Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

 Darling Rose by Stephanie Wrobel

 Published March 17th 2020

Darling Rose is loosely and I do mean loosely based on the real life events of Dee Dee Blanchard and Gypsy Rose. 

Rose Gold and her mother, Patty have a dark, twisted relationship and it's just about to get darker. Patty has just been released from her five year prison sentence for aggravated child abuse. She has Munchausen by Proxy and robbed Rose Gold of a her childhood. Rose Gold suffered emotionally,physically and mentally under the hands of her mother. In the past 5 years she has healed to a degree but her life with Patty taught her go to be conniving and sneaky and when Patty comes to live with her a game of cat and mouse begins. It's just a a question of who is the hunter and who is the hunted.

This book is split between Rose Gold and Patty's point of views. Each voice is distinct. The characters are unlikable and unreliable as narrators but they tell an intriguing story that is devious and engrossing. Sit back and enjoy this dark psychological thriller.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1) by Talia Hibbert

This book ended up being a lot better than I anticipated. I wasn't initially keen on the idea of a romantic novel but I needed a break from some rather heavy reading topics and this book fit the bill.

Chloe Brown is more than just her chronic illness and more than her sharp tongue. She's sweet, caring, feisty and independent. She's snobby (and brave) but in a rather hilarious way and while I didn't initially care for her as a character I grew to like her.

After nearly getting hit by a car, Chloe makes a list and this list puts her onto the path of Redford, our damaged yet gentle hero. Red is healing from a physically and emotionally abusive relationship and finds Chloe to be a pain in the arse but once they get to see another side of one another the relationship blossoms.

There are some really sexy, HOT scenes that may not be appropriate for prudes or young teens. This rom-com will have you laughing and swooning
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The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

May is a survivor. She is the "lucky one". A school shooter took the lives of her classmates, friends and twin brother. May is filled with guilt, rage and anger. Her family is falling apart, she's lost friends and has been expelled from school due to her behavior. Her only friend left is, Lucy. 

Zack's mother is defending the school shooter and as a result of this his friends have alienated him, his girlfriend dumped him and with the exception of his one friend, Connor he is all alone. His mom is never home, his dad is distance and just sits around at home in his pajamas. Connor is caring for his sister all on his own and someone keeps vandalizing his home. 

May and Zack's paths cross and then form a strong bond but once Maya discovers who Zack is she lashes out in anger and is forced to revisit the guilt and rage she feels, while Zack is left to once again deal with the ramifications of his mother's choice to defend a killer. 

The Lucky Ones is told in point of view fashion, giving perspectives from May and Zack. This is one story of many about gun violence in our schools and society but this one shows what it's like to be the child of someone who defends a hated person and how it effects their lives and mental state. 

This story isn't all heartache and grief as with real life there are moments of laughter and happiness. There are also secrets and profound grief but Lawson deals with it sympathetic and multidimensional way. 

This is May's story. It's about hope, love and grief. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre

Liv is in a car crash and when she wakes up everyone calls her, "Morgan", her best friends name. Liv assumes that it is a case of mistaken identity  and that as soon as the bandages come off it will be revealed that Morgan is the who died and not Liv but when the bandages are removed the face staring back at Liv isn't her -it belongs to Morgan!

Liv as Morgan is forced into the life of her dead best friend. A life she always though was perfect and idyllic but Liv quickly finds out that this is not the case. Morgan had secrets piled onto of secrets, like those nesting dolls and it's up to Liv to figure them out. This means uncovering hurtful secrets about Morgan that make Liv question the type of person she was and makes her realize that Morgan is not the person she thought she was.

Morgan was popular, beautiful and so incredibly lonely. Her secrets are dangerous and others are just down right cruel. Liv has to solve the dangerous ones if doesn't want to end up dead like Morgan.

This is an incredible read. The characters are interesting and the read is super fast! This is a different type of book than we are used to from Ann Aguirre but it's most definitely worth reading.