Rating: 2 🍷 🍷
Book: Not My Boy
Release Date: Available Now!!! (Released on Jan 5, 2021)
Author: Kelly Simmons
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers/Women’s Fiction

Sipping Synopsis: Hannah and her sister, Hillary, were close and usually inseparable. So much so that Hannah decided to move next door to her sister. It doesn’t matter that she really moved to get a new start for her son, Miles. It doesn’t matter that she is running away from something that Miles may have done in their last neighborhood and school. It doesn’t matter that they have been in their new house for less than a week and a little girl goes missing, or does it? So why not just throw suspicion on your sister’s husband? May the best liar win!

Final sipping thoughts: I had a lot of hope for this book-as in any book one would choose to read. Reading the synopsis made me think it was going to be a huge mystery. Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I did not like the grandma or the sisters. They were just unlikable characters. The only likable character was the little boy, Miles. I felt like I was waiting on a buildup, a climax, a turn in action and it just didn’t happen-very anti-climatic. Just when I thought that there was about to be some action the story would just plateau.

I was able to have an electronic an audio version of this book. I enjoyed the narrators Morgan Hallett and Suzanne Toren. I am not sure if the grandmother’s voice was supposed to sound sneaky and duplicitous but that is what I got and I loved it enough to hate her character!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @RBMedia and @SourcebooksLandmarks for an advanced copy of @NotMyBoy

#NotMyBoy #SourcebooksLandmark #RBMedia #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #WomensFiction

This one wasn't particularly my cup of tea. It started out alright, but I found myself quickly losing interest. I would read another book by the author to give another chance, but this one wasn't for me.

2/5

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. The pacing is good. It keeps your attention from the first page. All of the characters are good. The family relationships within this book is well written. It is perfect for the mystery thriller genre. The writing style makes me think of Ruth Ware books and Colleen Hoover's book Verity. The author did a fantastic job writing this book. I highly highly recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. It is in stores now for $16.99 (USD).

Absolutely on the edge of my seat suspense! Two sisters with secrets, A mother being caught in the middle and a book club filled with some rather snobbish neighbors and a tragedy that rips through the neighborhood makes this a fast paced who done it read!

A mystery that keeps the reader wondering who did it. Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons has a lot of surprising twists and turns.

It’s a new year and this is my first official book review of 2021 and I must say, I was thrilled to start the year off with a bang when it came to my first read of the new year! I have read only one other book by this author and it was pretty good so I was looking forward to picking up another by her!

While I loved the cover (the little boy with a red coat is just so eye catching), I think it was the summary the truly sold me on this one as a potential read. Whenever a review pitch comes across my desk I always read each one and a catchy summary and book cover always help a book to stand out!

I liked the idea of an upper middle class setting and the idea of a wrongly accused son with a mama bear to protect him. I thought it would a relatable book for me as I have a son as well. I dove in during winter break and was eager to wrap up my first read of 2021.

Summary
Who will you cross to protect your own?

When Hannah packs up her past and moves to the cottage next-door to her sister, she hopes the luxe neighborhood and close family ties will be the perfect escape for her son and the shadows that trail them. But when a young girl goes missing days after they unload their final boxes and her son is quickly thrown under suspicion, Hannah must do whatever it takes to protect her child.

Even if that means pointing the blame her sister’s way instead.

With investigators swarming and neighborhood scrutiny closing in, the divide between two sisters grows. As one fiercely defends her husband, the other shields her boy from the crime, keeping quiet the secrets that might unravel it all.

And all the while, one young girl has vanished, and someone is to blame. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
The first thing that stood out to me in this book was how quickly some of the characters turned on one another. I loved that the mom was basically like ‘oh no not my child, look at my other family instead!’. I was like, wow that’s savage! But yet not entirely unbelievable—in fact I found it very believable and I enjoyed watching how the characters changed and justified their actions in the story.

I didn’t necessarily connect with some of the characters right away, it admittedly did take me a few chapters to connect with Hannah and while I might not have felt truly connected with her, I felt enough of a connection to continue reading and enjoying the story. While I might not have loved Hannah, I did love the concept of this story. The sisters who were each trying to protect the ones they love was realistic and suspenseful for sure! I couldn’t help but be mistrustful of some of the characters and their motivations. That is what made the book for me.

This was a very relevant read and I read it very quickly. I loved the setting and the family aspects of the thriller. I think I would actually label this one as more suspense rather than thriller though. There were a few twists to keep me guessing and on my toes but what truly stood out to me was the characters ability to turn on one another. Their motivations were compelling and interesting and I loved this unique study of regular middle class families with dark secrets and motivations and a past to hide. It was well written and enjoyable, I can’t wait to read more by this author in the future! This is only my second book by Simmons and I am already looking forward to more!

