Nora had so much. Her husband cheated on her, having kid with much younger woman, divorced her , and moving near her. As if it’s not enough, someone killed this ex husband and his wife in their bedroom and now she’s the suspect. Like seriously, it’s enough to make someone cracked.

This book had a mainstream premise and I was not really excited when I first read it. The pace was too fast at the start, made me feel not connected enough with the main character. I, myself, like a book which has a strong base on character development. But things got better along the way. With its light writing, Nora seems closer and understandable as the story goes. Well, even though I thought she’s hiding her own feeling even to the reader. I mean, I kept waiting her to lose it all at some point, but she didn’t. She didn’t even feign it, she just didn’t lose control. Despite sad or distress, she even went around pointing finger to everyone she suspected.

And then there were her best friends, aunt and a newfound lover who’s always by her side without doubting her innocence. I thought this is sweet and really them all have a happy ending, but it seems not logic at all. I mean, I couldn’t bear to read their disappointment after what they believe in Nora and I did hope they won’t get disappointed in the end, but really not even a little suspicion came from them.

Unlike Nora’s closest one who’s very loyal, betrayal is the biggest star in this book. Betrayal happened to Nora ; to her friend, Kelly, who’s got cheated by her husband too and it happened to her friend’s husband who’s fired at jobs as well. We could see how a betrayal made life ends, literally for Nora’s husband. The mystery is okay, the thrill is there, but sometimes it felt like many coincidences and cops foolishness in this book that leads to the ending. But this was a light read, you could finish it in one sitting.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

When Nora's unfaithful ex-husband is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. I didn't find this novel as suspenseful as advertised - it was more of a formulaic mystery, yet redeemed by its well-written dialogue. If you don't mind the usual tropes, this is a good solid mystery.

This book was not for me. I could not relate to the character and, while I normally really enjoy fiction, I wasn't quite gripped by the story. I did feel sorry for the things the Nora was going through, I didn't engage with her story so much. Thank you so much for the opportunity, while the book didn't appeal to me, i think a lot of people will like it!

Amazing. Well written and great characters. I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for more from this author!

This book started off really good, but the middle drug a bit. The ending felt rushed. If the author had paced it a little better, it would have been a lot more enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for this book.

It started out good but the more I read the worse it got to me. I had a hard time with it. Sorry but this one was just not for me.

3.5 Nora and Hugh, an up and coming artist, have been together for twelve years though married for only one. Nora finds out that no only had Hugh cheated on her but he is going to have a child with that woman, something Nora had badly wanted for herself. She moves away, works at a small town new paper writing a column called Tips for Living. A big tourist town, the population swells in the summer, she is gutted when Hugh, his new wife and young daughter a!so move to this town that she calls home. When husband and wife are brutally murdered, Nora becomes the prime suspect.

There is a friendly, familiar tone to this mystery. It is inviting, easy to read. One can't help but like and feel for Nora. There is also that small town flavor, everyone knowing each others business, reminded me a little of the town in which I live. It is not edge of your seat suspenseful, no big flashy scenes, just a slow unraveling of the secrets some are keeping, including Nora herself. I enjoyed this, it was refreshingly simple and different.

ARC from Netgalley.

Finally stitching her life back together after a messy divorce, Nora Glasser finds herself confronted by her ex-husband Hugh and his new, much younger and much more pregnant second wife when the two inexplicably move to Nora’s small town of Pequod, New York. Soon after, the two are murdered, posed in death to mirror figures in one of Hugh’s paintings, and Nora is fingered for the crime. Tips for Living, a fast-moving thriller, would have you believe that everything is clear-cut, but things are not what they seem. Surely, Nora is easily framed as the maligned ex-wife.

Nora, weighed down by a secret hidden since childhood, questions her own culpability in the murders, even going so far as to seriously consider herself a viable suspect. Luckily, the local residents have rallied around her and believe in her innocence. Unluckily, the townsfolk make up a cast of largely unremarkable characters whose function seems to be little more than providing support for Nora as she digs herself out of the nasty hole she keeps falling deeper into. Renée Shafransky does dedicate more of an effort to creating Nora’s voice and backstory.

Many of the moving parts in Shafransky’s debut feel plucked from a television crime drama. In fact, during one of her more boneheaded moves, Nora explicitly mentions how she should act based on her knowledge of fictitious police procedurals. The result is a narrative that toes the line into cliche territory. Nonetheless, even with its faults, Tips for Living has cracking propulsion. The novel never suffers a sluggish moment and the mystery is a real stumper until the final reveal.

Great story, cleverly written. I could not read this book fast enough, I highly recommend. Thanks for the ARC

What a fun mystery this is. A fabulous debut novel sure to please every reader I loved this story of the dumped first wife ( many of us can relate) left for a fertile young bimbo. As our protagonist is determined to move on she relocates to a small town and works at the town paper. She is meeting new friends and enjoying her new life when a terrible twist occurs. The ex husband and his bimbo move to her town ! Determined to move on our protagonist continues with her life until they are both murdered and she is the prime suspect. She must now investigate to save her life and her reputation.
Wow I loved this story. Its fast paced, full of suspense and truly unique . The mystery is very well crafted and full of twist and turns that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to more by this author. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Nora had found out her husband had cheated on her and gotten the other woman pregnant. 3 Years later and trying to get her life back together, her ex and his new family have moved into town. Now her ex, Hugh, is dead along with is wife and she has to account for her whereabouts. As no. 1 suspect it is up to her to find out what really happened.
This was a fast read and I really liked Nora. But does she have something to hide and who in Hugh's life wanted him dead. I received this from Netgalley for an honest reveiw.

