Linking up this week with Kimberly @ Sunday Post and Kathryn @ It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Hi, everyone! Apologies for being absent from the blogging world and posting sporadically. Life has been very busy with work and family, so blogging and reading time has suffered. The last day of school was just a couple of days ago, and I’m already feeling so much more relaxed. I plan on visiting blogs this weekend.

My daughter graduated from high school this month, and we’ve been busy with all the “last of” events that go along with that. She’s planning on pursuing a degree in music education. She’ll still be close by for college which makes the transition easier (especially for me!).

I finished the first project on my summer “to do” list, which was weeding my bookshelves. I ended up with five shopping bags of books to either donate or sell. I usually donate to the library, but I may try selling this time? Half Price Books is hit or miss with their offers.

Recently, I had a string of five books that ended up in the dreaded DNF pile. I know the fault was mine due to being too distracted and tired to focus. Luckily, I found a couple of books to get me out of my reading slump. I LOVE IT WHEN YOU LIE and THE SOULMATE were so good! Here are my quick thoughts:

I LOVE IT WHEN YOU LIE by Kristen Bird
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an engrossing and unique family drama/mystery/suspense set in the Appalachian woods of Alabama. The story is told from the POVs of three sisters and their sister-in-law. As the family gathers for their grandmother’s funeral, buried secrets, both past and present, threaten to come to the surface. I enjoyed how the author hid the identity of the missing person until later in the book, which definitely added to the suspense.

I loved these sisters, and I was quickly pulled in by their dilemmas. Each one had her flaws, but all were complex and compelling. Overall, this was an entertaining story about the strength of sisterly bonds, with some Southern Gothic atmosphere and revenge mixed in.

THE SOULMATE by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Are domestic thrillers supposed to be tearjerkers? Because that twist at the end! *cries* This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, and now I want to read all of her books.

In THE SOULMATE, a married couple lives in their dream cottage on a cliff by the sea, except for the fact that the cliff has become a popular location for troubled individuals to jump. Husband Gabe has become skilled at “talking people down” from the edge and saving many lives, until one fateful night a woman jumps anyway. Or did she? What is Gabe hiding from his wife, Pippa?

The short chapters and alternating POVs kept the pace moving quickly. One of the POVs was an especially unique and intriguing voice that added an extra depth to the story. This twisty thriller addresses mental health issues and toxic relationships. How much does someone have to take for the sake of their soulmate?

Highly recommended!

Reading/Reviewing Next: THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day