The Other Woman

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones.  294 pages   I read a galley - this book is due out in August, 2018

It's so sweet when a man's close to his mother, right? Unless his mother's the type of women who doesn't like to share.

Emily thinks Adam's the perfect man for her. However, she didn't count on Pammie, Adam's mother, who seems to be doing anything to keep Emily away from Adam. This fast-paced psychological thriller, complete with a huge twist, explores the twisted relationships between Emily, Adam and Pammie. Emily's determined to have Adam for herself; however, Pammie's made it clear that will happen over her dead body. Or is that Emily's dead body?

This is definitely a fast-paced book! I was intrigued by the characters, although admittedly, if I had been Emily, I would have started thinking there was maybe something wrong with Adam or would have just given up.  Emily's got a lot of determination, even when she's up against Pammie, who is all about the psychological, emotional manipulation of both Adam and Emily. You start to wonder after a while if Emily really wants Adam, or if she's just hell-bent on not letting Pammie win.  There is a BIG twist in the book that I didn't see coming and I don't think other readers will, either. 

Son of a Bitch

Son of a Bitch by Jason B. Sheffield  382 pages

I enter a lot of book giveaways. It’s so much fun to get an email telling me I’ve won or that the book simply shows up in the mailbox.  This is one of the books. I was intrigued by the synopsis; it sounded a little different. The cover art didn’t do much for me, but a book about a bitter son defending his super bitch of a mother caught my attention.

Crater “The Dragon Lady” Scales is a Mafia lawyer, as tough as the wiseguys are. But now it’s her turn to sit in jail after being caught giving a client a blowjob while she was supposed to be conferring with him about his defense.

And speaking of defense, her defense lawyer is her estranged son, Benjamin Scales. Fifteen years ago they had a major falling out and been in contact in all that time.

I really, really, really wanted to like this book. But, and you knew this was coming, I just couldn’t care about the characters. From the opening scene, I was put-off by them. I put this book down several times, picked it up several more times, but one night I found that I didn’t’ care what happened to either Carter or Ben.  Therefore, Son of a Bitch receives 1 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

If I Fall, If I Die

If I Fall, If I Die  by Michael Christie   352 pages

Eleven-year-old Will has never been Outside. Literally. Since he and his mother moved into their home, he has not been outside. His mother Diane suffers from agoraphobia, which they refer to as the Black Lagoon. She has built a world, and Will’s world, Inside. 

Thank God for technology, as they can order any and everything they need and have it delivered. Will is a small adult in this area, as he signs for all the packages and writes any and all the checks. He knows what Outside looks, feels, and smells like, but he has never, in his memory, attempted to cross the threshold. Inside, he wears a Helmet and a wet suit at all times.

Instead of calling each room by its functional name (bedroom, kitchen, Mom’s room, etc.), Diane has renamed the rooms (Cairo, San Francisco, Tokyo, etc.). It’s hard to keep them straight and figure it out. At first I thought the mother and son were world travelers.

The story open as Will decides to venture Outside. He has heard a noise and wants to explore its origins. Outside, Will discovers Marcus stealing the garden hose. Intrigued with the boy, Will wants to learn more about Outside.

This is the beginning of Will’s bildungsroman. Although his Inside life have centered around music, art, and science experiment, he has never been to school.  “Homeschooled,” is how Diane describes it when anyone tries to intervene.

He meets Jonah, a loner, who introduces him to skating boarding. Soon, he is skateboarding all over the city, had quit wearing his Helmet, and no longer sleeps with his mother.

The first third of the book is wonderful. Well written and imaginative, it’s fascinating to watch Will truly become intrigued with other people and the Outside. In the middle of the book, there is a part called “Titus.” To the savvy reader, this section gives away the rest of the story. Will’s fascination with Outside, his newly found independence, his mother’s fears, skateboarding and finding Marcus start to get a little old. All the real action takes place in the first third of the book. That’s why I give If I Fall, If I Die 3 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.