Waiting on Wednesday ... Every Vow You Break

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Every Vow You Break b⁰y Peter Swanson

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

A bride’s dream honeymoon becomes a nightmare when a man with whom she’s had a regrettable one-night stand shows up in this electrifying psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of Eight Perfect Murders.

Abigail Baskin never thought she’d fall in love with a millionaire. Then she met Bruce Lamb. He’s a good guy, stable, level-headed, kind—a refreshing twist from her previous relationships.

But right before the wedding, Abigail has a drunken one-night stand on her bachelorette weekend. She puts the incident—and the sexy guy who wouldn’t give her his real name—out of her mind, and now believes she wants to be with Bruce for the rest of her life.

Then the mysterious stranger suddenly appears—and Abigail’s future life and happiness are turned upside down. He insists that their passionate night was the beginning of something much, much more. Something special. Something real—and he’s tracked her down to prove it.

Does she tell Bruce and ruin their idyllic honeymoon—and possibly their marriage? Or should she handle this psychopathic stalker on her own? To make the situation worse, strange things begin to happen. She sees a terrified woman in the night shadows, and no one at the resort seems to believe anything is amiss… including her perfect new husband.

I love a good mystery/thriller novel. This take on the the whole fatal attraction trope sounds like it is going to be a popular one.

The synopsis sounds horrific and I could not imagine being in this situation. I hope it creates a tense, twisty read that will help chase the winter blues away.

This one comes out in late March which may seem far away but will be here before we know it.

Expected release date - March 23, 2021

Month TBR and Wrap Up

It's a brand new year! 2021 is finally here. I hope everyone has had a good start to the new year. I am hoping that we have a much better year than 2020. 

I am looking to make this the year of reading. I really want to get back to my usual reading habits but we'll see how it goes.

Before I can look forward to this month I have to recap what happened in the final month of 2020.

The books that were on my list are:

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (goodreads)

The Project by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Bonnie by Christina Schwarz (goodreads)

Plus I had some ebooks on my list:

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (goodreads)

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (goodreads)

Vampires Never Get Old by Various Authors (goodreads)

Here is what I managed to read in December:

The Cousins by Kate M McManus (goodreads)

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (goodreads)

The Project by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams (goodreads)

The Truth In My Lies by Ivy Smoak (goodreads)

Rush by Kandi Steiner (goodreads)

A Righteous Man by Jay Crownover (goodreads)

My #2020PopCultureResolution book for December was Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal and the movie was It's A Wonderful Life.  My reviews of the movie and the book are both up if you want to check them out.

Here is what I hope to read in January:

Sanctuary by V.V. James (goodreads)

Vampires Never Get Old by Various Authors (goodreads)

I also have some ebooks I am hoping to get to:

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (goodreads)

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant (goodreads)

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (goodreads)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (goodreads)

My #PopCultureResolution experiment was one I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed it so much that I am going to do it again this year. Stay turned for a post wrapping up last year and announcing the new choices for this year!

What books are you reading this month? Have you read any of the ones on my list? If so, let me know what you thought in the comments.

Best Of 2020 - Books

As we prepare to say goodbye to the year that was 2020 I am taking a moment to look back on the books I read and am highlighting the ten that were my favourites. These books are in no particular order and are not all released this year. I, as usual, considered any book that I read this year when making my choices.

My reading definitely suffered due to the pandemic and not being able to focus as much as I wanted to but I did read some pretty amazing books. 

My Top Ten Books of 2020:

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

2. Seduction by Karina Longworth

3. The Project by Courtney Summers

4. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

6. The Roommate by Rosie Danan

7. Grown by Tiffany D Jackson

8. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

9. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

10. You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson

These all link to my reviews if you want to know why I loved each of these books. My review for The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue will go up early January (I have been having a hard time writing this one because I loved it so much) and my review of The Project will go up closer to it's February release.

I'll  be sharing my thoughts on my #2020PopCultureResolution and how it all went. Four of the books from that experiment made their way on to my list so I think it was a success. I will also be sharing what books and movies I have planned for this year soon as well!

