#SandieJones – Donna's Reading Chair

Book Review: The Guilt Trip

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books for my advance copy of The Guilt Trip in exchange for my honest review!

This book started a little rough for me. I find it confusing when a lot of characters are introduced at once. For this one we met 3 couples right away; 1 is getting married and the other 2 couples are great friends. I couldn’t keep who was with who straight until halfway through the book, but I know that’s a me thing!

The couples fly to Portugal for a wedding. No one seems to be a fan of the future wife (the brother of the soon to husband is here and sets off a cheating rumor). Is she crazy? Is she hiding something?

There is a lot of speculation of cheating in this one. Something just seems off in general. Sandie Jones does a FANTASTIC job of creating doubt in the reader’s mind. Just when you think, ah this is what is happening you think, ehhh maybe not?

This becomes unputdownable halfway through. You need answers! Is the wedding going on?! Is the future wife cheating on her soon-to-be husband?! Is a child’s paternity going to be questioned within the circle of friends?! Whaaaaaaat?!?

The ending was fast paced and in your face. That epilogue. That short, little epilogue and your mind is blown. Wow. It tied everything together and then I kicked myself, haha.

4 stars. SOLID read, great thriller. I didn’t anticipate the ending, but it was great and I’m left satisfied with how everything turned out!! You won’t regret reading this one!

Title: The Guilt Trip

Author: Sandie Jones

Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: May 21, 2021

Find it here on Goodreads

Book Review: The Half Sister @realsandiejones @MinotaurBooks #NGEW2020

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Half Sister in exchange for my honest review! This book is slated to be released TOMORROW and I am here to tell you to get this one ASAP!

This is Sandie Jones’ third book and does not disappoint. In this tale we have two sisters, Kate and Lauren who meet at their mother’s house every Sunday for lunch. Their relationship is best described as strained, but they keep up appearances for their mother, especially since their father has recently passed.

One Sunday a woman, Jess, shows up at the door and claims to be a love child of their fathers and is the half sister of Kate and Lauren. Kate cannot fathom the idea of her father straying from her mother and is out to prove this woman is a fraud. Lauren on the other hand believes Jess and thinks that Kate just needs to accept it.

At first I thought Jones spilled the beans and ruined the entire book. I was convinced I knew what was happening…what I didn’t see happening was everything that did. Whoops. That’s what made this book a good one for me…there are twists and turns and family secrets that just seep out from everywhere.

I started to think Jess was crazy. Maybe it was Lauren that was crazy. With Kate, I had no idea…she is a little crazy and over the top, but I liked her the most. I felt the most connected to Kate and was really pulling for her. In the end, this story satisfied everything.

4 stars. This is a marvelous domestic suspense novel that will have your wheels turning trying to figure the family out. The ending may shock you…which makes this one all the better!

Title: The Half Sister

Author: Sandie Jones

Genre(s): Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: June 16, 2020

Find it here on Goodreads

First Line Fridays: The Half Sister #SandieJones #MomsWhoRead #FridayMeme #FLF

As always First Line Friday comes courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog. I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews. This week I’m reading the latest Sandie Jones book…

Kate sees the familiar plaque on Dr. Williams’ office door and feels a knot in her stomach.

Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes a compelling new domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door.

THE TRUTH

Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.

THE LIE

But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.

THE UNTHINKABLE

As the fallout starts, it’s clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.

What are you reading today??

Book Review: The First Mistake @realsandiejones #TheFirstMistake #ARC #BookReview #4.5stars #BookBlog @panmacmillan @StMartinsPress @MinotaurBooks

I love getting book mail. As you may have seen awhile ago I received an advance copy of this book, The First Mistake, in the mail. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this before it hits the shelves tomorrow.

This took me a few chapters to get into. Once I got into it, there was no putting this book down! It reminded me of the country song that goes like this…”Still you wonder who’s cheatin’ who and who’s bein’ true and who don’t even care anymore. Makes you wonder who’s doin’ right to someone tonight and who’s car is parked next door…” or something close to that.

The premise is Alice is (re)married to Nathan. Her first husband tragically died in a skiing accident. She has her best friend Beth by her side…although, they have an odd relationship and not one I would say meets the criteria of “best” friends…but, to each their own! Alice owns her own design company and they are getting ready to take on a HUGE new project. Alice starts to suspect that Nathan may be cheating on her and starts to vent to Beth…the irony is Beth always makes sure that when she comes around, Nathan isn’t there…hmmmmmmm. Let me tell you now, this story is NOTHING what you think it will be! You go on a wild ride.

The story is told in 3 parts; present day Alice, past day Beth, and then back to present day with Alice & Beth. How Sandie Jones ties this one all together was brilliant. I never saw it coming. I just held my breath the entire time while reading the book when one revelation was revealed after the other. I must have gasped out loud at least 5 times!

Personally, Sandie Jones outdid herself in her second novel. There. I said it. I would like to kind of go off track and leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book (my other favorite is within the featured image)…

“These people’s lives are fake,” says Alice, picking up the offending item. Sophia looks at it as if it’s a baby that her mother is about to throw into a road. “They’re not lives you can aspire to because they’re not real, and I think it’s putting you kids under an awful lot of pressure to be a certain way and look a certain way.”

#TRUTH PREACH ON SANDIE!!

This is a 4.5 star read. It grips you and won’t let go until you reach the end. The only reason I did not give it a 5 star read was BECAUSE of the end. I love my endings tied up nicely and this one…well…it ties it up and I can ASSUME what happens because of the careful word choice in the epilogue; however, we are not 100% certain and for that, it’s a 4.5 star read. Let me tell you if I ever meet Sandie the first question I’m asking is…well, I can’t tell you, it will give the book away. Shoo! Go get this book STAT and then come back and LET’S CHAT ABOUT THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!

Title: The First Mistake

Author: Sandie Jones

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: June 11, 2019

Find it here on Goodreads and Amazon

First Line Fridays: June 7th

As always First Line Friday comes courtesy of Hoarding Books Blog. I discovered this magic thanks to Crystal at Must Love Reviews. This week I have been reading an advance reader copy of the new Sandie Jones book, The First Mistake. I’m pulling this quote from the prologue…

She looked at me with real warmth in her eyes, as if she trusted me with her life, and for a moment I thought I couldn’t go through with it.

Yeah, it has my attention!! What book are you reading this week? Drop me a link to your First Reads Friday blog post and I’ll swing by! Happy Friday!