Review: He is Mine - Theo Baxter - March 2026 Oh, where do I even begin with this one? I picked this up on a Saturday morning with a cup of tea and a couple of milk arrowroot biscuits and absolutely did not move from my bed until I'd turned the last page. You know that feeling when a book just grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go? That's exactly what this did to me. From the very first chapter, I got those delicious, unsettling vibes that took me straight back to The Housemaid  that creeping sense that something in this beautiful, perfect house is deeply, horribly wrong. And if you, like me, have a soft spot for those "I'm the nanny and this is going to end very badly for everyone" psychological thrillers, then pull up a chair, because this one belongs right at the top of that pile. Crystal Tannenbaum arrives in LA with stars in her eyes and dreams tucked under her arm. She's going to make it. She just knows it. And in a way, she does land herself a...

VBT # The Motel - Nancy Savage - September 2025 There’s something about late-night reads that hit different—especially when the story itself is set in the dead of night, in a run-down motel with secrets stitched into every creaky floorboard. I picked up this eerie tale on a whim, and let me tell you, I wasn’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster it took me on. Pearl Fuller is one of those characters who feels like someone you might know—or maybe even a version of yourself during a rough patch. She’s heartbroken, broke, and bunking on her ex’s couch (we’ve all had our couch-surfing moments, right?). Her only escape is her night shift at The Driftwood Motel, a place that’s seen better days and harbors a chilling past—the infamous Berkman murder in room 52. Now, I’m not usually one to get spooked easily, but the way this story builds tension had me glancing at my own hallway more than once. Pearl starts seeing movement in the supposedly empty room 52 and hears voices no one else seems ...

VBT# Long Lost Sister - NL Hinkens - September 2025 Long Lost Sister by NL Hinkens explores the dangerous territory of family secrets and misplaced trust, delivering a psychological thriller that kept me turning pages even when I wasn't entirely convinced by every plot point. Piper's journey resonates on a deeply personal level with me right now. As someone who recently discovered through Ancestry.com that my father has a half-sister named Lisa Phillips, I found myself drawn into Piper's desperate search for belonging and family connection. The yearning to understand where you come from, to find that missing piece of your identity, is something that hits close to home. Like Piper, I've been reaching out to a long-lost relative (though Lisa hasn't been active on the platform for over a year), hoping to bridge decades of separation and discover new family stories. NL Hinkens crafts an intriguing premise: Piper, fresh out of prison for vigilante justice against those ...

  Review: What I've Done - Book #4 Morgan Dane Series - Melinda Leigh - September 2018 Melinda Leigh has crafted yet another gripping entry in her Morgan Dane series with *What I’ve Done*, a thrilling tale that effortlessly pulls readers back into a world of suspense and family ties. This fourth installment centers around the mysterious murder of Noah Carter and the plight of Haley Powell, a young woman awash in confusion and blood, completely unaware of the events that led to waking up next to a corpse. As a fan , I found this novel a refreshing remedy to my recent reading slump, bridging the gap between mystery and emotional depth in a way that only the best thrillers can achieve. Morgan Dane, alongside her investigative partners Lance and Lincoln, takes on the daunting task of defending Haley, a client burdened by overwhelming evidence suggestive of her guilt. The story opens with Haley’s terrifying realization: she is the prime suspect in a murder she cannot remember committing...

Review: The Housemaid's Secret - Book #2 The Housemaid - Freida McFadden - February 2023 Millie is back and this book feels like it is set a few years after the first book where Millie has had a few jobs as a maid and doing other side work with Enzo. That is until he ended up heading back to Italy and Millie went back to school. She was working as a nanny but sadly Amber the mother got jealous and the husband tried to hit on her. Millie heads home and is trying to look for a job that works around her studying but of course, as someone with a criminal history, it can be hard to get a job. She then gets a phone call from Mr. Garrick, they need a housemaid and a cook. There is one requirement though, she must not disturb his wife who stays locked behind her door. Millie recognizes abuse and she feels that this situation is similar to past ones and now Millie will do her best to try and save Mrs. Garrick. What happens though when Mr. Garrick isn't one to cross and she will find her...

Review: The Inmate - Freida McFadden - June 2022 Brooke has returned home nine years after she left with her son in tow and has gotten a job as a nurse at the local prison, being back in her hometown isn't all it is cracked up to be as a decade ago she sent her boyfriend Shane to prison after he murdered her friends and tried to kill her. She has always believed he was guilty, but as she comes face to face with him in the prison- he is still proclaiming his innocence. When Brooke meets another face who was there that night - Tim. She starts to think back to that fateful night and wonders that if it wasn't Shane then who could it have been? Was it Tim? Did he kill their friends and set Shane up for the fall? Brooke's son also wants to meet his father, so what happens when he realizes his dad is in prison for murder? I have to admit, this one started well as I do enjoy the murder and past experiences, but I have to say the last few chapters of this book took a turn for the w...

Dangerous secrets and hidden agendas threaten to tear them apart. Held Against You, an all-new opposites attract, forced proximity, romantic suspense from bestselling author Season Vining is now available! Accused of a horrific crime and on the run, Kat has been rejected by everyone she loves. She’s a fugitive from her past, flitting from town to town with nothing but the clothes on her back―until she meets a man who literally stops her in her tracks. A notorious bounty hunter with powerful instincts, he never fails to capture his prey. But there’s something about Kat that gets under his skin. Behind his ice-cold demeanor, he has his own darkness… and now his lively, vulnerable captive is about to crack him wide open. As they travel across the country together, the two are unable to deny the spark of attraction between them. But dangerous secrets and hidden agendas threaten to tear them apart. Start reading today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited Amazon: h...

Review: The Scream of Silence - Book #0.5 The Little Things That Kill Series - Pamela Crane - October 2016 On the bus back from Auckland, I was scrolling through my Kindle looking for something to read and came across The Scream of Silence. I knew I would enjoy it as I have read a few of Pamela Crane's other titles and enjoyed those. She is a great author if you love reading thrillers and twisted family dynamics. In The Scream of Silence which is a quick read, we meet Destiny Childs - she was born before the band. She is a young pregnant female who gives up her daughter for adoption. About twenty-plus years pass and Destiny is getting her car fixed when she sees on the news a young female has been found murdered. The young girl is her daughter she gave up for adoption. She finds herself at the front door wanting to help the parents. There are no leads, so Destiny decides to find the best one she can and frames the boyfriend. You can guess what happens next. I was in two minds w...