An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The second offering from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is in the same vein as the first. There’s some mind-bending deception, a couple of twists here and there, and a satisfying conclusion. Jess, a twenty-something makeup artist, fakes her way into a morality study to make a little side-cash, only to have the study make more demands of her than she signed up for. The puppet-master, Dr. Lydia Shields, has an ax to grind and Jess becomes her blade. An Anonymous Girl lacks the “I never saw that coming” twist that was the highlight of The Wife Between Us (you can quickly guess where this storyline is going), but it’s an enjoyable ride there. My only beef is the tone that Dr. Shields was written in as she observes Jess (You fiddle with your hair, you hesitate before you answer this question, etc. [not verbatim]). It almost made me stop reading the book. But if you get past that hurdle the rest is worth it.

The Intermission by Elyssa Friedland

Cass and Jonathan seem to have it all: a great apartment in NYC, tons of money, and hopefully a baby on the way soon. But can a relationship built on a foundation of lies actually last? Cass starts to question this herself and decides that what they really need is a break, or “intermission,” from their marriage. She’ll spend hers in LA, rediscovering herself, while Jonathan will just sink under his heavy workload until she gets back, or so she thinks. The reality is quite different, and while absence can often make the heart grow fonder, in this case the couple starts to grow apart. As the truths about what they’ve done to each other and the secrets they’re keeping start to spill out, you might find yourself thinking that they’re better off apart, or that they truly deserve each other! Friedland leaves you guessing until the very end, and this book is just begging to be read on vacation by a beach somewhere.

The Ever After by Sarah Pekkanen

Josie finds out that her husband, Frank, is having an affair. This story could go so many ways, but Sarah Pekkanen tees it up for a reconciliation right from the start. They didn’t actually sleep together. It was only a couple of times. He’s so sorry. He is a five-star human, going to church and volunteering at a homeless shelter. He’ll be her punching bag forever as long as she takes him back. By the end of the book, Josie starts to look like the “bad guy” because she used to go to bed early to avoid hanging out or having sex with Frank! The other example of an “affair” is equally weird, with Josie’s best friend admitting that another guy kissed her once. Huh? That’s not an affair people! There are some funny moments about motherhood tucked in between (Josie notes that she can easily fill up a half hour chit chatting about nothing with an acquaintance so as to avoid talking about her separation) and you’ll feel happy for them all at the predictable conclusion. 

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

In The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen take you on a wild roller coaster ride full of twists and turns. Vanessa and Richard’s marriage has fallen apart, and he’s dating a new (and younger) woman, whom Vanessa is stalking. Nellie is bright-eyed and excited for her future with Richard, but she has some lingering trauma from college and feels like someone is out to get her. While cleverly done, the first part of the book feels too similar to Girl On The Train somehow; woman is left by husband, is falling apart and drinking too much, and is following her ex and his new girl. The first twist takes it on a different course, which was well done, but by then end it’s almost one twist too many. 

There’s a lot of gaslighting going on in this book (definition per Wikipedia: a form of manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, hoping to make them question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the target and delegitimize the target's belief.) This is sort of trendy now I guess, but it does make me wonder – isn’t the whole psychological suspense genre with an unreliable narrator one big gaslight on the reader anyways? Something to ponder…

Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch

Told in two timelines from two points of view, Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch is one of those “big concept” books. We get to see Tatum and Ben’s relationship from Tatum’s point of view move forward in a normal timeline, from meet-cute in a bar during college to their first kiss in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. In alternating chapters, we see Ben’s side of the story, but working backwards from their present-day separated status. What makes a seemingly perfect couple fall apart? The trappings of their Hollywood lifestyle and respective ups and downs in their careers doesn’t help (he’s a writer, she’s an actress), and somehow this feels like a behind-the-scenes peek at what many famous “It” couples must have gone through.

I love the idea of juxtaposing all the great parts of a relationship with all things that no longer work, and the execution of this concept was really well done. The one downside is that you have to relive some of the sadder parts of the story twice, such as 9-11 and the loss of a family member. All in all though it’s a great read, particularly if you’re fascinated by the "Brangelinas."

Tips for Living by Renée Shafransky

Nora Glasser is living a nightmare. Not only did her famous artist husband leave her for a younger (and more fertile) woman, but then they have the audacity to move to her small town and rub her nose in their happiness and wealth. Nora has to see them living their extravagant lifestyle with the daughter she always wanted, while she walked away with nothing, except a precious journal of sketches of her that her ex, Hugh, now wants back. Not even her Pilates class is sacred, as Hugh’s new wife, Helene, shows up to that too. So it’s no surprise that she fantasizes about doing them bodily harm, but when that actually happens in real life, Nora is suspect number one. To make matters worse, she can’t trust her own memory, and worries that she’s the one who committed the crime. Tips for Living leaves you wondering until the end: did she or didn’t she? This debut novel by Renée Shafransky is a fast-paced page turner with a satisfying (but unpredictable) end.

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner, starts off with a bang and never lets up. Someone (or two?) is drowning in a river and about to go over a waterfall, and someone else is on the river bank cackling with glee about it. Rewind a couple of months, and we meet Sarah, settling down for bed alone one night while her husband is out of town at a conference. Next we thing we know her neighbors' house is burning down and she's rescuing their little girl from the fire. (I said it never lets up didn't I?)

The neighbors die and Sarah's own house is burned to the ground, and suddenly things get weird. People, including her husband Johnny, are keeping secrets and acting strangely. Is he having an affair? Was the fire set intentionally? Is someone out to get her? Is she loosing her mind?!!!!

This is a fun romp with tons of suspense and many hints that lead somewhere, just nowhere near where you actually end up. I love surprise endings and this book has several of them. Best of all, it's another Kindle First book and free/$1.99 for the month of August.