What books did you love this year? Any on my list make your list as well? What books did I miss this year that I absolutely have to make time for in 2021? Let me know in the comments. 

Happy New Year

 

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy new year. I won't be sad to see 2020 go.

How ever you celebrate I hope you ring in the new year doing something you love and that 2021 is a vast improvement to 2020

Here is to new beginnings, new friends, and new experiences. 

Waiting On Wednesday ... Isn't It Bromantic

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Isn't It Bromantic by Lyssa Kay Adams

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad took up the pen to write a novel the Bromance Book Club would swoon over.

Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared after speaking out against government corruption, she escaped danger the only way she knew how. She agreed to marry her childhood friend, Vladimir, and move to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.

Vlad, aka The Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But after four years, it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance–both on and off the page.

The Bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love–and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s senior citizen neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves The Loners. Just when things finally look promising, the danger from Elena’s past life intrudes, and the book club will face their first-ever life-or-death grand gesture as they race to a happy ever after.

Anyone who has read the previous Bromance Book Club books knows that Vlad (aka The Russian) is a fan favourite who provides a ton of humour to these adorable reads.

He is (finally) getting his own book and I am sure that nobody is surprised that he wants to write a romance novel of his own. It makes a lot of sense for him to be the character that would do it.

This comes out in July so we have quite a wait but if you haven't read the previous books in this series I highly recommend getting started so you can join me in (im) patiently waiting. 

Expected release date - July 20, 2021

Bonnie and Clyde by Karen Blumenthal

 

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal

Release Date - August 1, 2018

Publisher Website - Penguin Random House 
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 256 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**obtained at Book Expo America**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious--and celebrated--outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way.

Bonnie and Clyde: we've been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why? 

A book that is telling a well known story has to ask itself what it is bringing that is new. I've read quite a few books about Bonnie and Clyde both fiction and non fiction and the ones that stand out are the ones that manage to make the tale their own. Karen Blumenthal's Bonnie and Clyde does not add anything new to their story but still manages to be a worthy read.

This novel shines as a condensed overview of who Bonnie and Clyde were. It gives a broad enough overview to ensure the reader has an overall understanding of the big events in their lives but doesn't go much deeper than that. Those looking for a deep dive filled with little details will not find that within these pages. It is, therefore, especially perfect for younger teen readers who may just be beginning to find out about the duo. It works best as an introduction and jumping off point.

Karen Blumenthal presents just the facts in a straightforward manner. There is very little personal reflection or feelings that make their way into the book. We certainly get an indication of horror at some of the crimes committed by the pair but not much beyond that. This book also doesn't glamourize their life, particularly when they are on the road. Many times their time on the run is romanticized when it was in fact pretty horrible and horrific.

The people who went along for the ride with Bonnie and Clyde (in particular Clyde's brother and his wife) are only given a brief mentions in this. The accomplice (and his family) who assist with the downfall of the famous couple is also just lightly touched upon. I understand why, as this is the story of Bonnie and Clyde, but these people are important to telling their story and I feel need to be fleshed out just a little bit more.

The inclusion of little facts that expand upon details given in the novel are a highlight and one that makes this book well worth the read. You get a spotlight of many of their victims in a way that other novels don't often take the time to do. The care taken with the victims is one of the standout elements of the story and one that elevates this book in my opinion. It allows the loss of those lives to hit a little harder and makes their crime spree feel a little more gritty than most Hollywoodized versions.

I highly recommend this one for people who do not know a lot about Bonnie and Clyde. It's a great way to get the basics but should be used as just a starting point. It's well researched enough but doesn't quite hold, or capture, why this pair has fascinated people for so long after their deaths.

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope that no matter how you are celebrating this year that you have a wonderful holiday and you get to enjoy some reading time. Hopefully you found some books underneath the tree this year

I wish you all a safe holiday season. I'll be back next week with regular posts.