Alessandra TorreBesprekingen

A familiar stranger is a familiar story, done well, but not really to my personal taste.
I did not feel the use of the victim as narrator, after her demise, added that much to the story.
I thought the author was fair in providing clues. The first appearance to me was creepy enough to set off alarm bells that never went away.
I thought it strange that the author presented almost no likable, relatable characters. The husband a. It of a psycho ok, best friend too, maybe like attracts like, but even the main character seems more preoccupied with how much her husband spent on his lover, rather than the fact that their relationship has deteriorated to such a point that he’s taken a lover. Also, not upset enough about the toll her actions take in her son.
The former cop was the saving grace for me… really 3.5, but goodreads doesn’t do

I found Helena at first to be a very miserable woman. Almost to the point of feeling sorry for her. Those feelings quickly changed and then changed again. This book had me turning pages without wanting to stop. It had some laugh out loud moments, some "holy crap" moments and then there were the moments that had tears running down my face. There were definitely some great twists and turns and some "I did not see that coming" moments. It wasn't the psychological thriller I was originally expecting, but I still loved this book nonetheless. A definitely must read.

Interesting in parts but not enough for me to want to continue the series.

A Fatal Affair, an entertaining read from author A.R. Torre a pseudonym of Alessandra Torre, between the two pseudonyms I’ve now read 3 works. Well-written fiction with unexpected twists & turns all the way tohrough the last page. I got this audiobook in June of this year and am just now getting around to reading it. RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

The individuals you are told to stay away from and know you should stay away from are some of the most intriguing and enticing ones. This story is no different. Brad De Luca has a reputation, a man whose web is so tangled that it taints the perception of anyone who gets caught up in it. Julia Campbell is just trying to do her job, not interested in being another notch on Brad's belt. But you can't really say no to someone who is used to always getting what they want.

"He emitted, even across the large office, a wave of power, intelligence. . . and sexuality."

The story read quickly for me. I was intrigued to find out how Julia was going to be able to keep Brad at bay or hold her own against him. I loved that she was able to stand her ground, even when she knew she couldn't resist him any longer. Brad is still a complex character, the author not revealing much below the surface for a long while. But I adored Julia's character and want to read on to see how this character continues to grow while finding her foothold in a very adult world.

I'm completely blown away by this one. I love Alessandra Torre and wow this one is amazing. So many emotions are stirred up while reading The Ghostwriter. At this point I'm a sobbing mess. It's beautiful and yet heart wrenching all at the same time. This is a book that will take you on such an emotional journey that you can't help but scream and cry and just want to hug Helena tight. You feel her anguish, her grief, her acceptance and most of all peace. Helena is making amends not only with herself but with Kate, Mark (Marka) and to an extent in her own way with her mother. It is a beautiful sight to see writing enemies come together. That's what Mark aka Marka and Helena do. They needed each other one to push to be better and the other a means to an end. Be prepared to have box of Kleenex on hand because you are so going to need it. These words have touched me in such a way I never knew I needed. I am still in awe of the power The Ghostwriter has. I have read a few books by this author and have to say this is the only one I can say is a must read.

I read SIncerely, Dane by Ilsa Madden Mills and this short story was such a sweet read.

This is a cute and fun novella that is part of anthology and I hope will eventually be a full length story. Dane and Piper went to school together from high school on and now that Dane’s twin bother is married to Piper’s best friend they end up spending a lot of time together. Piper has always crushed on Dane but believes he has her firmly placed in the friend zone that she just accepts their relationship as is until one night a text makes her think about more. Dane hasn’t had it easy in life, he derailed at one point, and his relationship with Ari fizzled out because deep down I truly believe he’s always felt like Piper was his. In this story Dane comes to Piper’s apartment dressed as a werewolves and so the chaos ensues. He recruits her to help with a scavenger hunt that ends with an epic ending/beginning. The tension between them was tangible, the chemistry off the charts, and the can they will they flowed off the pages. I rally hope we get more of their story!!

3.5 stars

The best way I can describe this book, is that you're reading along, and you think you know what's going on (you don't), then the book takes a sharp left turn and the rest is just a wild ride of surprises!

