THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER by Peter Murphy
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Number of Pages: 224
ISBN: 1611882575 (ISBN13: 9781611882575)
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: eBook
My Rating: 5

They have been coming to their grandmother Gloria’s lake cottage since they were babies. Now Johnnie and Buddy have families of their own and C.C. has a life full of adult drama and adventure. And this trip – the only stated purpose of which is to bring the family together for the last weekend of the summer – seems full of portent. Gloria has been hinting that there’s more on the agenda than grilling and swimming, and when the three siblings learn that their estranged father will also be in attendance, it becomes clear that this weekend will have implications that last far beyond the final days of the season.

A touching, incisive view into the dynamics of a family on the verge of change and filled with characters both distinctive and utterly relatable, THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER is a rich, lyrical reading experience that will resonate in your heart.

Gloria, the 82 year old matriarch, has invited her entire family to her cottage, her son Jake, former daughter-in-law, how has been divorced from Jake for 25 years, their 3 children with significant others and 4 great-grandchildren. The family believes this get together is for Gloria to announce that she may be dying. Someone is dying, but who?

The entire family have secrets and resentments of years past. Can this weekend bring closure? Can those with so much hurt and bitterness forgive not only the other in the family but also take stock of their own shortcomings?

This was such a compelling and impassioned read with a message! The characters believable and fully developed. The writing style allowed this reader to feel that I was a bystander. Will tug on your heart strings!

One quote that I thought was poignant was:
It is so easy to rationalize our own mistakes and just as easy to make too big a deal of the mistakes of others.

Not only do I recommend this as a summer read, I highly recommend it for the message.

Definitely 5 stars!

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

GIVEAWAY:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for The Story Plant and Peter Murphy. There will be 5 winners of one (1) copy of LAGAN LOVE by Peter Murphy (eBook). The giveaway begins on September 1, 2018 and runs through November 1, 2018. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mailbox Monday

Monday: INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins ~ HC Library sale purchse
Monday: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? by Sidney Sheldon ~ HC Library sale purchse
Monday: ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda ~ TPB Library sale purchase
Monday: THE RETURN by David Hatton ~ eBook win via GR
Monday: THE DAY IT HAPPENED by Linsey Lanier ~ eBook from author
Thursday: ONCE GONE by Blake Pierce ~ eBook free Amazon download
Friday: THE DINNER LIST by Rebecca Searle ~ HC via Flatiron Books & The Girlfriend

1. The best teacher I ever had was _____________________.

2. The worst teacher I ever had was ____________________.

3. I recently learned how to _________.

4. I think everyone should know how to _________.

1. The best teacher I ever had was Mr. Baxter, 11th grade English teacher.
   Our assignment was to read a book a week and write a report. Maybe he is the reason I became a book blogger/reviewer..

2. The worst teacher I ever had was, I’m sure there were some, but it was so long ago that I can’t remember.

3. I recently learned how to generate Press Kits for my tour companies.

4. I think everyone should know how to be tolerant, compassionate and kind to others.

AN UNWANTED GUEST by Shari Lapena
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Published by Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: Aug.7, 2018
ISBN-10: 0525557628
ISBN-13: 978-0525557623
Pages: 304
Review Copy From: won via GR
Edition: ARC TPB
My Rating: 4

A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It’s winter in the Catskills and Mitchell’s Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in for the long haul.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm.

After seeing so many great reviews for Ms. Lapena’s previous books, I was ecstatic to win a copy via GR. Once received, I started reading it immediately.

In the fashion of a murder mystery dinner/parlor game, AN UNWANTED GUEST grips the reader right from the start.

Ten guests, each for their own reasons, are heading to Michell’s Inn in the Catskills to get unplugged. However, an ice storm hits, power is lost and bodies start to pile up. Are they unfortunate accidents or something worse like murder?

From the start, the reader is introduced to the guests, however, as the story continues the reader learns more about these guests and what secrets they hold. Even though all of the guests are inserted into the first few pages, it isn’t overwhelming getting to know who is who.

The pages just kept turning for me and my thoughts kept changing as to who the killer was. Did I figure it out? Not even close!!!!

A captivating and chilling read that held my interest from the first page to the last. I will definitely be reading Ms. Lapena’s previous novels!

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

Talk about a page turner! OMG! This book had my head spinning not knowing what to believe, what characters to like, what characters to hate, what was really going on. I had to pick my jaw up from the floor many times. So many twist and turns, I’m surprised I didn’t have whiplash at the end of this book. Absolutely LOVED it!.

I hope that these talented sisters pen another book and soon!

This story will be one that stays with me for a very long time!

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

Mailbox Monday

Wednesday: AN UNWANTED GUEST by Shari Lapena ~TPB via GR win
Friday: TIARA by Helga Zeiner ~ eBook win from GR
Friday: THE FOUND CHILD by Jo Crow ` eBook from Author
Friday: PIECES OF HER by Karin Slaughter ~ Signed HC Personal Purchase

I am taking part in the 2018 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!

The last Saturday of the month, I will be recapping the books I have read for the month, what I thought and the links to my reviews, and what I hope to read the following month.

Click on titles below to either see my review(s) or to check out the synopsis on GR.

MIAMI SNOW by Darcia Helle
Comments: Wendy, from Wall-to-Wall Books recommended this author to me and I am so glad that she did. Really enjoyed the writing style. Will be reading more by her in the future.