Rona Halsall

Chloe feels she's finally found the perfect man in Dan and after a whirlwind two month courtship they marry and head off on their honeymoon. But unbeknownst to Chloe, Dan has changed their itinerary from the Maldives to an isolated island in Spain. Chloe is disappointed but does not want to rock the boat, especially on their honeymoon. But then Chloe starts to notice other oddities and controlling tendencies in Dan she begins to question her decision to marry so quickly. This was an show more interesting slow build thriller that kept my attention even though Chloe's back and forth mindset regarding Dan made me a little crazy. I really liked the ending, justice is served. Recommended for fun. 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture Audio for a chance to listen/read an ARC copy of this audio book. show less

Love You Gone is a gripping thriller that I could not stop listening to. It is the story of a young widower Lucas who remarries too quickly after his first wife's death. His new wife Mel seems to be everything he wants and needs for him and his two children. She is a successful business owner who seems to have it all together. But does she really. Things are starting to fray at the edges of their marriage and so when Lucas suggests a country getaway at a cottage in Scotland Mel agrees to show more meet her new family there after a work weekend. But when she arrives at the cottage no one is there. Lights are on, clothes and toys are strewn about, but where is her family. Lots of twists and turn ensue about where Lucas and his children might have ended up. Great story telling and I can seriously recommend this book for mysterious/thriller fun. show less

The Honeymoon by Rona Halsall

As I finished I thought, “twisted web” then had to look the words up and realized it was a tangled web quote I was thinking of, “O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!” and Walter Scott definitely would have agreed with me that this story was both tangled and twisted, too.

We know from the beginning of the book that Chloe, on her way to her dream honeymoon, will soon be having second thoughts. As the story moves from the race to show more the plane to the first inklings of something not right then on to more and more to question I wondered why Chloe kept giving her husband Dan the benefit of the doubt. There were several flashbacks to the meeting and courtship period between Chloe and Dan and then I scratched my head more than a few times thinking of how naive and gullible Chloe seemed to be. As I read I questioned and though there were times that I disagreed with Dan’s behavior and questioned his veracity I felt that I was missing part of his backstory and was curious about what he was hiding.

I have to say that there was more than one option I saw as the end of this story BUT I was surprised that it ended as it did and for a person who reads the end of a book out of order...this book still kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC ~ This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars show less

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Martha has had a missing piece in her life for years. She remembers a loving father that did a lot of things with her. However, all she can remember is that after her ninth birthday, she never saw him again. She never was able to get much of an answer about her father from her mother.

When she discovers a rather odd message on her mother's phone, Martha feels it is finally time for her find the answers she most desperately needs. She does a remarkable job and she finally show more finds him. Martha is devastated beyond belief when he actually tells her that he is not her father.

Fran isn't saying a word. Fortunately Martha meets Izzy and they become fast friends. Izzy becomes extremely helpful and this is really a good thing. This is so because what Martha has to learn about her father's identity is really too much to bear. There is someone else in Martha's life at this point, her neighbor Anna. Anna is also there for Martha.

Boy as I was reading this I felt that Martha might have wished she never wanted to know the truth. Her Mother's Lies was a very well-written story. It made complete sense as to why Martha's mother chose to lie to her. Logical, but extremely heart-breaking. Martha has a lot to discover, and as a result, a lot to deal with.

What Martha learns about her mother Fran makes perfect sense when it comes to seeing why her mother has deteriorated. Martha resents her mother's drinking. She resents being the primary breadwinner. Her feelings of anger towards her mother grow exponentially the closer she gets to Izzy.

There were a lot of surprises in this book. This is a story about lies and secrets. I couldn't help but turn the pages quickly one after another. I felt for Martha when it came to her dealing with her mother, and especially how she was forced to deal with the revelations as they were exposed. This is an excellent read and my second by Rona Halsall. She writes great twisty tales that definitely capture my attention.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion. show less