(I did predict one of the surprises, but it didn't ruin the story at all for me really.)

This is a twist on the classic story of rags to riches people who become vindictive, heartless, deceptive in their fight to keep what they think will make them happy.
It's also a story that kept me guessing what would happen next. We have Cat and Neena both wanting seemingly perfect William. One is married to him (Cat) and one wants to be (Neena.)
Then we have poor Matt, Neena's likeable, normal husband, the only person it seems in their gated community who cares about people, not status or money.
And we have crimes. Clever snippets dropped into the plot along the way so that you wonder exactly who is telling the truth—if anyone.
I enjoyed this quick, entertaining story, especially the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book.

Actress Nora Kemp loves two men. One is Hugh Iverson, a philanthropic movie star who gives Nora security and respectability. The other is Hugh’s twin brother, Trent, a Hollywood bad boy who brings out Nora’s wild side. When Trent and an unidentified woman are found dead on the Iversons’ Beverly Hills property, more than Nora’s and Hugh’s reputations are at stake.

Rounded down from 4.25
Easy listen, interesting characters and plot.

Lillian Smith leads an unexceptional life, writing obituaries and killing time with her inattentive husband and disconnected son. Then she meets David, a handsome stranger, in a coffee shop. Lured into an affair, she invents a new persona, one without strings, deadlines, or brooding husbands.

Lillian has never felt so reckless, unpredictable, or wanted. But as her affair with David intensifies, she withdraws from everything that’s real, even her closest friend. When evidence of her life as a secret lover finds its way onto her son’s social media, she risks ruining much more than her marriage or reputation.

As lies beget lies, Lillian’s two worlds spiral dangerously out of control. And betrayals run deeper than she imagines. Because Lillian isn’t the only one leading a double life.

Nothing is as it seems....keep reading. This book deserves every bit of it's rating! Loved it!

3.5 Is really my rating. Writing is really good with lots of LOL moments. My problem was they couldn't resolve their issues with each other until the very end....like 92%. I really like more time with a couple when things are going well and the issues resolved. I wanted Nadia to really get major payback!

I was on the way to giving this 5 stars but then had to skim the ending that didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me! I loved Brad's character but felt Julia would be a bitch at inappropriate times and for no reason. Brad spent big money on a dream wedding that she was too lazy to plan herself then she refuses to spend more than $1000 on a wedding dress! WTH.....it just seemed like another thumb of her nose at Brad. I'm not saying Brad was perfect because he wasn't but he did straighten up and adore her by the end of the trilogy. I absolutely hated the entire ruined wedding deal! I skimmed all of it. The epilogue was really shitty......questions left unanswered.

LOVED this book. i knew there was a point a to point b for this book but all the in between was so exciting to read and unravel.

tw: book contains rape suicidal thoughts. i LOVED the good lie so I decided to read another by this author and I’m happy I did. the ending was very heavy to me but I’m glad there felt like a sense of closure when I was done. the authors details and writing a story within a story was great.

AR Torre is one of my auto read authors. loved the titled
POVs and the short chapters that always seemed to end with a cliffhanger. one plot twist was expected, the other one was not.

A Fatal Affair by A. R. Torre

Dark, sinister, intense, tale filled with twists and turn ~ truly thought provoking and rather creepy.

What I liked:
* The detectives and police procedural aspects
* The setting – since I grew up in the area
* That I read “twin” and had an immediate inkling what would happen
* That my inkling proved true but there was a whole lot more than just that premonition
* The twisted childhood some of the characters lived through and finding out how what they experienced impacted them as adults
* That I didn’t really LIKE the twins or Nora – and was fine with that
* Finding out, eventually, how the twin died and why
* Learning why the woman died who was found with the twin, finding out what happened to her son, and thinking about what would happen to her family in the future
* Finishing the book

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about “love” and how it means many different things to those who use the word – some really warped things

NOTE: I have enjoyed other books by this author more but that probably has more to do with never really warming up to and liking the three main characters than due to the quality of the writing as the plot, pacing, setting, and writing were excellent.

