Review - Brain Damage

Title:  Brain Damage

Author:  Freida McFadden

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Publisher:  Poisoned Pen Press

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   384

Date of Publication:   August 25, 2026

My Rating:   4 Stars

*First published April 29, 2016

DESCRIPTION:

How can you survive when you can't remember who wants you dead?

Dr. Charly McKenna had the perfect life: a thriving dermatology practice, a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park, and a handsome husband who adored her.

Until the night a bullet tore through her skull… and stole everything.

Now Charly wakes in a rehabilitation hospital unable to walk, speak, or remember her own name. All she knows is that someone tried to kill her―and they may still be out there. As fragments of memory surface, so do unsettling questions about the people around her, including the attentive man who keeps appearing at her bedside.

The truth of what happened that night lives somewhere inside her brain. And as Charly pieces together the jagged edges of her past, she begins to realize the most terrifying possibility: the person who wants her dead might be the one she once trusted most.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a scalpel-sharp psychological thriller about fractured memory, buried secrets, and how far the mind will go to protect you from the truth.

Link to purchase the book

MY REVIEW:

I have been wanting to dive into Freida McFadden’s backlist, but time hasn’t really made that possible. So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Brain Damage, a book originally published ten years ago. If I needed a reason to start exploring more of Ms. McFadden’s work, this was the perfect place to begin.

Dr. Charly McKenna is doing quite well in her dermatology practice, even if some of her patients occasionally make her want to scream. When she meets a patient named Clark Douglas, she is immediately drawn to him. However, her professional ethics prevent her from dating a patient. After a sufficient amount of time passes, they reconnect - this time with Clark seemingly ready and waiting. Fast-forward, and Charly is now married to Clark, living in a beautiful apartment with a cute cat. She couldn’t be happier.

Until one day, she wakes up in a hospital bed, hearing people talk about her rather than speaking to her. Charly has been shot in the head, and it is a miracle she survived. Before long, she is transferred to a rehab facility, where her recovery is painfully slow. Her memories are fragmented, and her physical limitations are significant. While she desperately wants to regain her strength, she wants her memories back even more.

Charly isn’t sure how long she will remain in rehab, but she is determined to prove to herself, her doctors, and her mother that she can recover from this devastating tragedy. And then there is the question she can’t escape: Where is Clark?

It takes some time, but Clark eventually shows up - seemingly riding in on a white horse. He presents himself as the devoted husband, ready to take care of Charly and support her recovery. But as Charly’s memories begin to return, things are not quite what they seem. 

What a thrilling story! Twist after twist kept me turning the pages, and I honestly didn’t want to put this book down. I did, however, want to throw my Kindle more than once because Clark was absolutely horrid - nothing like the charming, enamored patient Charly first met in her office.

Freida McFadden kept me guessing, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pieces of Charly’s fractured memory slowly fall into place. There are plenty of surprises along the way, and the ending left me very satisfied. If Brain Damage is any indication of what I can expect from Freida McFadden’s backlist, I definitely have some catching up to do!

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk more about herself in the third person, visit her website: https://www.freidamcfadden.com/

Author social media

Twitter: @Freida_McFadden

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Freida-McFadden-Author-of-Psychological-Thrillers-and-Medical-Humor-400860063303345/

Instagram: @fizzziatrist

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/freida-mcfadden/

Review - The Thoroughbreds

 

The Thoroughbreds

by Elin Hilderbrand; Shelby Cunningham

SeriesThe Academy #2

PublisherLittle, Brown and Company

GenreWomen’s Fiction

FormatKindle ARC

Pages464

Pub. DateSeptember 15, 2026

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION

While most of the characters in both The Academy and The Thoroughbreds are teenagers, there are enough adult characters and storylines to make these books cross several genres - young adult, romance, mystery, contemporary fiction, and more.

The Academy does a very good job introducing readers to Tiffin Academy, a school of privilege built on reputation, tradition, and appearances. Ranked as the second-best boarding school in the country, image is everything. And while the students’ escapades can be scandalous, protecting Tiffin’s reputation remains the priority.

The major characters in both stories include Charley Hicks, a transfer student who desperately wants to avoid being an outsider; Andrew “East” Eastman, Charley’s boyfriend, whose relationship with some of the female staff members creates its own complications; and Cinnamon Peters, a student who died by suicide before the events of both books. Although Cinnamon is never physically present in either story, her presence is felt throughout, and her story becomes an important thread running through both books.

There are also several strong adult characters who add another layer to the story. These include, Audre Robinson, the Head of School at Tiffin, Cordelia Spooner is the admissions director, and Simone Bergeron is a history teacher who seems unable to escape bad decisions - and the consequences that follow.

In The Thoroughbreds, the major characters are now seniors. We have had a chance to get to know the players, their motivations, their relationships, and their emotions in The Academy. Now their futures are calling, and for some of them, those futures are in jeopardy as they face increasingly serious consequences.

