August 2021 Book Debuts
Hey everyone, thanks for coming by to check out these new books debuting in August 2021!
No Names to Be Given by Julia Brewer Daily
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 3rd, 2021
No Names to Be Given is the story of three women from three very different walks of life: Sandy, Becca, and Faith. In three different circumstances, each of the women becomes unexpectedly pregnant and goes to Magnolia Home Hospital to have her baby in secret and place it for adoption in 1966.
Sandy is a runaway, currently working as a stripper, when she meets her child’s father, a mob boss by the name of Carlos. However, Carlos goes to prison and it’s revealed that he has a wife and two children already.
Becca has fallen in love with a black man, Zeke, but when their love affair is revealed, they lose contact. Becca finds herself pregnant in the aftermath.
Faith is sexually assaulted by someone who works for her father, but has to hide her pregnancy as her father is a famous Christian minister.
This book chronicles each of the women’s lives, from teenagers to middle age adults, where some will meet with the children they placed for adoption as eighteen-year-old women. We even eventually meet some of the children.
I really like the premise of this book but I don’t enjoy the execution as much as I had hoped. Halfway through, it switches from being a drama to being a strange James-Patterson-thriller type. I really wish there had been more detail about the girls’ lives while in the home, and more around the time they meet their children. I felt that the emotion was lacking a bit, especially considering the depth of the feelings each of the women had to be having. I liked the knowledge Daily included at the end; I had no idea homes for mother’s even still existed in the United States!
Though I wished for more from this book, I am still glad I read it and I look forward to reading more of Daily’s work.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 3rd, 2021
Sandy is a runaway, currently working as a stripper, when she meets her child’s father, a mob boss by the name of Carlos. However, Carlos goes to prison and it’s revealed that he has a wife and two children already.
Becca has fallen in love with a black man, Zeke, but when their love affair is revealed, they lose contact. Becca finds herself pregnant in the aftermath.
Faith is sexually assaulted by someone who works for her father, but has to hide her pregnancy as her father is a famous Christian minister.
This book chronicles each of the women’s lives, from teenagers to middle age adults, where some will meet with the children they placed for adoption as eighteen-year-old women. We even eventually meet some of the children.
I really like the premise of this book but I don’t enjoy the execution as much as I had hoped. Halfway through, it switches from being a drama to being a strange James-Patterson-thriller type. I really wish there had been more detail about the girls’ lives while in the home, and more around the time they meet their children. I felt that the emotion was lacking a bit, especially considering the depth of the feelings each of the women had to be having. I liked the knowledge Daily included at the end; I had no idea homes for mother’s even still existed in the United States!
Though I wished for more from this book, I am still glad I read it and I look forward to reading more of Daily’s work.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 3rd, 2021
I have loved Sandie Jones’ other novels, so I couldn’t wait to read and review The Guilt Trip. However, sometimes after a couple great books, an author’s writing will go downhill. I’m glad to say that’s not the case here!
Noah and Rachel and best friends from their university days. Rachel married Jack, and Noah married Paige, and now all 4 are best friends.
Jack’s little brother, Will, is getting married to a girl named Ali. All 4 are invited to the wedding, and they begrudgingly go. Ali is over the top; she dresses provocatively, is flirtatious with the husbands but especially Jack (her soon to be brother-in-law), and she exaggerates every single time she talks. Regardless, everyone hopes that the destination wedding to Portugal will be a fun way to unwind.
This is Sandie Jones writing, so no, it’s not a fun weekend at all.
Tensions grow as Ali first loses her passport, gets drunk on a plane, and begins talking about everyone’s sex life; Paige pokes fun at the bride-to-be, putting Rachel in the precarious position of balancing all the emotions within the group; and Jack and Noah seem to be growing tense after an incident at the beach. It’s the beginning of Rachel’s suspicion towards Ali, as Ali is hanging all over Jack, drinking too much, and leaving clues that she has a relationship with Jack. Rachel has a dark secret of her own, and she can’t help but wonder if Ali knows what it is.
As things come to a head on Will and Ali’s wedding weekend, your mind will jump to a thousand conclusions and it probably won’t be the correct one. Is Ali as major of a liar as they all believe? Is it Ali doing all the flirting, as Jack claims, or is Jack actually cheating on Rachel with Ali? And what is the secret Rachel is so desperate to hide from everyone?
This is a fun and enjoyable read!
Noah and Rachel and best friends from their university days. Rachel married Jack, and Noah married Paige, and now all 4 are best friends.
Jack’s little brother, Will, is getting married to a girl named Ali. All 4 are invited to the wedding, and they begrudgingly go. Ali is over the top; she dresses provocatively, is flirtatious with the husbands but especially Jack (her soon to be brother-in-law), and she exaggerates every single time she talks. Regardless, everyone hopes that the destination wedding to Portugal will be a fun way to unwind.
