SINGLES GAME and its portrayal of the glamorous (and often times not-so-glamorous) world was so fun! It was full of juicy gossip and I bet much of it resembles the real world.

I definitely recommend THE SINGLES GAME to fans of tennis but also to readers who are looking for a fun summer read!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Review: Baby Doll

Summary: Escape was just the beginning.

Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next... to Lily, to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter -- and to her captor.

For fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, BABY DOLL is the most tense thriller you will read this year. -- Redhook

When I started the novel BABY DOLL by Hollie Overton, my first thought was that it reminded me an awful lot of Emma Donoghue's ROOM; and if you are familiar with that story, you will see why. The story begins with the suspenseful escape of Lily and her six year old daughter Sky from a man who had held them captive from the time Lily was just a teenager. Lily dreamed of an escape for years, so when her prisoner left the deadbolt unlocked, she took advantage of his carelessness. The remaining part of the story delves into Lily's attempts to return home and begin a life of normalcy.

What set this book apart from ROOM is the intriguing way it explored the relationship of Lily and her family after her return home. Her father had passed away and her mother was definitely lost as she worked her way through a variety of men. Her twin sister, Abby, was once her best friend and unable to fully move on after Lily's mysterious disappearance. Needless to say, things were complicated.

When Lily arrives home (after discovering that she was only a few miles away the entire time!), she thinks her problems are behind her. She is determined to see the man responsible put away for his crimes, and she's eager to pick up her relationships -- the ones that she assumes haven't really changed since she left. Unfortunately, a great many things have happened during the years Lily was missing including Abby's pregnancy to her ex-boyfriend.

BABY DOLL is a very interesting approach to a kidnapping story. Most of the novel takes place after the action of Lily's and Sky's escape; however, there still is an undeniable tension in the story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I don't want to give too much away, but there are some twists in store and a surprise or two along the way.

One thing the author did really well was make the relationships in Lily's life extremely real. While there were times when I did have a hard time understanding Lily (and Abby), I had no problem believing that their feelings and actions were genuine. I was deeply impressed with how well the author portrayed the relationship between identical twin sisters -- both when they were together and apart. She managed to create a believable bond between these two characters that added another dimension to the story. After finishing the book, I learned that Ms. Overton is a twin herself -- totally makes sense!

Another thing I enjoyed about BABY DOLL was how the story was told. The author chose to write chapters in the voice of a variety of characters including Lily, Abby and even the captor! On one hand, I kind of wish the identity of the culprit wouldn't have been revealed so early; however on the other hand, it was interesting to get into the mind of a mad man!

Finally, I liked that the book had some suspense. For a big part of the novel, I felt as if the action occurred in the first few pages and that nothing else might happen. I admit I was a little concerned. However, there was always a part of me that had a certain "feeling" that something MAJOR was going to happen. I guess what I'm saying is that I appreciated how the author not only built suspense, but also left me questioning what was going to happen.

Overall, BABY DOLL is an interesting suspense novel. Recommended to fans of thrillers and books about family dynamics.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.

Kid Konnection: National Geographic Kids' Round-Up

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you some awesome books that are fun and educational!

Summary: Curious kids who want to know the who/what/where of the coolest things on the planet will welcome this first book in an awesome new National Geographic Kids series. Every turn of the page presents a different theme and counts down the greatest of the great top 8 of its kind. For example: The Awesome 8 Coolest Coasters, Haughtiest Hotels, Wicked Water Slides, Perilous Predators, Remarkable Ruins, Weirdest Wonders, Swankiest Subways, and anything else you can imagine. It's truly something you have to see to believe--which is why the entire list appears in photographs, layered with fun facts and insightful stories. -- National Geographic

I can pretty much guarantee that Booking Son is going to love AWESOME 8: 50 PICTURE-PACKED TOP 8 LISTS. This first book in a new series is full of top 8 lists, and it also has some amazing color photos. There are also brief descriptions of each item on these lists. This book truly is so much fun and educational!

Every page spread is a different top 8 list and there are fifty lists in the book! To make things even more interesting, every item in the lists is also shown with individual photographs. Needless to say, there's quite a bit to look at.

I think you probably have a pretty good idea of AWESOME 8, but I want to share with you some examples of the lists. There is one for the Coolest Coasters, one for the Craziest Cars, and one for the Weird Wonders. In addition, there are lists for Animals in Action, Peculiar Plants, and Funky Tree Houses. As you can see, there are some interesting (and fun!) lists to say the least.

