On the bookshelf in April
I read six books in the month of April:
The Influencer (The Influencer #1)
by Adriane Leigh
5/5 stars
“Shae Halston lives a life of luxury–at least that’s what her followers think.After a devastating affair ends her marriage, the internet influencer and It Girl must confront her new normal without losing her grip on reality–or any of her devoted followers. In an act of furious desperation, Shae befriends her husband’s new lover, but the closer she gets to their new life the more her mental health unravels. Soon, manic delusions replace her sanity and before long compulsive thoughts of revenge obsess her until the lines between her online persona and reality blur.When a tragic accident turns violent, the spotlight turns to Shae and the threat of losing everything looms again. Until an opportunity arises that could secure her freedom for good…even at the cost of another life.”
The Imposter (The Influencer #2)
by Adriane Leigh
5/5 stars
“Tragedy brought them together, only death will keep them apart.
After narrowly escaping a life sentence under the guise of a new persona, Shae Halston thinks she’s turned over a new leaf. But all is not as it seems. When she begins to impersonate a couples therapist and starts taking on new patients, Shae thinks she’s stumbled into just the kind of role she was born to play. Until a surprise in the form of a new client lands on her doorstep.
Shae’s past returns to haunt her when she realizes the new couple she’s counseling aren’t strangers at all. But do they remember her? Shae’s interest quickly blooms to obsession when the opportunity to exact revenge over a long-buried tragedy becomes too tempting to pass up. Soon, she’s inserted herself into their lives, determined to balance the scales of justice however she can.
Just when she thinks she’s orchestrated the perfect plan for retaliation, her deceptive facade begins to unravel…along with her sanity. Delusions poison reality as Shae’s infatuation with righting the wrongs of the past consume her until the compulsion to kill reaches a fever pitch. Life has taught her if you love someone you should never let them go. Will Shae finally be able to escape the secrets of her past or will love prove to be her final undoing?”
The Intruder (The Influencer #3)
by Adriane Leigh
5/5 stars
“Shae Halston wears her lies like a second skin. The dutiful daughter. The perfect wife. The loving caregiver. After a lifetime of betrayal, abandonment, and unspeakable abuse, Shae has learned one truth—revenge is the only way to heal. When she takes a job caring for Kelly, a once-renowned therapist left helpless and disfigured after a tragic accident, Shae sees it as the perfect opportunity.
Because Kelly isn’t just her patient. She’s the woman who destroyed Shae’s life.
As secrets unravel and memories resurface, Shae’s grip on reality begins to slip. Kelly knows more than she lets on, and Shae’s carefully constructed revenge spirals into something far more dangerous. In a house filled with buried secrets and ghosts of the past, the line between victim and villain begins to blur.
How far will Shae go to punish the woman who left her? And what happens when the monster you’re hunting… is you?”
“How do you raise kids who are confident, capable, and caring? The first ingredient is a secure and close relationship—key to helping them self-regulate and thrive later in life. When children feel seen, heard, and supported, all other parenting tips and tricks start to work. Groundbreaking author Eli Harwood makes attachment theory (the science that explores the innate human need to bond with other humans) accessible and actionable in how it can help our children learn and grow into compassionate, warm adults. For anyone looking to build a better life for their kids, no matter what you went through growing up yourself, these simple, real-life strategies will help
Help you create a secure attachment relationship with your kids by choosing connection over control
Prompt reflection on attachment patterns you developed in childhood and why you respond in certain ways during emotional moments with your children
Help you resolve past attachment traumas so you can gain effective skills to offer calm, connected, and secure base
Provide scripts and practical tools to build and reinforce a strong foundation of trust
Encourage you to release the reins of influence as their independence grows
Hopeful and inspiring, this essential evidence-based guide will show parents across different ages and stages everywhere that they are not alone in the questions and concerns they may have about their children's development. Though there have been countless studies on how attachment styles affect our romantic relationships, Raising Securely Attached Kids reframes the subject for cultivating a strong relationship between parent and child to bring transformative change to your relationships of all stripes.”
by Christ Whitaker
5/5 stars
“1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.
When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.
Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.
A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.”
by Patric Gagne
3/5 stars
“A fascinating, revelatory memoir revealing the author’s struggle to come to terms with her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental disorder.
Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected it was because she didn’t feel things the way other kids did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn’t like the way that “nothing” felt.
She did her best to pretend she was like everyone else, but the constant pressure to conform to a society she knew rejected anyone like her was unbearable. So Patric stole. She lied. She was occasionally violent. She became an expert lock-picker and home-invader. All with the goal of replacing the nothingness with...something.
In college, Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified—well over 200 years ago—sociopathy had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. She found herself haunted by sociopaths in pop culture, madmen and evil villains who are considered monsters. Her future looked grim.
But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she’s capable of love, it must mean that she isn’t a monster. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren’t all monsters either.
This is the inspiring story of her journey to change her fate and how she managed to build a life full of love and hope.”
I get questions all the time about this book lover tote! So stinking cute!!
books I purchased this month:
books recommended by all of you this month:
My heart was so full heading into the 2023 Christmas season! I finished up reading the entire Bible. Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading & Understanding the Entire Bible was such a great resource that helped me better understand what I was reading & how it applies to my life! It was amazing to me how much was familiar & how much I didn’t know I was missing. Having a better understanding of the Bible & being in the word every day has brought so much peace into my life! If you’ve been feeling the pull to read your Bible more, I highly recommend Bible recap to help you on your journey. I’m excited to start over & eager to see what new things I will pick up on & learn.
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you can find past book review posts here!
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