What I Read {Behind Closed Doors: Book Review}

It's very rare that I purchase books that are of the psychological thriller genre. It's not that I don't like that genre, it's just not what I uaually read. Rarely do they have the happy endings of chick lit. They hardly ever end with a feeling of hope or forgiveness like in YA. The only reason I read Gone Girl when it was published was because everyone on the planet was reading it, and the reviews were excellent. It was excellent, so good in fact that at one point I had to stop reading and take a breath. I can't even tell you how entertained and disgusted I was after reading Gone Girl, which until recently was just about all the psychological thriller I could take.

That is why I was shocked when I had to finish Behind Closed Doors in one sitting. In one sitting! I could not put this book down. I had to get the entire story, I had to know how it started, how it ended, how little side stories of George Clooney or a sweet little puppy fit into this giant puzzle of a book. At times I knew I was reading important information, and was racing to figure out its importance!

Behind Closed Doors is the story of Jack and Grace Angel, presumably the most perfect couple. Jack, is a successful lawyer in London, Grace is the portrait of the perfect modern housewife. Jack is not only a successful lawyer, but also a champion for battered women. His most successful cases were battered women seeking divorces. From the very first chapter you can sense that something isn't right in their perfect world. Over the course of a intimate dinner party you learn that Jack works so hard to provide a luxurious life for Grace. Grace works hard in the home to prepare near perfect dinners, keeps her figure in tact, and travels the world with her husband. Everyone at the dinner party is so envious of Grace and Jack Angel. Even their surname is a dead giveaway that all is not right in this world.

To really review Behind Closed Doors, I would have to give away so much of the book. This review would be one giant spoiler alert. I don't believe in doing that. Not every wants to know what they are getting into, not everyone wants to know the climax. I don't want to give anything away because you have to read this book. You have to be so taken aback by the chilling and frightening secrets surrounding the marriage of Jack and Grace Angel.

Told both in past and present chapters, it's not until the middle of the book that you find out exactly why these two are together. You find out their motivations for staying married. You find out how helpless a person can be. For the first half of the book, I was so sure that this was a story of hidden identity. Jack protects battered women, some going through a divorce, perhaps Grace was one of those women. And maybe she killed her husband, and now under a different name, she is married to the champion of battered women, and hiding in plain sight...

Oh, how I wish this was the case. How I wish this was the big hidden secret of their marriage.

It was not. The secret is sinister and bone chilling. Your heart and stomach will drop. Your heart will race, and you will be on the edge, mentally screaming at the book.

I'm not usually like this when I read books. I read nice chick lit and sad emo YA novels. I close a book at the happy ending, the happily ever after, the hopeful sunrise. This book was none of those things. Still this book was everything. This book had me in it's grasps until the end. I still can't believe that I read this entire book in one sitting, something I haven't done since college. There was never a moment where I was falling asleep or bored in anyway. Trust me when I say, it was on the edge excitement the entire time. This book was written in a way that there was never a moment that you could walk away from the story. Every chapter ended with a new mystery, a new question to answer. It made for a fantastic read.

Behind Closed Doors has been compared to Gone Girl. I get it, Behind Closed Doors is that good. But it's so different from Gone Girl. Behind Closed Doors brings forth the unbelievable, the shocking, the breathtaking. It's tragic and horrifying. I can't stress enough how this book will blow your mind and chill you to your core.

You will love every minute of it. I promise.

Pick up Behind Closed Doors today from your favorite bookseller.

Behind Closed Doors, published by St. Martin's Press 2016.
This post was sponsored by St. Martin's Press, via an advanced reader copy.

What I Read {Three Things Thursday}

A major goal this year is to engage this wonderful blogging community consistently. What better way than to link up with blog friends! Together, the three of us came up with Three Things Thursday. Just three things to talk or write about. Five seemed like too many and "one thing" was like we weren't even trying! So any three things that are on your mind. Any three pictures from Instagram. Three complaints about your day/week. Three of your favorite treats. Seriously. Any three things! 
So write it. Publish it. Yell it from the mountain tops! 

Just be sure you come back and link it up here!

For some extra fun follow us on Instagram for some three things posts! 

Use the #threethingsthursday, and let's start talking!

The Foley Fam

Coffee-n-Ink

Absolute Mommy

Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I have books stashed all over the house, much to the Hubbs dismay. They tend to get a little messy, even when stacked. Last year I read thirty five books. No joke! To keep track I write down the titles in the margins of my planner. The more I read, the more I feel like I need to share those titles with you. Here are three books I have read that I really love, and will now recommend to you. 