Summary: It's fun to be a kid, but are you ready for what comes next? Challenge yourself with these 100 things and you will be! Jam-packed with tips, tricks, and skills that every kid should master before turning 18, this is the ultimate guide to becoming a fun-loving, well-rounded, totally competent and confident young person. Complete with expert advice from real life explorers, adventurers, and masters of their craft, it's perfect for jump-starting an amazing life! -- National Geographic

Another terrific book is 100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP! Or as I think it should be called 100 THINGS I SHOULD KNOW! This book is smaller in physical size but has over 250 pages. I guess you could say that there's a lot of information that kids should learn sooner rather than later.

100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP is filled with great topics that kids and adults alike will find information. And according to the book, if you learn these 100 things, you will be a well-rounded and successful person. I don't know about all of that, but I will say that there are quite a few useful tips between the pads of this book.

For example, there are instructions for how to make snow ice cream and how to plant something (and keep it alive.) But there are also pages describing some valuable personal skills too like how to speak up, how to talk to adults, and how to say I'm sorry. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of information covered in this book.

100 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW UP is a fantastic resource with real-life expert opinions. Highly recommended!

Summary: This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include highlights on National Geographic Explorers and their amazing projects (plus, ways you can get involved!); a tour of history's most famous sites; an updated "Fun and Games" chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; an exclusive sneak peek from a National Geographic Kids Chapters book; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special "17 Facts for 2017" feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more. - National Geographic

One of my very favorite books that National Geographic releases every year is the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2017. This book is incredible and my kids have been fans of it for quite a long time. They obviously aren't alone because this book has been a New York Times bestseller!

The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ALMANAC 2017 is exactly what you'd expect from a kids' almanac. It's full of fun facts, activities, lists, charts, graphs and (of course) gorgeous color photographs. It teaches kids about animals, places, sciences, cultures and more! I can't rave enough about how much useful information is provided in this book.

The all-new 2017 edition does have some new offerings including highlights on National Geographic Explorers and how you can get involved with their projects and more fun and games. In addition, there is a fun 17 Facts for 2017 feature in every chapter!

The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ALMANAC 2017 is a must-have for both home and school libraries.

Summary: This latest entry in the National Geographic Angry Birds series will take you on an amazing journey with Red, the leader of the Angry Birds flock, along with Matilda, Chuck, Bomb, Terence, and the mysterious Mighty Eagle. Featuring The Angry Birds Movie (2016) story world, this book is filled with all the fun facts and information Red and the flock need to embark on their big adventure. From identifying wildlife to navigating by the stars to building a shelter and setting traps (for any roaming Piggies), this book will be sure to educate and entertain. -- National Geographic

And last but not least is the new book THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE: RED'S BIG ADVENTURE by Christy Ullrich Barcus. This is the latest edition of the National Geographic Angry Birds series and features Red, the leader of the flock. This book is truly special in that it incorporates the Angry Birds Movie story world with real life facts about nature.

There are four levels (or chapters, if you like) in RED'S BIG ADVENTURE. The first level is Bird Island, followed by Bird Village, The Search for the Mighty Eagle, and Beyond the Island. Each section provides fun science facts that Red needs for his big adventure including information on the terrain and animal life along with specifics about how to pack for his journey.

I think RED'S BIG ADVENTURE is an extremely fun book... especially for fans of Angry Birds. There are interesting science facts along with beautiful real-life color photographs of animals and nature. It is a great blend of fiction and science that is certain to entertain young kids.

Thanks to Media Masters for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!

Review: Heat & Light

Summary: Forty years ago, Bakerton coal fueled the country. Then the mines closed, and the town wore away like a bar of soap. Now Bakerton has been granted a surprise third act: it sits squarely atop the Marcellus Shale, a massive deposit of natural gas.

To drill or not to drill? Prison guard Rich Devlin leases his mineral rights to finance his dream of farming. Meanwhile his neighbors, organic dairy farmers Mack and Rena, hold out against the drilling—until a passionate environmental activist disrupts their lives.

Told through a cast of characters whose lives are increasingly bound by the opposing interests that underpin the national debate, Heat and Light is a dispatch from a forgotten America—a work of searing moral clarity from one of the finest writers of her generation, a courageous and necessary book. -- Ecco

My review can't possibly do justice to the latest novel by Jennifer Haigh titled HEAT & LIGHT. Even prior to reading this novel, I would have included Ms. Haigh in my all-time list of favorite authors. However, this book definitely reinforced my opinion. It is outstanding and I can't recommend it enough.

