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LaurelLit.com

Writer, Reader, English Teacher

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My Book Reviews

I love novels! My favorite genres are high-end women's fiction, suspense, and psychological thrillers, but occasionally I'll also pick up some chick lit or YA. I mostly read books on my kindle, and I also listen to audio books every morning when I go for my run.

I do NOT love star ratings for novels. For each book I review, I will give a bit of background, my thoughts, and end by saying if I would recommend it or not. Full disclosure: if I'm not into a book, I don't finish it. Since I'll only be reviewing books I finish, most of the reviews posted will be positive.

Anatomy of a Scandal

Laurel Osterkamp · September 9, 2020

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn format = Kindle Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn is all about politics, and the politics plus everything else about the book is 100% British. I say 100%, because I feel like a lot of the books I read by British authors, which are often set in London, are still somehow written for an American audience in mind. Not this book. I had to re-read many passages to understand the terms or slang I wasn’t familiar with. Much of the novel is set at Oxford, and …

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The Guest List

Laurel Osterkamp · September 9, 2020

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley ​Format: Kindle ​Reading The Guest List, by Lucy Foley, seemed like a no-brainer. First, I read The Hunting Party and I got super-involved in the suspense and atmospheric what will happen next vibe Foley is so good at. The book description for this one read like an Agatha Christie novel, and after reading Kate Weinberg’s The Truants (which featured an Agatha Christie fetish), I was ready. I was ready and I was not …

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The Safe Place by Anna Downes

Laurel Osterkamp · August 29, 2020

The Safe Place by Anna Downes seems like the perfect book for socially distancing amid a pandemic. It takes place at a beautiful French chateau, a mammoth home by the sea with a pool, stable, and outdoor kitchen. The main characters sit by the pool and drink wine, and if they're trapped, at least they're trapped in paradise. Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems, and underneath its ideal facade, this beautiful French chateau harbors not just a rank, rotting odor, but sinister …

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I Know Who You Are

Laurel Osterkamp · August 17, 2020

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney Format: Kindle I really enjoyed Feeney's first novel, Sometimes I Lie, and I admit to being a fan of the British psychological thriller with a flawed heroine and a twist ending (which her first novel totally was), so I climbed on board for her second novel. The story is about Aimee, a rising screen actress whose marriage is falling apart. At the beginning of the story, Aimee and her husband Ben have a fight, and then Ben promptly …

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The Heir Affair

Laurel Osterkamp · August 17, 2020

The Heir Affair (The Royal We Book 2) by Heather Cock and Jessica Morgan Format: Audio This second novel follows The Royal We, in which all-American tomboy Bex studies at Oxford, and falls in love with Prince Nicholas, who is second in line to the throne. Their romance is a roller coaster ride, made more complicated when Bex’s twin sister Lacey, and Nick’s younger brother Freddie, interfere. But (spoiler alert) Bex and Nick get married at the end, though their wedding was …

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My Favorite Authors

Reading novels is more than a pastime to me; it’s a way of life. I love escaping into a captivating story, and when that story is well written, I find myself learning about all sorts of things, like how to be a better writer, how to understand others, and how to understand myself. I mostly read books on my Kindle or listen to them on audio, but sometimes I’ll read from a hard copy. When I like a book, I’ll review it. Since you’re required to give star reviews on places like Goodreads, I will give every book I like enough to review five stars, even if I get nitpicky in my written review. (I HATE giving books star ratings since I don’t think good writing can really be quantified. But as an author myself, I know how devastating anything less than a five star rating can be, so I’m never going to do that to a fellow author.)

Below is a list of some of my favorite authors and links to their sites. You’ll find a mix of Women’s Fiction, YA, Psychological Suspense, and Literary Fiction. This list is always growing, so please check back as I continue to add to it.

Links to my favorite authors:

Curtis Sittenfeld

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Ruth Ware

Kate Moretti

Renée Rosen

Anna Pitoniak

Tracy Chevalier

Catherine McKenzie

Kara Thomas

J. Courtney Sullivan

Kelly Simmons

Jessica Strawser
Jessica Goodman

Jacquelyn Mitchard
Katherine St. John

Ann Garvin
Chandler Baker
Lori Rader-Day
Carol Goodman
Megan Miranda

Amy Impellizzeri

Ali Hazelwood

Karen McManus

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