Did I enjoy this book? Kind of
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – this is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

3.75

the reveal was underwhelming and not that surprising but i enjoyed the journey, the audiobook and the characters so im rounding up to 4 stars just for the experience

This book was really good. I read it in one sitting. Short chapters, multiple POV's and and these twists I did not see coming even though I'm well aquianted with the world of mysteries and thrillers. The plot includes Hollywood's finest movie stars, twins, secrets and two bodies. It's fast paced and thrilling with mostly unlikable characters, although I actually did like the detectives Farah and Kevin, they were a great duo.
There was a time-line issue that bothered me and the ending was unsatisfactory. All in all I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Tomas & Mercer for a digital copy of this book.

Whoever said that this book is the combination of 50 Shades and Dexter obviously hadn't read the book. I still have no idea where that came from. There is no sex, and no murdering.

This book was a generic slow burn thriller where we have a young woman, Deanna, who lives in her tiny apartment, making bank as a sex webcammer, but hasn't left her home in three years. She is filled with the compulsion to kill. It isn't target specific, but it is so overwhelming that she has voluntarily isolated herself from the rest of humanity. She has the compulsion but not the desire, so she understands that she can’t be around people. This compulsion started after her mother killed her entire family before killing herself -she sent Deanna to her grandparents before doing it, leaving Deanna the sole survivor of her family. Deanna is sure that this compulsion is some kind of inherited problem from her mom. Deanna is no “Dexter”.


Deanna has everything delivered to her by her regular FedEx guy who has learned the drill - knock, wait for acknowledgement, sign for the package, leave it at the doorway, and leave. This FedEx guy is always wondering about the girl in apartment 6E.

Deanna lives in an apartment building where she listens through the door at the coming and goings of her neighbors. She has an arrangement with one of them to come by nightly to lock her in the apartment and to not let her out under any circumstances until the morning. In return her neighbor is hooked up with the OxyContin that she gets prescribed to her over the phone by a doctor who in exchange has regular webcam sessions with her where he sticks things up his bum. Every first of the month you can find her neighbor hanging out in the hallway waiting for that FedEx guy to show up with the meds. Knowing that his drugs are on the line keeps him from breaking his promise to not open up the apartment early. Deanna is positive that she would kill anyone who comes in her home. She actually keeps her door unlocked during the day in the hopes that someone does try to come in and she has the excuse of “defending herself” to kill the intruder.

Deanna has two therapists she has weekly call in sessions with. One therapist she talks about her compulsion to kill, and the other one she pretty much uses to talk about her webcamming job. Neither of them really does anything for her, but she still pays the $150 an hour to talk.

This book is written so that we are given a look into the various webcam sessions, those chapters being titled by the webcammer’s user name, conversations Deanna has with her shrinks, flashbacks to her mom killing her family, POV from the FedEx guy and how he feels about the Girl in apartment 6E, Deanna’s life in general, and random quick chapters showing the POV of a little girl named “Annie”. This is the slow buildup to the “thriller”.

Every now and then we get an “Annie” chapter of a little girl. We readers can see the foreshadowing, but have yet to figure out the who/what/when/where of it. I am not going to give any more spoilers here, but let’s just say that this was no “Silence of the Lambs”, but it was enjoyable for a fairly quick read. Don’t buy the book, but get it from the local library if you must read it. There is no way you will read it twice, but you probably would read the next in the series, I just started on it.

The only “Dexter” about this book is Deana’s compulsion to kill (which she manages), she isn’t going about being some kind of serial murderer. The only “50 Shades” is the various webcamming sessions she does. Even those are pretty tame and not BDSM related. There is no actual sex or romance. There is a possible, future love interest, but nothing other than that. I feel a bit cheated because the blurb had nothing to do with the actual book, which was pretty generic, the only “gimmick” being that this girl doesn’t leave her home because of her compulsion.

Read it, don’t read it, this book isn’t really worth your time if you have other stuff you are trying to get at. However, it is mindless and draws you in. I wasn’t distracted with thoughts of other, better books while reading it, but once it was done, I was pretty annoyed that it was nothing like what it was hyped to be.

I'm not normally into this genre of book, but the twist that came, phew, that was something else! Quite enjoyable.