HEAT & LIGHT is a sweeping novel about the fracking industry and the effects it had on the families who live in the fictional town of Bakerton. Like a few of her earlier books, this story takes place in Bakerton, a town once rich in coal but now depressed with the closing of the mines. When it's discovered that the town sits atop the Marcellus Shale, a potential source of natural gas, many residents think that their lives could take a turn for the better.

However, it's not exactly an easy decision to sell the rights or even allow them to drill on the land. Needless to say, families and neighbors are torn apart with their decisions. Rich Devlin has been working as a prison guard but wants to be a farmer. He doesn't have the money, but if he leases his mineral rights, this dream might not be out of reach.

Meanwhile, his neighbors, Mack and Rena, are organic dairy farmers and are adamantly against drilling. The disruption to the land will affect their cows and even their organic certification, and it could have a devastating effect on their business.

There are other characters in the story that are also affected by the decision "to frack or not to frack" including energy executives, leasing agents, pastors, drillers, and other Bakerton citizens; and Haigh does a wonderful job in portraying their plight too. Through this cast of characters, she explores not only their personal lives but also the national debate about the ethical implications of fracking.

I adored HEAT & LIGHT and can honestly say it's one of the best books I've read in 2016. I loved the plot, the characters, and especially Ms. Haigh's writing. She is truly one of the best writers out there right now. What I really appreciated about HEAT & LIGHT is how she used these incredibly interesting characters and their stories to feature an even bigger issue on how our country deals with energy.

Ms. Haigh's prior novels dealt with coal country, specifically the fictional town of Bakerton which readers see again in this book; and it's one of the reasons that I adore her books so much. My grandfather was a coal miner and her descriptions of the people and the town just reminded me so much of my family. Needless to say, I've seen what's happened to the area my parents grew up in; and it's just so sad to see how the decline of the coal industry has affected so many families.

In HEAT & LIGHT, I found it especially interesting to see what happened when residents of Bakerton were (possibly) given a chance to turn their lives around. I'm sure that the decision to lease mineral rights and drill is not an easy one, and I don't doubt for a minute that it's torn apart families and long-time neighbors. What I loved about this novel is how these individual's stories were portrayed. I definitely have my own opinion (as I'm pretty sure does the author); however, she did a great job in showing just how difficult and controversial the decision to frack is for everyone involved (except maybe the corporate CEOs.)

I can't really express how real these characters were to me. Ms. Haigh brought these people to life in a way that just resonated with me. I'm sure it didn't hurt that I feel like I know these Bakerton residents because they so closely resemble my family members, but I think most readers will recognize their traits because their feelings and motivations are universal among all people. Besides showing how the decision to frack affected their lives, I loved that she also explored so many complex issues including drug use, mental health, love, marriage, and more!

To make this book even more special, Ms. Haigh used these characters' plights to feature an even more controversial topic -- fracking and the effect it has on our environment. I am the first to admit that I don't know much about this subject matter, but I did start reading about it after I finished this novel. She brings to light so many really important issues about fracking and energy production, and I do think it's something our country needs to discuss.

HEAT & LIGHT would make an excellent book club selection; however, I wasn't able to find any formal discussion questions. It should be apparent by now that there is plenty to discuss about fracking, corporations and government. But there is also a tremendous amount to talk about when it comes to these characters and their actions. Some of the themes you might want to explore include families, marriage, love, drug use, second chances, obligations, mental health, parent/child relationships, secrets, priorities, and dreams.

Overall, HEAT & LIGHT is an entertaining and important book. Highly recommended!
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Review: The Perfect Neighbors

Summary: How well do you ever really know the family next door?

Bucolic Newport Cove, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers, is proud of its distinction of being named one the top twenty safest neighborhoods in the US. It’s also one of the most secret-filled.

Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs, she’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light.

Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house. And soon, it becomes clear that Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all. -- Washington Square Press

I love Sarah Pekkanen! Her books always entertain me and I think she does a great job of writing about complex women and the relationships in their lives. She is especially gifted at delving into female friendships. Her latest novel, which came out yesterday, is called THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS; and it is the perfect example of just how well Ms. Pekkanen can tell a story about women and families!

THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS takes place in Newport Cove, one of the 20 safest neighborhoods in the U.S. The women in Newport Cove are a lot like the women in my neighborhood -- they attend Wine and Whine nights (otherwise known among my friends as book club!), they have Halloween parties, they post "issues" and reminders on social media, and they all watch out for each other's kids. However, I'm positive (or at least fairly certain) that we aren't keeping secrets quite like the women in this novel.

