Hello Everyone,

I hope y’all are managing to avoid the stress of the holidays. As much as I enjoy the holidays, I will be glad when they are over. On the other hand, I will also be sad because I will be back to school for the spring semester. Going back to school was challenging for me, but I was up for it and have thus far been successful. With the end of the semester and the coming of the holidays, I managed to find time to relax with a few good books to alleviate the pressure from homework, tests and finals. Which is a good segue to the books I am reviewing: Sandra Brown’s Low Pressure and Amanda Quick’s The Other Lady Vanishes.

“…falling in love would make a person stupid. But I, being me, had taken stupid to a new level…” Dent Carter

A romantic suspense from Sandra Brown is a guaranteed exciting read. Low Pressure delivers on all counts. It has, of course, romance. But more importantly, it has fleshed out characters which equals excellent character development; it has a relatable villain(s) and enough action and whodunit to keep you at the edge of your seat. It has twists and turns, with red herrings to keep you wondering what really happened. Let me give you a brief synopsis.

Low Pressure tells the story of a young woman named Bellamy Lyston, who writes a bestselling novel based on the murder of her older sister during a tornado fueled Memorial Day using a pseudonym. When her true identity is uncovered thanks to an ambitious reporter, she suddenly has a killer stalking her. The killer wants revenge for the man whom he believes was wrongfully accused and imprisoned for the crime. To get to the bottom of things, she seeks the help of her one-time crush who also happens to be said older sister’s boyfriend. The boyfriend, Dent Carter’s reputation didn’t fair well during the investigation as the prime suspect and the stain has followed him all these years; he is now determined to clear his name and doesn’t mind using Bellamy to do it.

There were some moments when it got a little slow, but the character development more than made up for it. Otherwise, the action was fast paced, the background story well told, which added more elements of suspense to the book giving it more depth. All in all, it is a good way to unwind from the hoopla of the holidays and make your heart pound faster than it did during the Black-Friday sales. Enough said!

“Once I know for certain that I can’t trust someone, I never make the mistake of trusting that person again.” Adelaide Blake

The follow up to The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Amanda Quick’s The Other Lady Vanishes sees more excitement coming to the quiet seaside resort town Burning Cove. You may remember my review of The Girl Who Knew Too Much. I loved it so much that I had high expectations for The Other Lady Vanishes. Although it didn’t set a fire in me like it’s predecessor, it was still a good read during this winter vacation. I read it directly after finals and it was just what I needed to get me energized for the holidays. There isn’t much guess work in figuring out who the bad guys are, but the build up as the protagonists try to figure out what is going on will keep you in a state of anticipation. Now for the synopsis.

Adelaide Blake is an escapee from a sanitarium. It’s the standard case of an heiress wedded, then committed after the seemingly accidental death of her parents. She escapes to Burning Cove to start a new life, everyday hoping for continued freedom. As we all know, nothing in this world is free. While looking over her shoulders, on guard for the moment she may be found, she meets the enigmatic Jake Pruett, who is in town for mysterious reasons. Add in the unscrupulous owner of the sanitarium, a psychic, a famous actress and her famous doctor lover, and Adelaide’s husband, along with other supporting characters; as well as a cameo of the main characters from TGWKTM, and you have the recipe for a suspenseful good time.

To be honest, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as The Girl etc.; but I did enjoy it for what it was. The book had slow moments, not enough action and I felt the villain(s) were cliched, which in turn made the story predictable. Although the build up was exciting, the ending was anti-climatic. I also didn’t sense any chemistry between our OTP. I feel Adelaide was too guarded to give in to attraction. When they finally got together, it felt forced to me. I felt they would have been better as partners only and later hinted at the possibility of a relationship. I will say there was a twist that, even though I was kinda expecting it, there was enough cloak and dagger to keep me wondering if I was right. And I was to a point; I had the reason for everything all wrong and that, to me, was the best part of the book.

This may not have been the best Amanda Quick book I have read, and I have read them all, but it is still a good book (I’ve read a lot of bad books and this isn’t one of them). As stated previously, it was just what I needed to unwind after finals and put me in the mood to deal with the holidays. Pair this novel with Sandra Brown’s Low Pressure, and you are in for an even better read this season. So grab a mug of hot cocoa, your favorite comfy throw blanket and make your escape into these suspenseful worlds. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading,

The Book Diva