Welcome to Litsy!

First #bookhaul of the new school year, although not all these books are actually for school. #sorrynotsorry

This novel merges the intensity of a thriller with the emotional resonance of a love story, delivering a reading experience that is compelling and emotionally rich. The fast pace and propulsive writing create tension. The slow burn on the reveals adds layers of intrigue and suspense without sacrificing emotional depth and an underlying sense of hopefulness. Walsh has created a story that is both suspenseful and moving. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

I‘m not usually one for thrillers or suspense, but I did enjoy this book. Emma and Leo were very realistic characters, and i found myself rooting for them throughout the story. The book wraps in a very satisfying way. I highly recommend!

A wonderfully written mystery about love and trauma and grief and pain and love. Not a murderry type of mystery, but one that weaves through mental health, impossible choices, and most of all love. Not the mushy rom-com love, but the love of a mother and the bond between a husband and wife who both have tragic pasts. Book #87 in 2023

This isn't a thriller or a mystery exactly, more of a love story with a LOT of twists and turns! I would say it is a solid 4 ⭐ read. I had to keep reading to find out exactly what Emma's story was. The characters were interesting. I knew the love that Emma and her husband Leo had for each other was true. I was hoping that the story wasn't going to be a clichéd mess by the end, that's always a disappointment. Some beautiful writing, I enjoyed it!

So many gems from our Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale. Best weekend of the year!

2023 started out great and catchy… past & present kind of book some parts seemed drawn out….gets better the more you read…. Will finish today! 6/10

I wasn‘t so sure about this book in the beginning and where it was going and then the mystery part of it started to set in and I was hooked. There were a lot of twists that I didn‘t expect and I felt like it was a beautiful story layered with a lot of meaningful moments about love and loss and so much in between. I definitely recommend this one.

But there was always a negative space, a shadow on the sand. That is the way with loss: you can‘t undo it, no matter what you have gained 🖤

…but that‘s the thing with memory: it makes up its own stories. They harden and calcify in just the same way as facts, and most of the time we have no idea which is which 🦀🐚🌾

#doublebookspin

Tried to finish this last night, but my eyes kept slamming shut so I‘m finishing it just in the nick of time this morning! It was an okay story, but for some reason that I cannot put my finger on, I didn‘t love it. 3⭐️‘s

🚨 it does talk about Adoption and Postpartum Psychosis in the story, incase that‘s an issue for you

Read it for book club this month. I loved how I thought I had it figured out but then came curveballs to keep throwing me off. Which of course kept me reading so I could figure out what happened.

The dogs names bothered me and I felt he was brought up way too much in the story…..but that‘s neither here nor there, just my own feelings 😆

This book felt like a blend between contemporary fiction with thriller elements. Unlike any other book I can recall ever having read, it wasn't an edge of my seat page turner but it definitely held my interest and made me want to find out just what the deep dark secrets were that the main character was keeping from her husband. The reveals didn't disappoint, an enjoyable read ⭐⭐⭐ overall.

I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller story, Emma and Leo have this lovely life. But Emma is keeping a big secret from Leo. And now it's going to come out. It kept me guessing all through as to what this secret could be.

A love story and mystery all in one. Emma and Leo‘s relationship is built on lies and dark secrets of Emma‘s past.

I really loved this book and I struggled to put it down. So far I‘ve loved both of her books, she‘s becoming one of my favourite authors

Giving this a go on audiobook and have high expectations!

Since pieces of this mystery fell together just past the halfway point that I wondered if my attention would wander before the story ended. But I couldn‘t stop reading! It was the right timing for me to fall into this one. It‘s a calm but twisty story which can‘t be easy to write, and I loved the ending.

Had to pivot! The audio wasn‘t working for me, so on to print. 📖
#bookspinbingo

I wanted so much to like this and I did stick with it after several thoughts of bailing, but it didn't really turn out to be surprising or I guess the twists that happened were predictable and it was very long and drawn out for me. Not a quick read. I did like it though and give it ⭐⭐⭐💫

Up next on audio! 🎧

#bookspinbingo

Well, what I thought was just a particularly bitchy bout of allergies last week ended up being the end of my streak of avoidance of Covid. 😩 After two years, it finally got me. But other than a lack of a voice and very, very muted taste, I‘m on the upswing and back at work, and thoroughly enjoying this book. 💖 #theloveofmylife #rosiewalsh

I don‘t know anything, other than that it‘s only when something‘s damaged beyond repair that we realise how beautiful it was.

‘I just had to . . . I had to leave his death in my old life. I know that‘s impossible for you to understand, but I just couldn‘t bring myself to tell you Dad died of something I could have stopped. I‘d already caused my mother‘s death, I just . . . couldn‘t go there.‘

Life made sense again, when I met you, Leo. I remembered why people want to live.‘

Because when you‘re that lost, your only anchors are the things people tell you.

3.5 🦀.. maybe rounded up to 4 🦀. i enjoyed it but there were some spots that felt... rushed? Full of holes? Conveniently tied up? Leo is an obituary writer. His wife Emma has cancer. He starts to write her obituary because he can't imagine anyone else being able to capture how beautiful she is..but things aren't adding up. Does he even know his wife? Has their life all been lies?

This is an interesting story/mystery, each chapter told through the eyes of the husband or wife. It unfolds slowly as each comes closer to the truth coming out. I liked the characters and found myself rooting for both of them.

Leo is an obituary writer so when his wife, a well known marine biologist, is diagnosed with cancer he processes by pre- writing her obituary only to discover most of what he knows about her is a lie.This book doesn't know if it wants to be family drama or domestic thriller. Ultimately I feel it works best as the former despite there being several mysteries to unravel.

Next on my list. I'm intrigued. 🤔

Didn‘t care for the end, but I enjoyed the ride getting there. Walsh kept enough of the plot points a mystery to keep my attention.

Sadly my fiction reading has been reduced to a few minutes of listening in bed each day. 😭 Boohoo A complete first world “problem.” Can you hear the world‘s tiniest violin playing? 🎻

The premise of this book is so intriguing. A professional obituary writer starts researching his wife for the kind of story that publications keep on file for notable people. In the process, he finds out what he thinks he knows about her isn‘t true. The reasons for the secrets were not what I expected and the resolution was a little messy, but it was a page turner that I read in just a few days.

When I closed this one, I had to flip to see if it was considered a thriller. This has to be one of my favorite BOTM picks ever. It was SO good! The pacing was perfect & the tension had my heart pounding! Emma is happily married & living an ordinary life with the love of her life, Leo, & their daughter, Ruby. But Emma has secrets- their entire life is based on a lie. A seemingly unrelated event threatens to break her past wide open. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm so glad I added this one to my blue box in March...loved it!!⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

So the dead body count wasn‘t as high as I expected. I liked how everything came together and how I found everything out. I almost didn‘t like how long it took to get to speed up but I decided I like how it‘s paced. Great ending.

#BOTM came just in time for my birthday! 🥳🤩