                      

Life and Other Near Death Experiences - Camille Pagan

The story of Libby Miller could be seen as utterly tragic. The day she finds out she has cancer, she also finds out a major secret about her husband. Instead of doing what is expected of her, she kind of goes off the deep end. Which is kind of amazing. Libby takes an emotional and physical journey into the unknown. Of course she meets people along the way that help her decide if she wants to live or die. This is not a book about cancer, it's a book about living on your own terms. Libby Miller has stayed with me. It's one of the best books I have read in a long time.

The Ruins of California - Martha Sherrill

I loved this book because it's told in the style of a memoir. It's like reading the history of someones beautiful life. Inez Ruin grows up before your very eyes starting at the end of the sixties in Southern California. As she travels up and down the California coast during the 70s and 80s, she finds family, love, friendship, and herself. Her family is totally dysfunctional, sometimes she doesn't emote in the right ways, but Inez Ruin is now one of my favorite characters. I actually read this book years ago, I found it in the discount section at Barnes and Noble. I fell in love with the story and Inez Ruin, I like that she felt familiar to me, but the descriptions of California and life in the seventies were what made me fall harder for this story. A big thanks to my mom for finding the book on Amazon and buying it for me for my birthday.

If You Only Knew - Kristan Higgins

I cut my teeth on Harlequin Romance novels. I'm not even kidding, my Mom had them peppered all over the house. I haven't read many Harlequins since high school, but this one popped up in my Facebook feed (thanks to their nifty ads). Most times I ignore them, but I read the synopsis, and for $3.99 took a chance. I didn't expect to like this book or the main character Jenny Tate as much as I did. Jenny is a bridal dress designer for the rich, getting stepped on by her ex-husband, and trying to be the perfect daughter. Total recipe for disaster, but it works. Of course there is a man that she is interested in, and a sidebar story includes the break down of her sister's marriage. Which also seems like it would be disastrous, but I promise it's not. It really helps the story along. I wasn't even jaded that the book ended happily wrapped up with a pretty bow.

These are just three of the books I've read so far this year. I still have a few more stacked an waiting for me. Any suggestions on what I need to read this year? Leave those in the comments. And if you get the chance link up with us today!

An InLinkz Link-up

What I Read Wednesday {Year of Yes}

I've spent the last month trying to write a review for the book, Year of Yes, by Shonda Rhimes. How do you review a book so good, so entertaining and so eye opening as this one without giving it away?

Very carefully.

To say that I loved every single word of this book is a severe injustice to the words in this book. Not since college have I felt the need to take a highlighter to a book, and this wasn't even required reading. The quotes, the ideas, the commands are just that good.

There were so many times that I had to put the book down and say, "All hail Queen Shonda".

Anyone who knows me in real life, or has read this blog for a while knows that I love Queen Shonda. I've been watching Grey's Anatomy since season one, back when the Hubbs and I lived in a little house with the box TV he bought in college. I fell in love with Dr. Grey and company. I've spent hours watching and re watching my favorite episodes, especially my favorite when George O'Malley delivers Dr. Bailey's baby. I watched Private Practice and fell in love with Cooper, who would one day become Leo on Scandal. I devoted my Thursday nights to Scandal and Olivia and Fitz, and then to Olivia and Jake, and then back to Olivia and Fitz. I carefully watch and re watch Annalise Keating and her kids episode by episode trying to crack the codes. I even watched that short lived series she did, set in the central American jungle where all the doctors wore Toms, and then went out and bought Toms.

So yes. All hail Queen Shonda.

Still, this book. This is the one book you must read this year. It's warm and funny. It makes you want to be her friend and argue with her at the same time. It makes you want to drink wine with her and travel the world, and tell her to stop putting Meredith Grey in such dire situations. Love Shonda or hate her, the woman can write. The woman can feel. The woman can make you want to start your own year of yes today.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Year of Yes, out of context of course because you should read the book yourself. I've included page numbers so you can skip ahead and have your mind blown.

On Motherhood:
"Motherhood remains equally, painfully death defying and difficult either way", page 108.

"I am never more sure of myself about a topic than when I have absolutely no experience with it", page 100.

"You can quit motherhood, but I can't quit being a mother", page 107

"And I'm always going to yell, 'What the fuck', at the PTA meeting if you tell me the brownies need to be homemade", page 110

On Accepting Compliments:
"Thank you. Smile. Shut up", all of chapter 10, but pages 192-193 are specifically hilarious.