So, how do I feel about these books? I am not usually one for soap-opera-type drama, but I have to admit that the authors’ use of Cinnamon throughout the storyline was brilliant. There were so many strings to pull together, and just when I thought I had figured out where things were going, another one appeared. It was a little like watching a train wreck - I couldn’t look away.

While these books may not normally be my kind of drama, I found myself completely invested in the lives, secrets, and consequences at Tiffin Academy.

Link to shop the series

MY THOUGHTS

While most of the characters in both The Academy and The Thoroughbreds are teenagers, there are enough adult characters and storylines to make these books cross several genres - young adult, romance, mystery, contemporary fiction, and more.

The Academy does a very good job introducing readers to Tiffin Academy, a school of privilege built on reputation, tradition, and appearances. Ranked as the second-best boarding school in the country, image is everything. And while the students’ escapades can be scandalous, protecting Tiffin’s reputation remains the priority.

The major characters in both stories include Charley Hicks, a transfer student who desperately wants to avoid being an outsider; Andrew “East” Eastman, Charley’s boyfriend, whose relationship with some of the female staff members creates its own complications; and Cinnamon Peters, a student who died by suicide before the events of both books. Although Cinnamon is never physically present in either story, her presence is felt throughout, and her story becomes an important thread running through both books.

There are also several strong adult characters who add another layer to the story. These include, Audre Robinson, the Head of School at Tiffin, Cordelia Spooner is the admissions director, and Simone Bergeron is a history teacher who seems unable to escape bad decisions - and the consequences that follow.

In The Thoroughbreds, the major characters are now seniors. We have had a chance to get to know the players, their motivations, their relationships, and their emotions in The Academy. Now their futures are calling, and for some of them, those futures are in jeopardy as they face increasingly serious consequences.

So, how do I feel about these books? I am not usually one for soap-opera-type drama, but I have to admit that the authors’ use of Cinnamon throughout the storyline was brilliant. There were so many strings to pull together, and just when I thought I had figured out where things were going, another one appeared. It was a little like watching a train wreck - I couldn’t look away.

While these books may not normally be my kind of drama, I found myself completely invested in the lives, secrets, and consequences at Tiffin Academy.

Many thanks to Little, Brown and Company and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Robin Loves Reading

Review - The Devoted

The Devoted

by Catherine Cho

PublisherWashington Square Press

GenreMystery & Thrillers

FormatKindle ARC

Pages256

Pub. DateJune 4, 2026

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION

In this emotionally transportive literary debut about family and fate, a young Korean woman whose father is a leader in an infamous crime organization becomes entrenched in the dangerous world she once sought to escape.

Raised in Hong Kong by their Korean grandmother in a quiet village, Eunha and her brother Solomon live a sheltered life. Their father is a Dragon Head, a leader within the infamous criminal organization of the Triads. While their beloved grandmother does her best to shield the children from the constant hum of violence and fear that surrounds their father and his world, Eunha only has Solomon and their one permitted companion, a boy named Kai, for company.

But as Eunha grows up and marries into a supposedly respectable Hong Kong family, the veneer of her careful life begins to crack. When her young son is kidnapped, she is cast into the city’s criminal underground and back into the orbit of Kai, now a Dragon Head himself.

Will Eunha finally give in to the life she has strived so hard to rise above or was her future always fated?

The Devoted is at once a sweeping family drama, a moving account of forbidden love, and a story about a woman’s determination to choose her own destiny.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS

The principal protagonist in The Devoted is Eunha. Eunha and her brother, Solomon, were raised by their strict grandmother. Their father was a Dragon Head within the Triads, an extremely powerful position within the criminal organization. While Eunha and Solomon were growing up, their contact with their father was limited. Their grandmother was determined to keep them from becoming part of that world.

Their isolation extended beyond their father, however. They had very little contact with other people, growing up in a world that was both sheltered and restrictive. The family was Korean, and being raised in Hong Kong was not always easy for them. Eventually, Eunha and Solomon were introduced to a new playmate, Kai, and the three became very close.

As Eunha grows older, she marries Philip. The marriage places her in a privileged position, but despite the wealth and security it provides, her heart remains as empty and isolated as it was during her childhood.

Then, tragically, Eunha’s toddler son is kidnapped, forcing her to turn to the dark world from which she had been so carefully shielded. By this point, Solomon has grown up to become a Dragon Head himself, just like their father. Kai also returns to their lives, bringing with him a complicated history that becomes increasingly important as the story unfolds.

Told through a dual timeline, The Devoted gradually reveals more about Eunha’s past, her relationship with Kai, and the difficult choices she has made. Her past and present eventually collide, and loyalty plays an important role throughout the story. This is also a love story - one that feels difficult and, for much of the book, almost hopeless.

