Mina HardyRezensionen

It was an easy read of a twisted story but I didn't feel it as it felt so unrealistic for me.
Jewelann Khan has a history from high school as a stoner with addiction issues. There wasn’t much she wasn’t addicted to: drugs, medication, alcohol and shopping. She becomes fearful when her high school crush Christian Campbell who broke her heart shows up at there 25th high school reunion. She wants desperately to keep her sordid past with Christian a secret from her husband, Ken and son, Eli. Things get twisted when Ken goes out of town and Christian reappears to stir up trouble. With revenge on her mind there can only be trouble ahead.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book for review
consideration. My review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

For fans of books about the secret lives behind closed doors. A good suspense thriller though I think the book could have done with a bit of a larger “cast” as it made things feel to tidy and neat. Like my thrillers a little more erratic and unpredictable.

One day, I will learn not to blindly pick up books without glancing over its description.

Not this time though.

We Knew All Along by Mina Hardy, follows the trials, tribulations, and trepidations of stay-at-home mom and wife, Jewelann Jordan. Jewelann dolls herself up, putting on airs, to vie for the attention of a high school fling, Christian Campbell. She thinks her presence is reminding him of what he could have had. Amid the compliments and attention, little does she know that that wasn’t all she’s getting from this one night of playing catch-up.

“Faking the funk” catches up and the seams of Jewelann’s life start to unravel. How do I know? Because I hung on with her to the very end and the end to that end before it became the end.

Jewelann has been through enough for several lifetimes. Ya’ll, I’m ready to take a nap.

Full Review: https://readingbeyondthebookcover.com/book-review-we-knew-all-along-by-mina-hard...

Review of eBook

Jewelann Jordan has only one reason for attending her high school reunion: seeing Christian Campbell, [hopefully] ensuring he’ll realize just what he passed up all those years ago. And, although things don’t go quite as she’d planned, Jewelann leaves believing she’s put Christian in his place.

But it isn’t long before Christian turns up at her house and convinces her husband, Ken, to let him rent the carriage house. As he settles in, Christian makes a point of befriending Jewelann’s son, Eric.

With Ken traveling for work, often for weeks at a time, Jewelann tries to keep Christian from interfering in her life and destroying the life she worked so hard to build, the one keeping her son safe.

But everyone has secrets and they may destroy everything Jewelann holds dear.

=========

Well-developed characters [not always likable], a twisty plot, and the constantly-building suspense work together to keep the pages turning.

There’s a slow build-up to the sudden and unexpected plot twists that take everything the reader knows and twists it into something else. The intensity of the story at this point is likely to leave readers rather breathless, but this is the heart of the story . . . and exactly where everything that came before was leading.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program

This was a very dark sinister read. It begins one way and then quickly morphs into something I never saw coming.
Jewelann has a spending problem and a husband who is never home. Suddenly he is and her old boyfriend from high school is hanging around, causing havoc.
The plot was decent and the story line was twisted and evil.
I didn’t like any of the characters. I thought they were all truly reprehensible, especially Jewelann.
Thanks to Library Thing for the advance copy.

We Knew All Along by Mina Hardy is a recommended domestic thriller.

Jewelann Jordan attends her 25th class reunion hoping to see the high school student who broke her heart, Christian Campbell. She does connect with him as well as a few other women she previously knew in school. After the reunion, Christian inserts himself into her life and somehow has her husband, Ken, renting him their carriage house. Jewelann is certain Christian's plans include threatening her marriage to Ken, hurting her son, Eli, and ruining her life.

As Christian's presence becomes increasingly oppressive and complicated, there are apparently other things going on with Ken that has Jewelann questioning his odd behavior. She is worried that he will discover her shopping addiction, let alone her latent feelings for Christian.

The novel is well written with a strong opening that pulls you in. Then it slows down to a melodramatic crawl until the novel is almost over. Yes, it returns interest with a strong ending that presents some huge, unbelievable twists but that doesn't make up for spending most of the novel with a group of very shallow disagreeable people. Admittedly, shallow disagreeable people can be entertaining, as can all manner of unbelievable plot elements where you are required to suspend your disbelief.

