Saturdays at the Café

Saturdays at the Café is a weekly feature hosted here to talk about and discuss the books I’ve discovered during the past week, added to my shelf and am excited about reading. They may be new/scheduled releases I’ve seen on NetGalley, at the library, or from publishers or they may be older titles my friends have reviewed and shared on Goodreads or blogs.

A grieving mother gets the shock of her life in this propulsive thriller from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish.

No parent should ever have to face the loss of their child . . .

A year after the tragic death of her four-year-old son, Charlotte Fleming is sleepwalking through life, trapped in a spiral of devastating grief. Then, she sees something online that jolts her her son, Sebastion, alive and well . . . in a stranger’s social media post.

Charlotte desperately wants to believe that what she sees is real, that her son is out there somewhere waiting to be brought home. After all, Sebastion’s body was never recovered from the accident that supposedly killed him. But what horrific circumstances could have led him to another child’s birthday party halfway across the country?

Frantic to find out the truth, Charlotte obsessively looks for any indication the accident that took her son from her was not what it seemed. As she bypasses the police and uncovers red flag after red flag, she starts to suspect that something—or someone—nefarious is at play.

Charlotte’s relationships with her husband and preteen daughter were already hanging by a thread, and now it’s starting to feel like her sanity is too. But someone has abducted her son; she knows it. And she’ll stop at nothing to get him back.

I got this for less than $3 during the Audible sale.

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A wronged wife goes toe to toe with her cheating husband at the polls in this hilarious and uplifting novel.

It’s a doozy of a bad day for Beverly Diamond when she catches her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. What’s a suburban wife to do with a soon-to-be ex, two young kids, and no degree or financial support in 1962? Beat the louse at his own game, that’s what.

Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate projected to win against his younger underdog opponent, Michael Landau. Beverly has the pluck, political savvy, and sheer drive to push Michael’s campaign in a successful new direction, even if he already has a campaign manager who’s less than pleased she’s inserted herself into the race. If Bev can persuade Michael to modernize, pay attention to women’s issues, and learn to dress himself properly, maybe she can show Larry how much he’s underestimated her—and make her own dreams come true in the process.

Another audiobook I got for less than $3 during the Audible sale.

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In this chilling prequel to The Perfect Child, USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry plunges readers into the dark origins of a family’s secrets, where good intentions pave the road to unspeakable acts and a mother’s love might be the deadliest inheritance of all.

Becky Watson learned early that trust is a weapon and secrets are survival. From foster homes to abandoned backroads, she and her childhood confidant Orion have buried more than just memories. Now, as a college freshman, Becky’s harboring her most dangerous secret her newborn daughter, Janie.

Desperation drives Becky to contact her estranged grandmother, Lillian. She swoops in like a guardian angel, but her salvation comes with a poisoned price tag. Behind Lillian’s nurturing facade lurks a web of generational secrets. As buried truths claw their way to the surface, Becky faces an impossible sacrifice her daughter or herself to break a twisted family legacy.

I accepted this for audio review.

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A woman ends up pregnant after a casual fling, but the father’s girlfriend has much more sinister intentions in this plot-driven suspense debut.

A modern spin on Fatal Attraction meets The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, perfect for fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Still recovering from a devastating breakup, 34-year-old Savannah Mitchell has finally managed to put her life back together when she gets the shock of her life—after a brief fling with a man named Max, she is pregnant.

When she gets in touch to tell him, he reveals that he’s just gotten back together with his ex, Madison, and he will need time to break it to her. Surprisingly, Madison isn’t upset—in fact, she’s excited, and wants to help.

Max insists Madison has the best of intentions, but Savannah finds her efforts—popping by uninvited, demanding lifestyle changes, and pretty much trying to take over the pregnancy—anything but helpful. When Savannah finally stands up for herself, Madison’s treatment of her goes from casually cruel to downright dangerous.

All Savannah wanted to do was form a friendly co-parenting relationship with the father of her child—but his new girlfriend obviously has much more sinister plans in mind.

She has no plans to co-parent at all.

Thanks to Kim @ It’s All About the Thrill for her great review. It’s on my Libro.fm wishlist.

An epic, decades-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other.

“The truth is there’s no such thing as a normal life. There’s just the time you get and how you spend it.”

In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for SNL; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her Massachusetts small town and large family. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.

Seven years later in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.

Blending unforgettable characters, explosive chemistry, and devastating emotion, Into the Blue is a journey unlike any other—one that asks: What does it mean to diverge from the script to forge your own story?

This is the April selection by Reese’s Book Club. I’m in the library queue for the audiobook.

The ultimate summer suspense novel is perfect for beach read lovers everywhere!

Some people lose themselves in a novel. Others lose everything.

Holly Sinclair, a struggling author, is dead broke. After being evicted from her New York apartment, she returns to her family’s dilapidated beach house in coastal New England with one urgent goal: write a book that sells. Fast.

Reinventing herself won’t be easy, but the old seaside town offers a few unexpected allies. Gail, a driven local Realtor, introduces her to a charming handyman who can help her get back on her feet. Serena, the town psychic, offers encouragement and an unsettling warning about danger ahead. And Jade, a teen runaway, is hiding out in Holly’s attic and desperately needs a safe place to land.

Holly takes Jade in, and soon the girl finds work with the powerful Carmichael family. Their dynasty has faded, but their connection to Holly’s past is darker than she wants to remember. Their secrets could put both women at risk.

Not everyone is glad to see Holly return. Someone in town is watching her every move. The Watcher knows something Holly doesn’t. The past may be a foggy echo, but it’s close enough to come rushing in with the tide.

I learned of this upcoming June release while on Instagram. It’s an audio review hopeful.

What books did YOU add to your shelves this week?