November wasn’t a great month for working out due to life and general family issues, but given the circumstances I was able to catch up on some reading.  I’ve been a part of First to Read for several years, but only recently have I been selected to read the Advance Reader Copies or Galleys for upcoming releases.

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While the title evokes ideas of a French Girl, the story actually revolves around Kate Channing, an English woman who is struggling with her own identity and dealing with unresolved feelings and emotions from a holiday ten years ago. Much like the slow climbing ascent on a roller coaster, the story moves along slowly as all the friends from that ill fated weekend are introduced in current time as well as during their college years. Severine, “the French Girl,” or the idea of Severine almost becomes part of Kate’s life as she navigates through the relationships of those who remain. The author, Lexie Elliott, does an interesting job with flashbacks and a tiny hint of the supernatural to move the story along to its climax. The last half of the story was just like the rush of a roller coaster’s descent with some twists and turns until you’re suddenly at the end. There were some gaps in the story, which left me wanting to find out more. Overall, it was interesting and entertaining story.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Broken Girls is a spine tingling thriller, by Simone St. James, which deftly unearths the complicated lives of boarding school girls at Idlewild Hall in 1950 and those who lived in the surrounding town years later. Fiona Sheridan, a current day journalist, starts an investigation into the history of Idlewild Hall after learning about its upcoming renovation and in doing so, Fiona uncovers the truth about her older sister’s death and the ghosts that haunt the grounds.

The Broken Girls captured my attention from the start and I couldn’t put it down. Simone St. James expertly navigates the story between genres; The Broken Girls is a couple of cold case murders, a ghost story and a suspense thriller set in the cold Vermont fall. The story is told from different points of view between the two time periods (1950 and 2014) and moves along at a good pace. Great storytelling with a chilling setting.

Back in September I won an Instagram giveaway from Changing Hands Bookstore, one of my favorite bookstores in the world.

balancingmommy Changing Hands has such a great community of passionate readers. It’s our go to place for our “new to us” favorite read. ❤

I finally had a chance to devour Emma in the Night.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emma in the Night follows the interwoven stories of Cass (Cassandra) Tanner, a missing teen who has returned home, and Abby (Dr. Abigail Winter), a forensic psychologist who has been assigned to Cassandra’s missing persons case. As Dr. Winter unravels Cassandra’s formative years and the years she was missing, a dark family history is uncovered. At heart of the family are two powerful women: Emma, Cassandra’s older sister, who is still missing; and Mrs. Martin, their mother. Both Cass and Abby work hard to help Emma return home from her mysterious disappearance.

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It was interesting that these three books that landed in my lap by chance, and all three had several similarities.  The stories were told through different perspectives through the past and present to solve a crime.  The stories featured young women uncertain in their current stage of life, trying to find their bearings in today’s world.  All three were interesting and engaging stories!  Add them to your list right away.