Yeah, I'm all over the place on this review. It is sort of a domestic thriller but also kind of a romance novel focusing on bad behavior. If you can find a histrionic, but surprisingly entertaining plot, with unappealing characters fascinating, then give it a try.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/11/we-knew-all-along.html

We Knew All Along is a solid thriller/suspense. If you've ever wanted to show off your accomplishments to an old flame or ex friend, Jewelann is the main character for you. After reconnecting and flaunting herself with Christian, her old high school boyfriend, Jewelann was ready to move on, focusing on her family. But then the past comes to haunt her along with secrets better left uncovered. I was intrigued for most the book and it left me guessing until the big reveal. I did feel some of the plot line got a bit messy but overall a good read.

Thank you to library thing and the early reviewers giveaway, as well as the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

I could not put this book down!!! So many twists and turns, it kept me guessing until the end. The main character, Jewelann try’s so hard to create a perfect facade of a life but she finds out that things are not always what they seem. Her husband, son, former lover, and friends all have secrets that can destroy them. Grab this book, a quiet corner of your house, a blanket, and settle in. You won’t regret it!

I picked this one up on a road trip and finished it in one day. Triggers for infidelity, accidents, prescription drugs, and mental health.

This does deal with memory loss after an accident. Everything in the end does not unfold like I was expecting at all.

This was a little slow at times and I feel that there were several incidents that were thrown in that did not really have any resolution. The ending was so fast and a little rushed. I would have liked some more to the reveals throughout instead of all thrown in at the end.

There were some things that were very obvious that were going on but they did not wrap up as expected.
Overall, a fun read though with an unexpected ending.

I love a fast paced book where I think I have all the answers before the author delivers a gut punch. Mina Hardy did NOT disappoint with that. This is essential in all thrillers I read.

The book moves at a great pace, setting the stage for what you think it happening between Sean, Diana, and Valerie. Wife is in accident, loses her memories, doting husband is having an affair...

The one thing that I disliked was that the story felt a bit overdone. There are many books with this type of plot and so it didn't feel super original. I would definitely still recommend this to other lovers of thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Mina Hardy for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

Hold on to your britches, people, because I’m about to lay down every cliché comment and passé phrase in existence in describing this book. I – LOVED – THIS – STORY! I was on the edge of my seat. Biting my nails. Couldn’t put it down. On pins and needles waiting to see what happened next. I finished this one in just two evenings after work this week! Thrills, and chills, and whatever else ends in “ills” including a main character suffering from anesthesia-induced amnesia (that’s a kind of “ill”, right? Ha ha.)

*First though: A huge shout out to Mina Hardy, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing a free Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.*

Diana is fresh out of the hospital after both a devastating car crash and an appendectomy. Due to side affects from the surgery, she has a big gaping hole of several months in her memory, which she finds severely disorienting and more than a little disturbing. She often seems to “get things wrong” and even her close friends and family patronize her with little comments such as, “Oh, Diana, you just forgot”. But Diana is certain that’s not the case. She finds little things that just don’t feel quite right - like the “to do” list in her night stand drawer that she can’t remember writing – what do these things mean? What else has she forgotten and is not remembering? One thing that she IS sure of is that her husband is sleeping with her best friend.

I literally kept (fun-lovingly) “shouting” at my Kindle as I tore from one page to the next in this novel (my husband guffawing at my antics from his easy chair all the while). “This lady’s totally being gaslighted! But I don’t know who’s doing it – is it her mother-in-law? Her husband? Her best friend? Her cute flirt-partner Cole? Or is it ALL of them? I just don’t know!” (Side note: If you haven’t seen the 1994 Ingrid Bergman film “Gaslight”, why are you just standing there - go stream it right now!)

A truly great read and quite a page turner. Five stars, hands down. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, in the style of Daphne DuMaurier’s gothic romance “Rebecca”, then this one’s for you! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed – this is one of the best novels I’ve read all year!

