Review: Shiver by Allie Reynolds

Shiver by Allie Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Published: January 2021

Five friends are brought together after ten years. Ten years before, they spent the winter together, but then, there were more of them. They thought they were brought back for a friendly reunion, but things quickly take a turn and no one knows who to trust. Five friends come to the mountain, but just like ten years before, not all of them will be leaving. Who brought them here and who is behind everything that is going on?

Thanks to G.P. Putnam & Sons for the advanced copy of this book.

Milla, Brent, Curtis, Dale, and Heather, were all summoned to the French retreat they used to spend their winters competing on as snowboarders. This book left me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going on and who was behind all the mysterious happenings? Most were reluctant to come back to this place because it holds a bad memory. The last time there were here, someone was killed. No one knows who was behind the death, and that makes it even harder to want to return.

I knew pretty early on who the culprit was. Finding out who that person was along with the characters made the book more interesting. I haven't read anything by Allie Reynolds before, and I don't know if she has more books out there. If she does, I look forward to reading them.

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Review: The Map That Leads to You by J.P. Monninger

The Map That Leads to You by J.P. Monninger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Heather Mulgrew is on a summer trip with two of her closest friends from college. They have just graduated from Amherst College and Heather has a job waiting for her at Bank of America in New York City. This trip is exactly what they need before beginning the rest of their lives. On the train to Amsterdam she meets Jack and from that moment forward, her life will never be the same. Jack has a freedom that Heather has never experienced and together they build a great friendship that quickly turns to so much more.

Thank you to St. Martins Press along with Karen Masnica and Caitlin Dareff for sharing their reading, discussing and experiences with this love story. I received two copies from them along with a letter that told me to share my second copy and I did that with my mother. I can't wait to share my thoughts with her on this book.

The story starts with the three girls traveling across Europe after graduating from college. This is something I have always wanted dreamed of doing. When Heather meets the handsome stranger on the train to Amsterdam, he changes her life forever. He makes her think about her future and life in general in a entirely different way. Their connection is instant but the trip won't last forever. What is going to happen when the time comes for Heather to return home. Will Jack change his plans for her or will this just be a summer fling?

This book evoked a lot of emotion in me. Heather is following Hemingway's story through Europe while Jack is following his grandfather's journal from after WWII. I gave this book a 3 star rating because it didn't really grab me the way I thought it would. The story was interesting and the flow was good, but there were parts that had me confused. Some of the language seemed European even though the main characters were American. I'm not sure if that was because of their education and love of books, or as the writing was intended. For those who like a good love story will enjoy this book. Get your tissues though!



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