This is Sandie Jones writing, so no, it’s not a fun weekend at all.
Tensions grow as Ali first loses her passport, gets drunk on a plane, and begins talking about everyone’s sex life; Paige pokes fun at the bride-to-be, putting Rachel in the precarious position of balancing all the emotions within the group; and Jack and Noah seem to be growing tense after an incident at the beach. It’s the beginning of Rachel’s suspicion towards Ali, as Ali is hanging all over Jack, drinking too much, and leaving clues that she has a relationship with Jack. Rachel has a dark secret of her own, and she can’t help but wonder if Ali knows what it is.
As things come to a head on Will and Ali’s wedding weekend, your mind will jump to a thousand conclusions and it probably won’t be the correct one. Is Ali as major of a liar as they all believe? Is it Ali doing all the flirting, as Jack claims, or is Jack actually cheating on Rachel with Ali? And what is the secret Rachel is so desperate to hide from everyone?
This is a fun and enjoyable read!
Publish Date: August 6th, 2021
I really enjoyed reading The Family Across the Street.
Nosy neighbor Gladys notices that there’s something not right next door at the West’s house. They haven’t opened the blinds, and twins Sophie and George are not outside as they usually are. This morning, father John left in a huff. Gladys’ husband encourages her to keep her nose in her own business, but she can’t shake the feeling of something sinister in the summer air.
Delivery guy Logan also feels that something isn’t right at the West’s house. When he goes to drop off a package that morning, the woman refuses to open the door to sign for it.
What is happening at the West’s?
The writing style and the switch of point of views chapter by chapter reminded me of Liane Moriarty’s writing, which is a huge compliment as I love her books. I couldn’t quite figure out how the pieces fit together and this book glued me from page one. I can’t wait to read more from Ms Trope!
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed reading The Family Across the Street.
Nosy neighbor Gladys notices that there’s something not right next door at the West’s house. They haven’t opened the blinds, and twins Sophie and George are not outside as they usually are. This morning, father John left in a huff. Gladys’ husband encourages her to keep her nose in her own business, but she can’t shake the feeling of something sinister in the summer air.
Delivery guy Logan also feels that something isn’t right at the West’s house. When he goes to drop off a package that morning, the woman refuses to open the door to sign for it.
What is happening at the West’s?
The writing style and the switch of point of views chapter by chapter reminded me of Liane Moriarty’s writing, which is a huge compliment as I love her books. I couldn’t quite figure out how the pieces fit together and this book glued me from page one. I can’t wait to read more from Ms Trope!
The Perfect Family by Robyn HardingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 10th, 2021
The Adlers are seemingly the perfect family, but when vandals begin egging their house, each family member wonders what has caused them to be a target.
Because each of them has a terrible secret that nobody else in the family knows:
Viv is a kleptomaniac who just can’t seem to help herself. She steals from friends and clients alike; Thomas is being blackmailed by a stripper from a friend’s bachelor party who shows him evidence that he beat her while blackout drunk; Eli, now a college dropout, participated in severe hazing of another student, and stood by as he was assaulted; and Tarryn, a high school student, is camming in her bedroom at night, though she’s underage, and she fears someone from her real life has found out that she is doing this and is threatening her.
As the attacks on the family escalate, they each must face their darkest secret and find a way to make it right.
This book was delicious and horrible in the best way, and I couldn’t put it down. The ending was excruciating in a fun way!
She's Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Adlers are seemingly the perfect family, but when vandals begin egging their house, each family member wonders what has caused them to be a target.
Because each of them has a terrible secret that nobody else in the family knows:
Viv is a kleptomaniac who just can’t seem to help herself. She steals from friends and clients alike; Thomas is being blackmailed by a stripper from a friend’s bachelor party who shows him evidence that he beat her while blackout drunk; Eli, now a college dropout, participated in severe hazing of another student, and stood by as he was assaulted; and Tarryn, a high school student, is camming in her bedroom at night, though she’s underage, and she fears someone from her real life has found out that she is doing this and is threatening her.
As the attacks on the family escalate, they each must face their darkest secret and find a way to make it right.
This book was delicious and horrible in the best way, and I couldn’t put it down. The ending was excruciating in a fun way!
She's Mine by A.A. ChaudhuriMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 18th, 2021
This book is one big whiplash. It’s clear from the beginning some of what happened to Heidi- it’s intended to be obvious. But the how and the why are complete mysteries.
This book was exceptionally well-written. All of the characters are despicable, I didn’t find a single one I liked. But it felt real (to a degree) and I felt the characters were well-written. This was a stressful but enjoyable read, and you will change your mind about the culprit no less than 50 times, and then you’ll change it again as you turn the page and find new information that makes you furrow your brow, because how could that be the answer? Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
AA Chaudhuri writes some of the worst people ever. I love it and can’t wait to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC.