The novel follows the lives of four women who all seem to be dealing with some things that they'd rather keep hidden. First there is Kellie, a wife and mother who has just returned to the work force after staying home to bring up her kids. She is finally feeling some freedom from the constant work of a homemaker and mom, but she's also feeling a strong sense of attraction to her co-worker... who also happens to be married. Then there is Susan, a successful business owner and mother, who is recently divorced. She finds herself stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi is also a doting mom and wife to a man running for Congress. As if it's not hard enough to be living in the public eye, Gigi's teenage daughter is also showing some major signs of angst and rebellion.

And last but not least is Tessa. Tessa and her family have just recently moved to Newport Cove, and something is just a little different about them. Tessa is nice enough but not exactly outgoing, and she doesn't seem to initiate much social interaction. Needless to say, Tessa has her own secret... and it might just be the biggest one of all.

I liked THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS quite a bit, and I do think it deserves to be on many "Best of Summer" lists. The characters were well developed, the story was intriguing, and I appreciated how Ms. Pekkanen created the tension in the novel. I think THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS will appeal to many readers because it is an entertaining story, and with all of the secrets, it is an ideal summer read!

I worry that my description of the book doesn't do it justice. The women sound fairly typical, as do their problems; and you might think it's just another women's book about female friendship. But trust me when I say that I couldn't go into too many specifics about these women or I'd be quite the spoiler.  The story and the characters (and their relationships) are handled very well, and I think Ms. Pekkanen created memorable characters that many readers will relate to.

One thing that set THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS apart from other women's fiction (and really other books by Ms. Pekkanen) was how she decided to tell this story. The book jumps between each of the characters' stories so readers get to really understand each character. The novel also goes back and forth between the present and the past to explore the Tessa story. I especially appreciated this because it helped to not only give insight into Tessa and her family (whom I did find a bit strange), but it also helped to build suspense. And finally, I liked the inclusion of the Newport Cove Listserv Digest sections. These were brief parts of the story that included the "conversations" among the neighborhood residents concerning many things including dog poop issues. I found these to be extremely funny -- probably because they rang so true, but they also served a greater purpose by featuring larger themes in the novel!

And finally, I thought the building of suspense in the novel really paid off. I was concerned that I would be disappointed when the "truth" of Tessa's secret was finally revealed; however, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, if anything, I was surprised by how devastating the secret really was. Even though I thought I knew what was coming, it still felt like a sucker punch! Suffice it to say that Ms. Pekkanen didn't shy away from a difficult subject.

THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS would make a great book club selection. There is a reading guide with  ten questions along with some ideas for ways to enhance your book club meeting. Some of the themes you might want to explore include appearances, second chances, forgiveness, redemption, anxiety, infidelity, marriage, parenting, sacrifice, guilt, and secrets. I do believe that these characters are terrific and will also remind readers of women they know... so that might be good for some juicy discussion too!

Overall, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS is a unique story about women and female friendships. I highly recommend it to fans of Ms. Pekkanen or readers who appreciate books about women!

Thanks to Engelman & Co. for providing a review copy of this novel.

Review: No One Knows

Summary: In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

In No One Knows, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows. -- Gallery

Unreliable narrators are becoming common place ever since the success of GONE GIRL. In fact, I've read so many books over the past few years with unreliable narrators that I've started to question if I want to read another one. While I appreciate what the authors are trying to do, I sometimes feel manipulated.

Having said all of that, I really enjoyed the novel NO ONE KNOWS by J.T. Ellison... and the story as told by an extremely unreliable narrator! I don't know if I realized just how questionable I'd find the main character, but I had an inkling of an idea with the comparisons to Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins. I think it goes to show that an unreliable narrator is a great storytelling technique if it's done right. And overall, I think it worked really well in this novel.

NO ONE KNOWS tells the story of Aubrey Hamilton, a woman who can finally move on with her life because her husband was legally declared dead. However, Aubrey isn't quite ready to move on with her life after her husband goes missing five years ago. They had a great marriage and a promising future until Josh mysteriously disappeared. Guess who was the main suspect? That's right -- Aubrey.

Aubrey has spent the past five years trying to get over the pain of losing the love of her life, but she's also been trying to figure out what happened. Why would Josh, the man who loved her, just leave? Who would murder him? And why would everyone consider her to be guilty?