Book Info and Rating
Paperback, 304 pages

January 5th 2021 by Sourcebooks Landmark

ISBN1728217660 (ISBN13: 9781728217666)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Sourcebooks, and author in partnership with the Tall Poppy Writer/Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: suspense, thriller, mystery

Not My Boy
By: Kelly Simmons
Published: out now
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

With a family like this...
A sister that's too close, and a mom that's too busy triangulating.....what could go wrong?
Side note* I currently live within 5.5 miles in all directions (3) of family and couldn't be happier 😂

What I liked:
The premiseEva's character. I thought she was multi-dimensional and intriguing.

What I disliked:
There were several points where the story dragged a bit.

For fans of:
⭐️ Family dramas⭐️ multiple POV’s ⭐️ spirited passive-aggressive characters

Thanks to @netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my review.

In this compelling thriller, Hannah moves to a new home with her son hoping for a new beginning and a new life. But then, the past she has seemingly left behind resurfaces, and her son's past behavior is put in full display. Hannah finds herself trying to protect her son while unveiling family secrets that can destroy her family relationship with her sister.

As a thriller, this book delivers a remarkable story full of twists and spins that keeps you guessing to the end. I found myself trying to figure out the real suspect using small details in the story that I thought foreshadowed the ending, yet I was wrong for the most part. The author delivers a thrilling story in a way that the reader keeps changing their mind. Hannah's character was so fierce in protecting her son, which made her somewhat relatable. At the same time, she makes the wrong choices and keeps secrets that could have changed the way the story develops. This is also true for some of the other characters. Family dynamics are portrayed in a relatable way. We get to witness family interactions that become an essential part of the story and reveals a lot about the characters and their family life's dysfunction.

Overall, an entertained read and one of those books I couldn't put down!

The story started fine with a missing girl, two sisters who were neighbors, a son who was different, and a mother who lived closeby. Then the girl's body was found...

The prose had more of narration, so that dragged and made it a slow read. The latter half when the sisters decided to find the truth about the identity of the killer, it became slightly interesting.

Overall, it was an okay read

This was such a great read. I love how the author perfectly captured the limits of unwavering loyalty to those we love unconditionally and what happens when we turn on someone we love. I also enjoyed that I was able to have multiple characters' POV. This added to the intrigue as I read. Highly recommend this one!

Tragedy strikes a small close knit neighborhood and immediately everyone is suspicious. Follow the dual POV of Hannah and Eva as they work to recall the events and find out what happened. This book was fast paced as we worked to solve the mystery throughout and the events of what really happened on that specific night. I enjoyed the book and found I connected with Eva the most. As a mother it had me wondering how far I would go had I been in this same situation.

Thank you Netgalley and Kelly Simmons for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

NOT MY BOY by Kelly Simmons grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn’t let me go, keeping me up late into the night to find out what happened next.
After her divorce, Hannah needs a change of scenery for both herself and her son, who has had some difficulties in school. She and her sister have always wanted to live next door to each other, so she is excited to move into a cottage a couple of houses down. When a young girl disappears soon after, things in the affluent neighborhood take a turn. The police soon turn their attention to Hannah’s son. How far will she go to protect him? When her brother-in-law also comes under scrutiny, the secrets the sisters are keeping threaten destroy their relationship, unless they can work together to uncover the true culprit.
The more I read, the more I wondered who was guilty. The combination of mystery and family dynamics were interesting and engaging and Simmons created characters and situations that kept me guessing until the satisfying conclusion. If this isn’t on your TBR, put it at the top. It’s a great book to kick of the new year!
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#notmyboy #sourcebookslandmark #kellysimmons #tallpoppywriters #bloomreads #bloom #tallpoppybogger #tallpoppyreviewer

Not My Boy is a book of family dynamics, trust, and secrets. I could not stop reading, turning pages, and needing to know what would happen next. The characters had depth with their secrets, with their love of each other, and with the knowledge that someone killed a little girl in their neighborhood that they had to keep each other safe. The story was not simple, there were many twists and turns.

Hannah is a single mother raising her son. The son was bullied at his school, so the mother moves next door to her sister to be near family, specifically her niece that has a special bond with her son. I felt that Hannah was a protective mom when it was convenient for her. With the murder of a young girl in the neighborhood, I did not understand why she would leave him home, trusting him to stay in the house and out of trouble. Other times, she hovered around him keeping him close to her.

I recommend picking up your own copy of Not My Boy. Kelly Simmons has become a go-to author for me.

