Something unimaginably cool happened to me late this summer -- I received my very first ARC.
For those of you who are not obsessive-compulsive readers like myself, ARC is an acronym for "Advanced Reader/Reading/Review/Reviewer Copy". An ARC is a pre-press copy of a book, typically in paperback, given to certain individuals in exchange for an honest review prior to the book's publication date.
Since receiving that first ARC (which was, by the way, one of the best books of 2018 -- "How to Walk Away" by Katherine Center), I have now received dozens more. Much like Clark Griswold's membership to the Jelly of the Month Club -- it is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
I already had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Goodreads, which can be justified by my occupation, of course, but my "professional reader" status has certainly taken that obsession to a whole new level in recent months.
For those of you who are not obsessive-compulsive readers like myself, ARC is an acronym for "Advanced Reader/Reading/Review/Reviewer Copy". An ARC is a pre-press copy of a book, typically in paperback, given to certain individuals in exchange for an honest review prior to the book's publication date.
Since receiving that first ARC (which was, by the way, one of the best books of 2018 -- "How to Walk Away" by Katherine Center), I have now received dozens more. Much like Clark Griswold's membership to the Jelly of the Month Club -- it is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
I already had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Goodreads, which can be justified by my occupation, of course, but my "professional reader" status has certainly taken that obsession to a whole new level in recent months.
I do not take my position as a "professional reader" lightly, so I do try to post my two cents' worth any place books are sold and discussed, as instructed by the publishers, and will also dedicate a portion of this blog to posting reviews.
ALSO: I really love to refer to myself as a "professional reader". 🤣
All that being said, below you will find the review to my most recently read book, and my favorite book of 2018 -- coming out in January!
Stay tuned as I continue to get my blog up and running for the new year!
ALSO: I really love to refer to myself as a "professional reader". 🤣
All that being said, below you will find the review to my most recently read book, and my favorite book of 2018 -- coming out in January!
Stay tuned as I continue to get my blog up and running for the new year!
The Au Pair by Emma Rous
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Special thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for gifting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Seraphine Mayes and Danny Mayes, twins born in the middle of the summer at their family's coastal Norfolk estate, have never fully understood all the details surrounding their births and, subsequently, their mother's tragic death. Most importantly, why did their beautiful mother fling herself over the cliffs mere hours after their birth?
Still healing after her father's sudden death, twenty-five-year-old Seraphine runs across a strange photograph that brings even more questions to the surface. Why is there only one child in the photo, and why does her mother look so happy only hours before her suicide? If Seraphine can only find the au pair, surely she will have the answers she is seeking.
With only the tiniest hint of supernatural, the almost-gothic setting is one that chills the readers all throughout the novel. Told in alternating viewpoints and periods in time, this deceptive and spellbinding story is one that will leave readers guessing until the final chapters. Remarkably unpredictable, The Au Pair was hands-down my favorite book of 2018, and I devoured it in only a few days.
The ONLY reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because the events progressed so quickly in the final chapters that I sometimes had to slow down for a moment to read over some of the details again. The bright side of this was that I could not have predicted any of the events that were unfolding on the pages before me!
I highly recommend this novel to readers who love mystery, suspense, romance, historical fiction, and more! Especially recommended to fans of Kate Morton's "The Lake House".
Pre-order today on Amazon or Barnes & Noble before its January 8th release!
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Next on my list for review in January -- "The Red Address Book" by Sophia Lundberg. Preorder on Amazon or Barnes & Noble today!