Aubrey decides that once her husband is declared dead, it's time for her to get a fresh start on her life. It's ironic that the man she meets (and hooks up with) reminds her more than a little of her husband. In addition, Aubrey begins to discover that her "perfect" husband and "perfect" marriage might not have have been what they seemed. Is it possible that Josh is alive and well? That he's just been living in secret for the past five years?

I found NO ONE KNOWS to be a fun read. It had a little bit of everything for fans of psychological suspense -- an intriguing mystery, an unreliable narrator, some questionable characters, and lots of twists. In addition to having a great premise, the book was also fast-paced and difficult to put down. All in all, NO ONE KNOWS was definitely a page-turner for me.

I will say that the ending of the novel didn't quite live up to my expectations. Or maybe a better way to express it would be to say that the ending wasn't as strong as the rest of the story. There was a pretty major twist, but I admit that I saw it coming. I have to wonder if there was a different way to execute the ending, but I think I'm just being picky. NO ONE KNOWS was a good book with a great narrator... and it was definitely entertaining.

I think fans of GONE GIRL and GIRL ON THE TRAIN will also appreciate NO ONE KNOWS. Recommended to fans of psychological suspense stories and especially ones who appreciate unreliable narrators.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.
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Kid Konnection: Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a great book that celebrates the U.S. presidents as we celebrate our nation this weekend.

Summary: Fans of How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous and Kid Presidents can draft their own presidential fantasy team, based on these hilarious-but-true profiles of our past leaders.

What if a zombie apocalypse or a robot uprising threatened the nation and you had the power to recruit some of the nation’s finest presidents to help save the day?

By studying the most successful squads in history, Daniel O’Brien has identified the perfect ingredients for a victorious team.

Which president would you choose for: the Brain, the Brawn, the Moral Compass, the Loose Cannon, and the Roosevelt?

Choose wisely—the fate of the world is in your hands! -- Crown

If you're kids are anything like mine, then they love U.S. History. I know that sounds strange, but it started at a very young age when they used to eat on their U.S. President placemat. They would read the information on each president, and it wasn't too long before I realized that my kids might know more about presidential history than I do.

Years later, my daughter has taken AP U.S. History and did very well in it; and I have a feeling that my son will follow in her footsteps. They must have gotten their interest from their father -- they definitely didn't get it from me. Although I will say that if I'm going to "learn" about the presidents, then YOUR PRESIDENTIAL FANTASY DREAM TEAM by Daniel O'Brien and illustrated by Winston Rowntree is the book I want to read!

YOUR PRESIDENTIAL FANTASY DREAM TEAM is fantastic! It is geared towards kids ages ten and up; and while I can't wait for Booking Son to check out this book, I found that I adored it... and I think many young adult and adults will agree. I have to be honest when I say that I didn't read this 250+ book straight through, but I did read a few chapters on the presidents I like... and a few that I don't. This book is not only educational. It is extremely entertaining and I couldn't put it down.

YOUR PRESIDENTIAL FANTASY DREAM TEAM includes most of the U.S. presidents -- or at least Washington through Reagan. Within each chapter, there is a brief description including term, political party, spouse, children, birthdate, death date, and one fun fact. And then the fun begins...

The rest of the chapter includes details from each man's life, and I can't begin to express how funny these bios are. I can pretty much guarantee that you've never learned about the presidents in such a fun way! There are also some terrific illustrations that are the perfect complement to the tone of this book. Besides having these entertaining chapters on each of the presidents' lives, the book also includes listings of reference materials for further reading and/or surfing.

I'm pretty sure that I can't give you a true sense of the humor in this book but I'll give it a try. Let's take Ronald Reagan... the sub-title of the chapter is "Ronald Reagan is Probably a Superhero." The author throws out all of the issues to plague Reagan including viral pneumonia, diverticulosis, a cancerous colon tumor and a close-range bullet; and then proceeds to tell readers that none of them had anything to do with Ronald Reagan's death. He then discusses just how fit Reagan was ("and that includes people who juggle Indian clubs"). Based on these facts, he concludes that it would be remiss not to mention that Reagan and the superhero Wolverine have quite a few similarities including metal bones. Case in point: the bullet that hit Reagan bounced off his rib! He goes on for a few more pages like this!

I love YOUR PRESIDENTIAL FANTASY DREAM TEAM and can't recommend it enough. Even if you think you know a lot about the U.S. presidents, I promise this book will teach you and thing or two. And you might never look at these men the same way in the future!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

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