I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Murder Thriller, Mysteries
Format - Paperback
Length - 299 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

What would it take to make you intervene?

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it―until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls―beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard―has disappeared.
A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters―letters that make her fear for her life.
Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night―and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.
Someone knows where Anna is―and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

 

*My Review* 

 

I did NOT see the ending coming!!! Although the book was slow and not all that suspenseful, I would've never guessed the ending. In a way it made me think in the beginning...would I have said anything? Honestly, I don't think I would have, or many other people. Mind your business is just how things are. I didn't really care for the main character, Ella. I mean bad things happen to good people all the time. Even if she had spoken up, teenagers will do what they want and I don't think it would've changed anything....except then there wouldn't have been a book.
Regardless, Ella becomes obsessed with the disappearance of Anna which makes her a bit creepy. The only reason I rated the book as high as I did is because of the ending.

The Friends We Keep by Susan Mallory

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Women's Friendship, Women's Domestic Life
Format - Paperback
Length - 416 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own. 

Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost. 

Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love? 

 As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to navigate life's toughest changes.

 

*My Review* 

 

No matter your group of friends, I'm sure you will find a Gabby, Hayley and Nicole in it. I
couldn't believe how connected I felt to one f the characters. It was almost like Susan was writing about me and not some fictional character.
The book bounces back and forth between each friend and their situation. It is very easy to follow and it helps see that, though your friends (even best friends) may seem fine on the outside, there could be things going on that you're not aware of.