Book Review - A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

Photo Credit - Amazon

Almost newlyweds Karen and Tom Krupp are happily living the American dream. They have a lovely home and a comfortable life together. All that changes when Tom comes home and finds out Karen has disappeared. Her car is gone but, she left her purse and phone at home.

Tom begins to panic and calls their friends and then the police to report Karen's disappearance. The police arrive to take Tom to the hospital because Karen was in a car accident. Karen was speeding through a rough part of town and lost control of her car. Karen suffered a concussion and a few scrapes. When the cops come to ask her about details surrounding her car accident, Karen claims that she lost her memory and has trouble remembering the night before. The police believe her memory loss is very convenient and that she is hiding something.

When Karen returns home, she wants to heal and move on. However, she starts to notice her stuff being moved around in her house. It feels that someone has been in her house. Karen is unsure who she can trust because she has a few dark secrets she wants to keep hidden.

I was excited to read this book because I enjoyed Lapena's debut novel "The Couple Next Door". There were a few twists and unexpected discoveries in the novel but, because I didn't care for any of the characters, I didn't care about anything they were experiencing. However, I am still looking forward to reading more books by the author.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Rescued Hearts by Hope Toler Dougherty

Photo Credit - Amazon

Mary Wade Kimball was looking for a quiet retreat from the demands of her everyday life. While picking up supplies and returning home, she sees a kitten stuck in a thorny bush in front of an abandoned house. She decides to help the kitten when she is taken hostage by two criminals.  Mary  Wade is worried when a third criminal returns with supplies for the storm.  However, the third criminal is actually an undercover agent, Brett Davis. Deciding the woman's safety was more important than his three month investigation, he risks his mission to help Mary Wade escape. Will Mary Wade and Brett be able to escape the criminals?

The novel had an interesting premise, but it failed to keep me interested. I found myself glazing over portions of the book because the plot was predictable and the dialogue felt stilted. I found bits of the story on the topic and quite silly, like Brett who managed to calmly think through things to rush into a known ambush and Mary Wade seducing one of the criminals. The mini story about Brett's stalker was also very predictable and could have been left out. It didn't really add anything to the story other than making the book longer.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**