Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Release Date - July 23, 2019 I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Gretchen Kirk's Shannon . It started out in a way that had me thinking coming of age and suspense. It ended up taking a dark turn that was all psychological thriller. At that point, I really had tired of the characters and didn't care. Many were making foolish decisions and avoiding the best place to start once things got weird. For as long as she can remember, Lucy and her mother have been on the run. Whenever anyone gets too close or suggests they recognize one of them, they pack up and disappear again. Now 15, Lucy is growing tired of constantly leaving and having to start all over. Leaving behind her friend on this last move was rough. Now in New Hampshire, their potential new landlord has a daughter who is the same age as Lucy. This is an incredible chance for her to actually have a friend nearby. Though her mom isn't certain the rental home is right for them, she convinces her mom it i

Release Date - July 2, 2019 While waiting on his flight, Joshua Fields comes across an attractive woman. They share a passionate kiss and he's hooked. She disappears as quickly as she arrived. He makes an uncharacteristic decision to abandon his flight and get on hers instead. Once they've taken off, he goes to find her and she denies knowing him or being who he says she is. Later, he's in the airport and sees a news alert that the mystery woman is missing. Rather than continue on his business trip, he opts to go to the town she says she's from and do some digging. He wants to find her and find out why she's been reported missing. I've read several of David Bell's novels. I've found each one to be enjoyable. I liked Layover, but I never loved it. Part of that is that Joshua's behavior seemed out of character. He's been in a relationship that feels safe but doesn't feel permanent to him. He's been doing the same job for years with

Release Date - July 30, 2019 When I learn there's a book by a Vermont author, I do make every effort to read it. Miciah Bay Gault lives in the state's capital city, but her story is mostly set in Massachusetts on a fictional island off Cape Cod. Lydia Moore has been responsible for her brother since her mom's death. She and Lucas are more than brother-sister, they're two of a set of triplets. Their infant brother died tragically when he was just weeks old. One day, a stranger comes to the island. Lydia can't help but feel drawn to him. It's Lucas, however, that is convinced this stranger is their deceased brother who has somehow returned. The man, Cole, knows too many things about their home and their mother for it to be a coincidence. Lydia must uncover the truth. To do so, she has to leave the island, and that poses problems. She's been on the island so long that leaving it triggers anxiety. She knows something is wrong, but unless she can find

Release Date - July 23, 2019 I would have really loved this novel so much more had I not had it pegged from the start. The author builds suspense well. The situations are almost creepy at times. But, I had the "twist" figured out before I was too far into the story. Empty nester Caroline Stark is delighted that her gorgeous, albeit expensive, waterfront home is ready. When her husband announces he won't be back from his business trip in time to be there for the housewarming party, she's heartbroken. Worse, she catches him in a lie. He claims to be in another state, but she tracks his phone and learns he's in a hotel in the city. With her marriage in shambles and a mysterious stranger watching her house from the beach, Caroline finds her world is falling apart. That stranger, Aidan, ends up being the man she turns to for a one-night stand when she learns her husband has been with another woman. Little does she know that Aiden's dark history and unusual

Release Date - July 9, 2019 One thing I was totally ready for was a heroine who didn't take things in stride. Crashing the A-List finds Clara Montgomery unemployed and desperate. She was at the top of her game in the publishing industry, but a merger led to many book editors being tossed onto the streets at the same time and finding a new job has proven to be more than difficult. Rather than return home to a very passive-aggressive mother, Clara moves in with her brother and his fiancee. She's given up her plush bed for a lumpy sofa. She just needs that one break. The only one she currently has is a temporary job cleaning abandoned storage units. Many of those abandoned units are packed with things that smell of beets or are of a questionable nature with things she cannot and doesn't want to imagine what they once were. It's the discovery of a locker filled with paperwork that seems most tedious and changes her life. That locker is packed floor-to-ceiling with

Release Date - July 30, 2019 This first book in the Summer Island series hooked me from the start. Unlike many romances, I wasn't always sure who Meg would choose. It's nice not knowing until the end. Meg Sloan returned to Summer Island for unhappy reasons, but she's come to love her grandmother's island. After her grandmother passes away, she's remained on the island running her grandmother's inn. It's a roof over her head and a steady income, but she isn't sure it's all she wants from life. Part of that lies in the part-time romance she has going with a local fisherman. He comes and goes as he wants, and she's tired of watching him go away for weeks at a time and waiting for his return. She wonders if Zack will ever want to be part of a committed relationship. As spring arrives, Meg finds herself hiring a newcomer to the island. Seth Darden is only around for a few months, but he needs the money and agrees to be the Summerbrook Inn&#

Release Date - July 30, 2019 It's a team building exercise they believe. They're ruthless on Wall Street, but it's bonus time and somethings may not be as well as they'd hope. When Sam, Sylvie, Jules, and Vincent get an email that they are to meet up at a specific location, they jump. They're used to jumping, even if it means messing up plans with wives, boyfriends, and just about anyone else they know. The escape room challenge seems easy enough. Solve the puzzles and get out of the elevator. Some of them soon learn that they may not make it out alive. Here's a situation where I spent a lot of time rooting for the person I was sure was behind the creation of the escape room. This book is twisted and dark, but I never felt sorry for the four trying to escape the elevator. In fact, I was cheering every time they struggled to solve the next clue. I had them solved and knew what would happen next. There were no surprises. It was just an entertaining read f