The Unwelcome Guest by Amanda Robson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is one big whiplash. It’s clear from the beginning some of what happened to Heidi- it’s intended to be obvious. But the how and the why are complete mysteries.
This book was exceptionally well-written. All of the characters are despicable, I didn’t find a single one I liked. But it felt real (to a degree) and I felt the characters were well-written. This was a stressful but enjoyable read, and you will change your mind about the culprit no less than 50 times, and then you’ll change it again as you turn the page and find new information that makes you furrow your brow, because how could that be the answer? Don’t worry, you’ll get there.
AA Chaudhuri writes some of the worst people ever. I love it and can’t wait to read more!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC.
The Unwelcome Guest by Amanda RobsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publish Date: August 19th, 2021
From the time that Saffron first meets her mother-in-law, Caprice, they clash heads on everything imaginable. Bad turns worse when Caprice’s husband dies and she moves in with Saffron, husband Miles, and their two children. As far as Saffron can tell, Caprice is doing everything in her power to split up Saffron and Miles’ marriage, despite Miles not believing it.
With entries from Miles, Saffron, Caprice, Miles’ brother Aiden, and Hayley the nanny, this isn’t so much of a mystery as a domestic suspense tale as old as time— the struggle between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws— taken much further than you would hope would happen in real life.
I was a bit confused with jumping from character to character, but I found the writing engaging and read The Unwanted Guest in about a day and a half.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harpercollins for this free ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
From the time that Saffron first meets her mother-in-law, Caprice, they clash heads on everything imaginable. Bad turns worse when Caprice’s husband dies and she moves in with Saffron, husband Miles, and their two children. As far as Saffron can tell, Caprice is doing everything in her power to split up Saffron and Miles’ marriage, despite Miles not believing it.
With entries from Miles, Saffron, Caprice, Miles’ brother Aiden, and Hayley the nanny, this isn’t so much of a mystery as a domestic suspense tale as old as time— the struggle between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws— taken much further than you would hope would happen in real life.
I was a bit confused with jumping from character to character, but I found the writing engaging and read The Unwanted Guest in about a day and a half.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harpercollins for this free ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Publish Date: August 23rd, 2021
A grown-up version of Pretty Little Liars, The Liar Next Door is about a neighborhood full of wealthy, well-educated, good-looking liars. Everyone has a secret; there are affairs, black-mail, and mean girls.
Unfortunately I found The Liar Next Door mediocre. Though the writing was smooth, and the descriptions adequate with detail, but not too much, the plot was really implausible and I guessed most of it nearly immediately.
You won’t like any of the characters, but you will probably want to keep reading because the writing is smooth and you’ll want to see if your guess about the plot is correct. There are a few things I was shocked by.
I hope to read more of Ms. Marsh’s work. As an author, she seems to have a lot of potential!
A grown-up version of Pretty Little Liars, The Liar Next Door is about a neighborhood full of wealthy, well-educated, good-looking liars. Everyone has a secret; there are affairs, black-mail, and mean girls.
Unfortunately I found The Liar Next Door mediocre. Though the writing was smooth, and the descriptions adequate with detail, but not too much, the plot was really implausible and I guessed most of it nearly immediately.
You won’t like any of the characters, but you will probably want to keep reading because the writing is smooth and you’ll want to see if your guess about the plot is correct. There are a few things I was shocked by.
I hope to read more of Ms. Marsh’s work. As an author, she seems to have a lot of potential!
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Harpercollins, Hera Books, Bookcouture, Avon Books, Gallery Books, Admissions Press, and St Martin's Press for advanced reading copies of all of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
View all my reviews
View all my reviews
If you’re wondering if you should read or skip, here’s what I recommend (assuming you only have so much room on your bookshelf or other flat surfaces for books):
Read: The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones. The writing is decent, the plot is good, and the twists are great- even if you have seen some of them coming.
Skip: The Unwelcome Guest by Amanda Robson- unless you have a terrible mother-in-law, or you like to be infuriated by a character.
Read: The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope. If you’re waiting for the next Liane Moriarty this is perfect for you.
Skip: The Liar Next Door by Nicola Marsh. If you don’t mind suspending your disbelief for a bit, this might be a good library read, but if suspending disbelief annoys you, skip it.
Read: She’s Mine by AA Chaudhuri: I don’t want to drag out tropes, but it really reminded me some of Strangers on a Train. So if you loved that, you’ll love this.
Read: The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding. I believe this is Harding’s best book yet, and it’s kept me thinking since I first read it, back in May! Harding knows what she’s doing.
Borrow: No Names to Be Given by Julia Brewer Daily. I respect the story Daily was trying to tell about unwed mother’s homes and adoption, and I learned from that. However, the execution of the second half of the novel was just not my cup of tea and I think many readers would feel the same.
Thanks for reading and letting me share my thoughts with you. If you have read any of these books, what did you think?
Jess
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