All These Perfect Strangers - Aoife Clifford

What did I think...hmmmm.  Well I thought it was a decent book.  I really did.  I even waited 24 hours to write my review to think on it and make sure my thoughts didn't change.  And they didn't.  I still want to throw this book out of a window....or off of a roof...and possibly stab it with a screw driver.  But I won't because its a digital book on my iPad and I like my iPad so no violence to the book. 

With that said this book had its ups and downs.  I love a good mystery but this one almost took it to a frustrating level.  Its a flash back story.  Meaning it starts in a present day type scenario and flashes back to the past.  But the whole book takes place in 1990...flashing back to previous events to move the story forward.  There are a few characters to keep up with but the main focus is Penelope as she is telling the story.  She has been in trouble and got in more trouble and is trying to make her life right. 

I will say it is a relatable story. Not because I got in trouble but because we have all had to make difficult decisions to protect ourselves or fit in.  Pen is troubled, that is evident.  She makes STUPID decisions, that is also evident but you can't help but be understanding.  She is damaged and scared, of course she doesn't always choose the right path but she is a good person...right. 

It was a little twisty...slightly turney and very frustrating.  It does keep you guessing for the most part which is nice.  I did have my suspicions but the author did a decent job of distracting me so that I didn't focus long enough to say "AH HA!".  I couldn't give it more than 3 stars because of a certain reason I can't reveal...SPOILERS.  It was interesting enough but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. 

SPOILERS

What the hell was that ending?!!?!?  I mean the entire book I wanted to slap Pen and say STOP LYING! Stop being deceitful.  You are getting a fresh start...STOP!  But she always hid things.  She trusted the wrong people.  She hurt people.  I got pissed as a college student but I would NEVER purposefully drug someone.  That is some sociopath level stuff there.  I also wouldn't have trusted Rogan.  He was pretty but something was off from the start.  I just never thought, oh stand up guy.  I also didn't trust Michael...he screamed "I'm going to be a mass murderer one day"...very creepy.  Rachel was conflicted but not all bad.  I really liked Toby, he was a good friend. 

Pen just chose wrong all the time.  I never got why she lied to EVERYONE.  I know her and Tracey did some bad things but I really think Pen was the bad influence. She is a manipulator.  She had some redeeming qualities but she lied SO MUCH.  I mean I get your friend is embarrassed about being almost raped but you tell someone.  You don't save her...then lie about everything and let her take the fall for a death.  You don't see something bad happen and go quiet.  You don't have your SLEEPING PILLS stolen and not report it.  You don't like about how someone died.  Michael was going to kill her...why lie and say he jumped.  Why not say "he was trying to kill me and I pushed him by accident".  Its a much more believable story...more truth.  After all of that I really started to distrust Pen...WHY LIE!?!? 

That is why the ending made me insane.  What the frick happened???  She is in the interrogation room.  They have her diary and...she flashes back...way back to when she first met Tracey.  To the last time she was sort of happy and it ends.  What?!?!  Sooooo its left open to interpretation...I guess.  She was clearly guilty of something.  Maybe she was the murderer all along and she fooled us, the reader.  I don't know and I'll never know because it freaking ended!  So was she really mental?  Tracey is dead and can't help her...plus she LIED.  Rogan wouldn't help her.  Michael 7 Rachel are dead.  Toby is probably traumatized.  I don't know...maybe I'm over thinking it but I really feel like the whole book was a ruse.  A ruse told by Pen.  its her skewed version of reality.  There was way more to it than what we are told...right?!!?


I received this book for free from House Party, Random House, & Net Galley to read and give my honest review. 

Death at a Fixer Upper - Sarah Hobart

This was a fun and sometimes silly murder mystery.  We have Sam Turner, real estate agent and awesome single mom with some old relationship issues.  And then we have everyone else.  She is the story teller so it is all about her.  But she isn't an "its all about me" kind of character.  She is actually all about others, sometimes to her detriment.  In the end that is what saves her, her caring and compassion that everyone thinks makes her weak is what makes her successful. 