Tips For Living was an enjoyable story with a realistic premise. Age-old story of marital infidelity followed by break-up, but with the twist of the cheaters following the injured party to her new home and ending up dead. I must admit I did see where the story was going, but it was still an engrossing read. The character development and dialogue was realistic, although some of it was a bit too obvious. Overall I would rate this at 3.5 stars, rounded up for good quality overall.

Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

What a delightful book! Well, as delightful as a murder mystery can be. Nora really got the short end of the stick when her husband first left her for the other woman he had impregnated but then again when they moved to her small town. Geez. Even worse, she's the prime suspect when they are killed. There are lots of other potential suspects - Shafransky has carefully plotted this out with just enough details to make you suspect everyone but ..well in my case, the one who actually did it. Loved the way she's captured the small town issues with summer weekend people. The sleepwalking angle was really cool. Thanks to Netgalley for the DRC. I'm late to the party but highly recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this.

I just could not get into this book. I felt like the first few chapters were interesting; and then I couldn’t make myself care what happened.

An incredible debut novel, this suspense thriller kept me reading and wanting more!

Nora was an inspiring main character working through all the the things thrown at her good and bad- from her divorce from the cheating husband, to her deteriorating aunt, to a mad reader at the Courier- life just kept going for her even at the hardest times.

I really enjoyed this suspense thriller, the ending was just fantastic! Hoping to read more from Renee Shafranaky soon! Thanks to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for allowing me a copy of this title to read in exchange for a review!

While Tips for Living sounds like a self help book, it is definitely not. It is a novel of suspense that kept me guessing until the very end. In this book, Nora's ex-husband Hugh moves to the town that Nora escaped to after their divorce with his new wife- the woman Hugh got pregnant while still married to Nora. Oops. Not long after, the bodies of Hugh and his wife Helene are found, brutally murdered, and Nora is the prime suspect. This book had me guessing who the murderer was until the end and left me very satisfied with the ending. The author did a tremendous job with character development and keeping the reader in suspense. This is Renée Shafranskys first novel and I am impressed! Thank you @lakeunionauthors and @netgalley for this advance reader.

A good holiday suspense, well written, good characters, rather reminiscent of various TV dramas!

This is an excellent debut novel. Even though there were moments in the book that got a bit slow for me, it did keep my interest and I wondered in what direction it was going as it really had me guessing. The twist at the end was a quite a surprise that I really didn't see coming. Very well done. I'm looking forward to reading more by Renee Shafransky.

I received an advance reader's copy from NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel.
When Nora discovers her husband, Hugh, has gotten another woman pregnant she vows to start her life again and not be dragged down by the pain in her past. Three years later she is working as a newspaper columnist in a small town, trying to start over. When her husband and her his now wife move into the same town Nora resides, Nora’s pain and anger return to her all over again. When her ex-husband and his new wife are found dead in their home, set up to make Nora look like the killer, Nora begins to question her sanity and her character. Nora begins sleepwalking again, a behaviour she hasn’t exhibited since childhood, and she desperately tries to keep it a secret knowing that it will spark too many questions. Questions even Nora can’t answer.
“Tips for Living” by Renee Shafransky caught me off guard, in a good way. This unexpected novel is full of suspense, intrigue, murder and romance, and it had me hooked from the very first page. Nora is a character we can all relate to, someone with hurt in her heart that is trying to start anew in spite of the odds she is facing. Her anger for her ex-husband and new wife is completely understandable, and these characters are in fact, so despicable, that I did not experience any love lost when they were murdered.
This novel has many supporting characters so it is difficult to try and figure out who the murderer is until it is actually revealed (I didn’t figure it out myself until only a few pages before Shafranksy herself revealed it!), which contributes to the story’s addictive plot. When the murderer is revealed, the story continues to grab and hold your full attention, until a final, just ending is delivered.
The small town, supporting characters are plentiful, and they are hard to keep track of (Al, Mac, Sinead, Kelly, etc.). This is likely done to add more choice to the “whodunit” cast of characters but it can get overwhelming and confusing at times. The many players involved in Hugh’s art world gum up the mix as well, but for those of us who are not particularly well versed in the art world (myself included), I appreciated Shafranksy’s excluding of the pretentious, haughty language of the art world and instead choosing a more laymen vernacular.
“Living” delivers a surprising punch, with twists and turns on every page. Shafransky’s debut novel is both creative and entertaining, with strong character development and a page-turning, addictive plot. I truly hope Shafransky continues to deliver more novels like this in the future.

In the novel, Tips for Living, Nora discovers that not only has her husband, Hugh, cheated on her, but gotten another women pregnant. Nora vows to start a new life, but just as she has settled into a new, improved version of herself, Hugh and his new family become her neighbors. But before Nora has a chance to seek revenge, Hugh and his wife are found dead. Unfortunately, Nora does not have an alibi and in fact, cannot remember what she was doing at the time as the murder. So as she tries to regain those memories, she also searches for the killer.

In another writer’s hands, this plot could end up being trite, but Renee Shafransky has a solid understanding of her characters and what makes them tick. The lively past and surprise twists make this novel a page-turner. As echoed in many other reviews, Tips for Living will undoubtedly be a must read for suspense/thrill readers in 2018.

I was not familiar with Renee Shafransky before reading this novel, but am already looking forward to her next novel. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an advanced copy for my unbiased review.