#AfterAllIveDone
#MinaHardy
#MeganHart
#CrookedLaneBooks
#NetGalley
#MysteryThrillers
#GothicRomance

After All I’ve Done by Mina Hardy

This is a rather long review, but I’ve been wanting this books for so long - and I’m here ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ to say she was worth the darn wait.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Diana Sparrow doesn’t remember much after waking up in the hospital barely clinging to life after a tragic car accident. The 45 yo married woman had worked for GenTech prior to the accident but is now wrestling with therapy and regaining her memory. She was told that she totaled her cherry red Camero when she hit a deer 5 weeks before when a man in an 18 wheeler stopped and called 911 after seeing her car in a ditch. She survived emergency surgery on an infected gall bladder and broken collar bones leaving both arms in slings.

Her journey to recovering her memory is piqued when she discovers a list she had written prior to the accident. Apparently, her phone was lost in the accident and has been told her amnesia was induced by anesthesia. She senses tension from her husband of 10 years Jonathan who never seems to be home. She feels grateful to have his mother Harriet Richmond take care of her during her recovery.

Her mother in law moved into the apartment above their detached garage to care for Diana. It was a blessing in the beginning when she initially got home but soon finds her over bearing and annoying. It begins to feel uncomfortable having Harriet come and go from her house. She had met her 12 years ago when volunteered at Sunny Days Adoption Services. Diana begins to resent feeling dependent on Harriet who gives her medication and meals whether she wants them or not.

During her weekly sessions with Dr Levitt, Diana discusses her constant nightmares involving blood and burying someone in her backyard. Diana is wracked with grief and guilt for not remembering what happened with the accident. Her mother had been depressed and died from her drug addiction which worries her taking so many medications during her recovery.

As the story progresses Diana begins to recall events leading up to her accident. She wonders what happened with her childhood friend Valerie who moved to Lebanon, PA after her mother’s death to escape bad memories. She remembers seeing Val when she returned to NY last December to care for her father in hospice. Past and present merge with conflicting emotions and memories coming to the surface.

This is a twisted love story of revenge, resentment and jealousy topped off with a bat crazy mother in law that no one saw coming! When it comes to family nightmares she tops the cake!

After All I've Done by Mina Hardy is a highly recommended domestic psychological thriller.

Diana Sparrow was in an accident five months ago that left her missing two months of her memory. What she does know now is that her husband Jonathan is having an affair with her best friend, Valerie. Jonathan's mother, Harriett Richmond, lives in a guest and comes over daily to help Diana. Diana is slowly recovering but is becoming tired and annoyed by Harriett's constant presence. She is also having nightmares about the accident and burying something. Divorcing Jonathan isn't an option because of their prenup. Diana seems to be on the road to recovery, but she keeps having setbacks. Her sessions with her psychiatrist don't seem to be helping either.

Chapters in the first part of After All I've Done alternate between narration by Diana and Valerie; a third narrator is added after this providing a new twist to the story. All of the characters in this novel are unreliable narrators. Diana says she doesn't remember, Val talks of a scheme, Jonathan is a sleazeball, and Harriett is the worst of them all. It's clear everyone is lying about something and odd occurrences seem to be multiplying. Most normal people would start the confrontations, but then everyone's sanity - and angle - is also at play here.

All the characters are disagreeable - every single one. In a novel like this I'd normally like at least one person to trust and that's purposefully not happening here. The plot does get more interesting once the third narrator is added along with a whole other side to the plot. Hardy keeps the action moving quickly, though, which takes some of the pressure off a lot of character development and focuses it all on the current situation involving all these characters.

You'll likely know where this one is going long before the denouement, but it is a twisty entertaining ride to get there. The writing is good, the plot is engaging, and while you'll dislike all the characters, you'll keep reading simply to find out if what you've guessed is happening is in fact happening. (You're guessing correctly. It follows a tried and true formula.) Hardy throws plenty of surprises and action into the mix of this domestic thriller to keep it entertaining and suspenseful until you reach the conclusion you saw coming.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2020/11/after-all-ive-done.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3628764389