readwithbec_'s reviews
59 reviews

“𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕖 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖, 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥, 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕡𝕦𝕤𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕥 𝕫𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥?”

Thoughts: “The Wake Up Call" was the first book I have read by Beth. I liked the concept of the story, but it was super slow. There was a lot of miscommunication within the story, which I found hard to enjoy. The second half of the book was much more interesting than the first half. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity, and miscommunication tropes, you may enjoy this book.

Synopsis: Two hotel receptionists—and arch-rivals—find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way. It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through. The hotel won't stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel—and their jobs. As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

★★★☆☆

“ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤. ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖".

PR Product: Thank you so so much @hachetteaus & @ali_lowe_author for allowing me to read this fantastic book prior to the publishing date for a honest review.

Publication Date: 27th February 2024
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Thoughts: This was the first book I have read written by Ali Lowe and I enjoyed it. This book had me gripped as it has so many scandals & twists! I really enjoyed all the characters and their interactions with each other. The beginning of the book sets the scene  well, with the second half being where the drama and suspense unravel. Highly recommend this book if you are looking for a suspense thriller set in Australia!

Synopsis: For parents living in the beautiful coastal town of Pacific Pines, all their hopes and dreams are pinned on the outcome of the annual Gala Day hosted by St Ignatius Boys’ School. To be accepted into the prestigious institution, their sons must battle it out, facing rigorous rounds of physical and mental tests. Their parents will stop at nothing to ensure their sons succeed. But after one boy is struck down in a hit and run, the scandals, secrets and lies that entangle three mothers threaten to unravel their seemingly perfect lives. How far will the women go to, not just to save their families - but also their reputations?

★★★★☆

“𝔸𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕝𝕝, 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕓𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥”

Thoughts: Freida, you have done it again! Although I felt the first half of the book was a bit slow, I absolutely loved the second half. Freida sure knows how to write plot twists; I thought I had it, but nope, haha. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and I did not predict the ending at all. 

Synopsis: Dawn Schiff is strange. At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m. So when Dawn doesn’t show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell—beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running—is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything... It turns out Dawn wasn’t just an awkward outsider—she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who’s the real victim? But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.

★★★★☆

𝔾𝕠𝕠𝕕, 𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕒. 𝔹𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕨𝕖 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖.”

Thoughts: I attempted to give this novella a generous rating, but to be frank, I found myself quite disappointed. Despite the massive hype surrounding the book, it simply didn't meet my expectations. I pushed myself to finish it, but it fell short for me. If you enjoy hockey romance, marriage of convenience, he falls first and dual POV you may like this book.

Synopsis: Adored by all, Britta is an ambitious waitress working at Sluggers. The popular bar holds a special place in her heart and is a regular hangout for the Bridgeport Bandits, the local hockey club. With a half brother on the team, Britta has a strict no-dating policy for hockey boys. But she does have a soft spot for one particular player. A beast on the ice, Sumner Mayfield is on the brink of breaking into the NHL. But time’s running out. With his work visa about to expire, Sumner’s only chance to stay in Bridgeport is to marry an American—and get a green card. Otherwise, it’s back to Canada for the defenseman. On New Year’s Eve, the team begs Britta to marry Sumner that very night. Sum is embarrassed yet hopeful—he’s desperately in love. But Britta balks at first. Until something about Sumner’s soulful brown eyes and ripped physique makes her reconsider…

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★☆☆☆

“𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕒 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕤. 𝕀'𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕤”

Thoughts: The Risk is the first book in The Mind F Series. I've noticed this book gaining popularity on BookTok and Bookstagram, prompting me to give it a try. While some parts were enjoyable, I found myself skimming through certain sections. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued to read the rest of the series and see how it compares. 

Synopsis: They took too much.

Left too little. I had nothing to lose...until him. Lana has been through a lot in her life which makes her a bit leary of most men, so when one man pays for her breakfast she walks up to him ready to pay him back, but he won’t take that money. She should stay far away from the FBI Agent, especially since she’s seeking revenge and can’t afford to be caught too soon. Logan thinks he’s met the perfect woman, but every single time he thinks he understands her she goes and surprises him. She’s understanding of his job, supportive, and strong but she’s also in danger because of him, or so he thinks. S.T. Abby gives us the story of one woman’s mission for revenge and one man’s mission to hunt down vicious serial killers. This heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a woman finding her strength to take out those who harmed her, her family, and others will leave you crying, cheering, and turning the pages until you know how it ends. 

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book. 

18+

★★★☆☆

“𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕖𝕝𝕤𝕖. 𝔸 𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙 𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖. 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕥 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕣𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣.”

Thoughts: Freida, you’ve done it again! I am absolutely smashing through Freida’s books, they are that good! What a fantastic read—it kept me engaged throughout. The plot twists were excellent, and this one definitely had a creepy feel while reading.

Synopsis: Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward. Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★★★

“𝕄𝕪 𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕕 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕖𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟’𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕒 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕟”

Thoughts: Never Lie is a standalone psychological thriller. Freida, you have done it again! Three days into 2024, and I have already devoured two of her books because they are just that good. Her writing style kept me engrossed in the story, and the twists were thrilling! I enjoyed this book, and it kept me on my toes, wanting to know what would happen next.

Synopsis: Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end. In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels. And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.

★★★★ ☆

“ℍ𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕒 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘”

Thoughts: The Housemaid is Book #1 of the Housemaid series. "Addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist" – well, they did not joke about that. Wow…this book… I will not lie; I was a little put off by the psychological thriller/thriller genre and was not eager to read a book from this genre. Now I can safely say I am in my psychological thriller era! This book had me hooked and had such a good storyline with lots of plot twists. I did not want to put this book down, and I am so glad it was my first read for 2024. If you are keen to give this genre a go, I highly recommend this book.

Synopsis: Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own… Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband. I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★★★

“𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕠𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕓𝕖𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕠𝕞, 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕦𝕡 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕤, “𝔽𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙𝕪.”.

Thoughts: Heartless follows Willa and Cade in Chestnut Springs. Elsie Silver, you have done it again; this book is the definition of perfect. I loved this book, and enjoyed Willa as the FMC; she was sassy and hilarious, and I appreciated her character development throughout the whole book. Grumpy Cade sure was a highlight. This book kept me on my toes, made me laugh, and got me emotional at the same time. The relationship between Willa and Luke was adorable. The epilogue was beautiful and so worth the wait to read it at the end. Highly recommend this book if you are in your cowboy romance era. I liked Flawless, but I loved Heartless. I am sensing that this might be my favourite book for 2023. If you enjoy grumpy / sunshine, MMC single dad, cowboy/bull rider, age gap (13 Years), forced proximity and spice, you will love this book. I cannot wait to read Powerless, Book #3 of the Chestnut Spring Series.

Synopsis: Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me. Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes. He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist? But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him. Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms. My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months. But my heart says this is forever.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★★★

“𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕤𝕨𝕚𝕞𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕟𝕠𝕨, 𝕃𝕚𝕝𝕪, 𝕨𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕖”

Thoughts: I preferred this book over the first book (It Ends With Us), as I felt this book was a little bit more upbeat and it was nice seeing Lily end up with Atlas & happy. I loved the new characters that were introduced in this book! This book had too much Ryle… yuck. I loved that Atlas and Lily started a new life together and Lily got the happy ending she deserved. I loved the ending although I do feel a section with Lily’s POV would have been good. There are a lot of opinions of CoHo and this series so I appreciate this book isn’t for everyone. If you enjoy an emotional romance, reconnecting high school l overs and a happy ending you will enjoy this book.

Synopsis: Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★★★