I found this to be a quick and easy read (when I found time to actually read).  Sam is relatable.  I might not be a single mom but I could feel her struggle.  She may have been dealt a bad hand but she raised a wonderful son and seems to genuinely care about others.  Even though she should be cut throat to sell sell sell she just can't.  She can't in good conscience do something that she knows is wrong, especially if it could harm someone. 

It is a wonderful story about the insanity of selling a derelict home with many hidden secrets.  Of course when prospective buyers start dying, things go a little sideways for poor Sam.  She finds her self in absolutely insane situations, I mean who else gets locked in an office while trespassing and has to jump out of a window.  We are led to believe something supernatural is happening but that isn't really the case.  The evil in the world isn't of another dimension...it is 100% human.  Human(s) who will murder, threaten, harm, solely for their own benefit.   But Sam is smart, she does dumb things like run off Bernie, but she is smart.  She starts to figure it out.  Once that happens the book is really hard to put down. 

I received this book for free from Random House and Chatterbox for free to read and give my honest review. 

SPOILERS
I love that her kindness to the "bum" is what saves her.  All of her business prospects fall apart and then like a knight in shining armor her least prospective person turns out to be the only option.  He inherited money.  He is an old friend of the deceased owner.  He wants to buy this horribly decrepit property and make it his own.  Had she not befriended him by being a wonderful person, he may not have gone to her the way he did.  She was inspirational to so many.  Including but not limited to Max her son and Merritt who was scared to to the right thing for fear of being unjustly punished.  Her bug heart and goofy attitude makes this such a fun story. 

The ending seemed a tad rushed BUT I am assuming Merritt now has the money or at least a reward to help her and Lily get on their feet.  Curly gets his old friends property and will do right by it.  Max gets to sort of have a relationship with his estranged father.  And Sam gets Bernie, or Bernie gets Sam.  As much as she tried to push him away because of her flighty sister she still got the guy, along with the sale, her own home, and a seemingly happy ending.

Mug Shot by Caroline Fardig

Who doesn't love a great murder mystery story? This was a fabulous who done it.  I didn't read the first book (I didn't know there was one) but this book was okay as a stand alone.  They rehashed enough of what happened in Book 1 to keep me up to speed. 

The characters are well developed and the mystery is kept secret VERY well.  I can honestly say I didn't see it coming.  Juliet made me angry regularly.  She is a wonderful person but she makes impulsive decisions and that makes me stabby.  Pete seems like a sweetie but their co-dependent thing they have made me crazy.  I hated Stan at first but he grew on me.  He isn't a great boyfriend but he is a decent person.  I adored Savannah.  Her southern sayings made me giggle and she was just so likeable.  Ryder...oh my.  He is a little hot headed but in an almost attractive way.  He's a cop so I guess some of the attitude is expected but he CLEARLY cares deeply for Juliet and I just loved him. 

SPOILERS BELOW:

Not in a million years did I think "lets kill the main secondary character's girlfriend and blame it on him".  I disliked Cecelia from the start but when she died I was shocked.  I wasn't shocked Pete took the fall but it really sucked for Juliet.  Her obsession with helping Pete while admirable was so annoying.  She has a pretty decent thing with Stan, Ryder still wants her, yet she will sacrifice it all for Pete.  I know they are friends but their relationship is weird. 

I will say this book kept me guessing.  I was on the same path as Juliet.  I thought it was Stan.  I thought it was Kent.  I thought it was Bastidas.  I even thought it was Abigail.  I never thought it was Pete.  I agree with Juliet, that isn't his style.  But I didn't even consider Savannah.  I was floored.  I was so involved in this story.  I was just like Juliet.  When Savannah said the detail about Cecelia's murder, I said "NO WAY" out loud.  But she helped her so much trying to clear Pete's name!!!  I guess even friendship can't stand the weight of MURDER.  Then when she tried to kill Jules.  What a B!  She was nothing but nice to her and now she is trying to kill her!  Clearly this chick has major issues.

I hate that Jules lost her best girlfriend but at least she got her Pete back.  That and she is back with Ryder *squee*.  That makes me happy.  I like them together and I will totally read more of this series.

I got this book for free from ChatterBox from Random House to read and give my honest review.  I think it is a great read for anyone who likes a good Mystery.