This was an Amazon first reads book.
I get that I am not the target audience for this book, but you have to suspend most logical linear thinking to get through this. The story is so over the top, it is like a combination of Harrold Robbins, Danielle Steele, and Sidney Sheldon all in one book.
The problem is none of the characters is very likable so anything bad that happens to them- as a reader I didn’t care. And bad stuff happens.
This new trend of books about sociopathic narcissistic women, is starting to a little repetitive.
If you are laying by the pool this will be perfect.

Two More Days

*A note before you slog through all of this. 1) I only listened to some of the stories. I skipped unfamiliar authors due to time constraints. B) I'm leaving this long mostly blank list as I had a hard time finding a list of the story names and authors so hopefully, I can save someone else a little time.

Tequila Mate - Author - Stars - Character Names - Review/Thoughts.

Always Cake - Max Monroe - 3 Stars - Emily, Austin - Two best friends born on the same day. They celebrate their birthdays together every year and on their 24th the night goes further than planned. Now it’s their 35th birthday and they have decided to honor the pact they made when they turned.

Confessions - Lora Richardson - Stars - Character Names - Review/Thoughts

Heels Over Head in Love - Willow Aster - Stars - Character Names - Review/Thoughts.

Second Summer - Laurelin Paige - Stars - Character Names - Thoughts/Review

Protected - Dr. Rebecca Sharp - Stars - Characters - Review/Thoughts.

The Vanished - Jennifer Wilson - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

The Shelby - Jewel E. Ann - 3 Stars - The issue with this being an audiobook is I forget names quickly - I wasn’t expecting his tale of revenge. It was indeed sweet.

Sunshine Rae - Kandi Steiner - 2.5 Stars - Parker and ? - Just an okay story. Nothing mind blowing, just angst about being in love with your best friend who is about to propose to his girlfriend. It’s been done before and done better. Also, I didn’t really like the narrator as she sounded very juvenile.

From Friends to This - SERIES INFO - Dominique Laura - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

The Kiss - SERIES INFO - M. Robinson - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Stone Heart - SERIES INFO - S. J. West - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Without Yesterday - Lexi Ryan - 2.5 Stars - James Cooper, Krystal aka Kris, - Honestly this I’m in a relationship but super attracted to someone else bit is not my thing. It was well written and there was no cheating, but I didn’t like the vibe.

Good Girl Gone Bad - SERIES INFO - R. K. Lilley - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Of Potions and Poison - SERIES INFO - Chanda Hahn - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Breaking the Rules - SERIES INFO - Charleigh Rose - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Stray - SERIES INFO - Jessica Hawkins - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

A Home for Hobgoblins - SERIES INFO - Eric R. Asher - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Falling for my Stepbrother - SERIES INFO - Kelsie Stelting - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

When Fire Strikes - SERIES INFO - Marni Mann - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Armageddon, Again - SERIES INFO - Aileen Erin - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Strike One - SERIES INFO - Meagan Brandy - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Office Hours - SERIES INFO - Alessandra Torre - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Pineapple - SERIES INFO - Leia Stone - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

Sincerely, Dane - Ilsa Madden-Mills - 3 Stars - Dane and Ava - A cute story. I loved the scavenger hunt and how it didn’t end the way I expected it to end.

Dark Eyes - Karina Halle - 3 Stars - Amethyst, Wolf, Shannon, Ezra - It was nice to see a PNR twist in the middle of all the contemporary stories in this anthology. This was an interesting examination of who the real monsters are. This world shows me more and more of that every day.

What If… - K. Bromberg - 3 Stars - Shiloh ”Shy”, Jake - I liked the set-up of this second chance even if it involved one leaving their fiancé (who we could all tell was wrong for her)

When It Happens - SERIES INFO - Micaela Smeltzer - Stars - CHARACTER NAMES HERE - REVIEW/THOUGHTS HERE

F*ck - Tijan - 3 Stars - Tysan Koda, Kase Crow, Aiden - Why did I find this story so hot. At first, I was disenchanted by the thought of another jerk hero but that somehow melted away.

The Dress - Colleen Hoover - 3 Stars - Can’t Remember the Names - A woman chooses herself over a superficial man. It was okay. I think I am fatigued from all of these stories.