On Doing it All:
"Anyone who tells you they are doing it all PERFECTLY is a LIAR", page 88.

On Dreaming vs. Doing:
"And while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, powerful, engaged people? Are busy doing", page 78.

On Yes to Saying No:
"No is powerful. It's a bigger weapon to have in your arsenal. But it is a very tough weapon to deploy", page 216.

On "Normalizing TV":
Her entire Human Rights Campaign Speech that starts on page 232.

On Toxic People:
"Unhappy people do not like it when a fellow unhappy person becomes happy", page 244

On Glass Ceilings:
All of Chapter nine. I promise. Starts on page 165.

On saying Yes to who you are:
"Happiness comes from being who you are instead of who you think you are supposed to be", page 286.

I swear I didn't give anything away, I promise, the entire book is so good and so worth your time. You don't have to be a Grey's fan or a Scandal fan to appreciate a strong intelligent woman. You don't even have to be a woman to appreciate Shonda Rhimes. Her take on life, love, work, motherhood, body image, and intelligence is not only refreshing, it is affirming. You could pick any of her word on any of the 300 plus pages and turn them into a mantra. You could find inspiration and advice in any of the fifteen chapters. As you read you become so inspired that before you know it, you are at the end, and you only have one thing to say,

Yes. Yes. Hell Yes.

This is not a paid or sponsored review. 

I just like to read and I love all things Shonda Rhimes.

What I Read: Anything Goes on a Friday Night

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Anything Goes on a Friday Night, written by Sara Daniell, is a book filled with drama on par with an episode of Keeping up with the Kardishians. I’ll be honest, this isn’t the kind of book that I usually read. I’m all for YA fiction, but high school drama isn’t usually the type of YA fiction I dig. Cancer teens, teenage vampires and werewolves, teens killing each other or rebelling the Capitol, or teenage wizards, those are my kind of YA novels. Just a human gal with more problems that Bella Swan and Katniss Everdeen ever had? Not so much. And while this wasn’t my favorite read, this book did have some really great moments. There were great instances of humor and sass from the female lead which is my bread and butter. There was just enough romantic build up and climax that was perfect for any romance novel (Harlequin style I might add, good for you Sara Daniell). There were also characters that were written really well. This just wasn’t my kind of book, but I would recommend it to my teenaged cousin and all her friends.They love things heavy with drama and Snapchat.

So much happens to Elena (Ellie to her friends) in the first nine chapters of this book that I honestly questioned if she would survive the book. I get that teenagers are met with strife, but this just felt like more drama and tumult for one individual to handle. This felt like Real Housewives "Small Texas Town". I understand that there was a level of suspense, drama, and mystery that was necessary to get Ellie to (Spoiler Alert) Finn, but I was waiting for a town devastating tornado. That is like the only plot twist that didn’t happen to poor Ellie.

In case you need a quick rundown of issues that faced dear Ellie and her friends here are a few:

Drug use

Alcohol use

Cheating boyfriends

Ecstasy

Suicide

Divorce

Domestic Violence

The casual use of the “F” word among other curse words

Sex and foreplay (mostly dealing with virginity)

For me, none of these things bothered me at all, but they might bother you. They may also make you think twice before letting your teen read this book. I understand that the target audience for this particular story is 17-34, but some mamas out there may not want their 17 year old reading this knowing what kind of “adult” issues are discussed. 

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

In the end the best part of this story is the one between Ellie and Finn. The build up, the heartache, the attempt to find their places as individuals and then in a relationship were familiar and relatable . They faced many trials as a couple but those felt organic. Their developing relationship was well written. This was my favorite part of the book.

For all the trials that Ellie faced, I did like her as a character. She didn't always express her anger and disappointment as I may had at that age, but she was a strong character. Good student, tried to remain responsible, and even when she was contemplating making a decision based on her guy, she was still level headed about it. I was disappointed that there was never an adult character in her life that panned out or developed into an ally. I get that sometimes that happens in a teens life, and that may be the reason the book ends like it does (don’t worry, no one dies). Still, I would have liked to have seen one adult (her boss perhaps) step up and mentor her in a way I feel she desperately needed.

This was a quick and easy read and honestly most teens will love it because of the drama. I’m sure 16 or 17 year old me would have loved this book.

For more info or to buy a copy for yourself, click here.