Hannah and her son move next door to her sister in an upscale neighborhood - and the day after, a little girl on their street disappears and is soon found dead. Soon, Hannah’s son, Miles, is being looked at by the police, as well as her brother-in-law next door. This of course causes some conflict between the sisters. They both believe their family member is innocent, so can they figure out who did the crime?

I wanted to love this book, but it was just ok for me. The first part was really slow and I had a hard time getting into it. I also found the alienating POVs a little confusing at times. I also had a few questions after reading that were never answered. While this isn’t a favorite, I’d definitely give the author’s other books a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intriguing and very atmospheric book. Hannah moves into a new community to be close to her sister Hillary. Recently separated, Hannah is hoping for a new start for her young son Miles. There is mystery surrounding what is happening with Miles and his obsession with animals. Right after Hannah moves in a young child is murdered. There are a few suspects to narrow down and as law enforcement seems to be circling around Hannah and her son and Hillary’s family the sisters set out to solve the mystery. As I said the writing was very atmospheric and you feel completely immersed in the neighbourhood. This one had me guessing until near the end as to who the killer was.
.

Not My Boy by Kelly Simmons is a well written book and different than what I expected.
When something shocking happens in a well to do close knit community, no one is above suspicions.
This one had me on the edge of my seat.
The characters were well developed, flawed and well fleshed out.
This was one book I did not want to end.

This is the sixth novel from this American author. Her previous books included "Where She Went", "The Fifth of July" and "One More Day'. This one is a psychological thriller. Hannah and her son Miles have moved into the small home next door to her sister Hillary and her husband and daughter. All goes well until a young girl goes missing and the police are interested in Hannah's son. The sisters relationship is strained when Hillary expresses concern for her daughter's welfare and Hannah begins to suspect that all is not as it seems with her sister's husband. The book is told from two points of view, Hannah and that of Eva, the mother of the two women who also lives nearby. This is a good recommendation for fans of the genre...but I did find the ending to be a little weak.

Unfortunately, this story fell flat for me. The story itself was interesting, but I felt no connection with any of the characters. The sisters’ personalities, as written, just left me cold. I didn’t like either one of them. The story seemed to drag on and on, leaving me bored. I had this same problem with a previous book of Ms. Simmons’ that I read.

I received a complimentary copy, but was not required to leave a positive review.

I'm a bit at a loss about how to leave a review for this book.
I have to say that I did not enjoy it as it seems many others did. To me it was not at all a thriller until maybe the very end. I could not connect with anyone in this book. Basically I just didn't like any of the characters.

Eva, the mother, seemed very selfish in parts. Saying that her daughters would always choose each other. A mother should love that not moan about it. Saying they were invited to join a book club and she wasn't was another selfish act. Should she not be happy for them. I just didn't much like her. I did like that she was a fairly good grandmother. Except the scene with the deer. She acted very stupid about that. I would have been there for my grandchild if they was trying to save or console a dying animal. Not think something dirty or sinister was going on. Good grief.

Then we have the two sisters. Hannah and Hillary. Hannah was a bit more likable that Hillary but only a tiny bit. They are suppose to be so close yet they sure could turn on each other over anything and everything. Blaming each other for things that seemed to me when they should have been there for each other most. What grown woman turns on a child in this situation.(you'll have to read the book to know the situation). Hillary seemed to think she was better than her sister too. I didn't like that. Both were good mothers to an extent. Hannah it seemed wanted answers more than Hillary did. Then we have the fact that when they do finally start working together they have to do the job for the police. ha I didn't really find that believable at all. Sorry but I do believe that the police department would have been ahead of everything in this case. They would not have needed to mothers to solve the case for them.

I didn't like that the killer was never named in this story until the very last couple of chapters. You never hear a word about him/her until almost the very end. Most books I've read give some hints so you can try and figure it out. It took the two sisters to figure it out. I just didn't believe it.

As for the story... It was written well. Not many mistakes. The scenes were realistic. There was a tiny bit of a few tense moments but it didn't read like an edge of your seat thriller to me. It was a mystery for sure. It had some parts that could have been left completely out as they served no purpose at all except maybe to explain Hannah's job. That really didn't contribute anything to the book though.

Thank you #NetGalley, #KellySimmons, #SourcebooksLandmark for this ARC. These are my own true thoughts about this book.

I gave it a 3/5 star and that was a tiny stretch. Sorry but I just didn't like this one. I truly hate leaving a review like this. It makes me very sad. I do appreciate that the author put a lot of work into this story. It just was not for me.

When my wish was granted I legit cried low-key so a huge thanks to Sourcebooks. This book is set in a neighborhood that is quiet and has never been rocked with a scandal. But then something does happen in this neighborhood and everyone becomes a suspect. It kept me on my toes trying to guess who the suspect was .What an incredible book!