Valentina: These Plot Twists are Flammable! (GIVEAWAY!)

Goodreads Rating: 4.67 Stars
280 Pages
Blackbird Digital Books Publishing
Expected Publication Date: July 1st, 2016
Preorder a copy here!

When Glasgow journalist Shona McGilvery moves with her partner Mikey and their baby to an idyllic cottage in rural Scotland, they believe that all that lies ahead of them is happiness.

But with Mikey working offshore, the frightening isolation of the Aberdeenshire countryside begins to drive her insane…

That is, until she is rescued by a new friendship with the enchanting Valentina.

She has the perfect home, the perfect man, and a charismatic new best friend – or does she?

As her fairytale life begins to unravel, the deep dark wood becomes the least of her fears…

A hauntingly intelligent, addictive psychological thriller from debut author S. E. Lynes.

Quick Reasons: PENGUINS, this book!; I can’t even wrap my brain around the plot twist; I mean, I expected something wild…but not what this book gave me; awesome, complex characters with a ton of secrets; a finely-woven tapestry of drama, mystery, and surprise; this read took a dark and unexpected path…and I ADORED it; diverse setting and characters

delicious wordplay

creeptastic!

life ruiner

devoured it

sobbing so hard

Huge thanks, firstly, to S.E. Lynes and Blackbird Digital Books Publishing for granting me access to this book early in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this title.

First and foremost: Valentina and Shona? Perfect foils. I don’t know how, I’m not sure I can explain why…but these two characters are as alike as they are different, and this made them the perfect compliment to each other. And while yes, they are similar in several ways you might think I mean, trust me when I say their true “foil” status doesn’t reach peak until around the 90% mark, when the entire world explodes.

These characters are vibrant. They scream from the pages, they make a mark on readers almost immediately…they embark on a journey that is unexpectedly dark and entertaining. Shona and Valentina are NOT your average characters, your average wives, or your average moms—there is an element of mystery, of shadows stepping into the light, that I haven’t found in many other books. This shady sense of something “not quite right” will follow readers through this entire read…and far after the final page.

I had a TON of fun hitching a ride on this wild journey, though if I’m being honest with you, I was expecting a plot twist of a different sort. Now, listen closely: this wasn’t, at all, a bad thing! The author caught me by surprise, threw me for several very long and dizzying loops…and then left me both perplexed and confused at the very end. I loved every second of it!

The writing and setting are both gorgeous and diverse. Because Shona hails from Scotland, the prose is languid, yet poetic and beautiful at the same time. The descriptions are so detailed, you’ll feel as if you’re sitting on the sidelines watching the action play out. This story will literally leap to life for you…and drag you on a journey of discovery and drama so intense, you won’t know what hit you at the end.

This was an awesome read, and I am so so glad to have been offered the opportunity to dive out of my comfort zone and step foot into these characters’ world for a brief moment. I really enjoyed the mystery, the “dark” atmosphere, and the surprising plot twists. I recommed this read to lovers of thrillers, characters with secrets, and whopper endings. This book surprised me…maybe you should let it surprise YOU.

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