Unfortunately, I never really connected with any of the characters, or even with much of the story itself. What did interest me, however, was the underlying idea of trying to escape a lifestyle that is seemingly part of your blood while simultaneously trying to forge your own path. Eunha spends much of her life attempting to separate herself from her family’s world, only to discover how difficult it can be to truly escape the legacy into which you were born.

For me, that conflict between family, loyalty, love, and the desire to create a life of your own was the most compelling aspect of The Devoted.

Many thanks to Washington Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Robin Loves Reading

MILESTONE - 500 BOOKS IN 2026

 

500 BOOKS. 500 STORIES.

A YEAR FULL OF ADVENTURE, MYSTERY, LOVE & DISCOVERY.

And I’m not finished yet! 📚❤️

📚🎉 500 BOOKS! 🎉📚

I officially reached 500 books read in 2026!

Five hundred books is a life filled with hundreds of stories, countless characters, mysteries solved, worlds explored, laughter, tears, surprises, and plenty of books that I couldn’t put down.

I’ve been thinking about all the books I’ve read so far this year, and while 500 books is a number worth celebrating, it’s really the individual stories that make the number meaningful.

So I’m sharing a look at my 500-book reading year - including some of the books that stood out along the way.

And now I’m curious: What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2026? 📖❤️ Mine are in the second screenshot  

MY TEN FAVORITES

Robin Loves Reading

BLOG TOUR - A Christmas Wish for the Village Midwife

A Christmas Wish for the Village Midwife

by Tilly Tennant

SeriesThe Village Midwife #5

PublisherBookouture 

GenreWomen’s Fiction; Romance

FormatKindle ARC

Pages302

Pub. DateSeptember 21, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

As stars sparkle in wintry skies, the little village of Thimblebury is getting in the Christmas spirit. Fairy lights hang in shop windows, couples kiss under the mistletoe and midwife Zoe Padbury has a heartfelt Christmas wish…

For midwife Zoe Padbury, there’s nowhere more magical than her Lake District home at Christmas. The air smells of hot chocolate and mulled wine, there are Santa cruises on the lakes, and Zoe has her hands full welcoming babies into the world – the best presents of all.

But at home at Kestrel Cottage, despite the lights twinkling on the tree, the mood is far from festive. Zoe has just had unexpected news: she may never be able to have children. She and her boyfriend Alex have been dreaming of starting a family of their own, and as she watches Alex put together the perfect Christmas for his daughter Billie, she hides her heartbreak. She’s determined not to ruin the holidays for him…

Zoe wraps presents with Billie, and sees Alex look at them both with such love. The season should be joyful, but she’s far from feeling light and hope. But what’s more important at Christmas? Keeping the peace or telling the truth? Zoe’s only wish is for many more Christmases with those she loves. But is her relationship strong enough to survive the secrets she’s been keeping?

A gorgeous heart-warming festive read about coming together at Christmas. Fans of Jessica Redland, Jo Bartlett and Shari Low will fall in love with A Christmas Wish for the Village Midwife.

Buy Link:

• Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H4M6N947social
• 
  

MY THOUGHTS

This is another enjoyable installment in Tilly Tennant’s Village Midwife series. Readers have come to know and love Zoe Padbury, the village midwife who has brought countless babies into the world but has never been able to have a child of her own.

Zoe has fallen in love with Alex, a wonderful man and widower with a daughter, Billie, who recently became a mother herself to baby Louisa. Billie has experienced tragedy in her life, so she continues to live at home with her father. Zoe has recently moved in with Alex and Billie, which means her relationship with Alex isn’t quite the private, romantic situation she might have imagined. Instead, she has become part of a family - and that brings its own joys, challenges, and complications.

As another Christmas approaches, Zoe finds herself thinking about her future with Alex and wondering what that future might look like. She is also dealing with secrets and emotions that she isn’t even sure she can share with her dearest friends. Sometimes, the hardest choices are the ones that involve the people we love most.

This lovely series is set in the picturesque village of Thimblebury, where family, friendship, romance, and difficult choices come together in each story. With Christmas providing the backdrop, this latest installment adds another warm and heartfelt layer to Zoe’s journey and to a series I continue to enjoy.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

Author Social Media Links
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter
WEBSITE: www.tillytennant.com

BOOKOUTURE EMAIL SIGN UP:  https://www.bookouture.com/tilly-tennant

Robin Loves Reading

BLOG TOUR - Murder at the Manor House

 

Murder at the Manor House 

by Katie Gayle

SeriesJulia Bird Mysteries #10

PublisherBookouture 

GenreCozy Mystery

FormatKindle ARC

Pages249

Pub. DateSeptember 22, 2026

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION

Julia Bird is as keen as anyone in Berrywick to see inside the famous Greystone Manor. But when she does, the last thing she expects is to find is a body!

When Julia Bird is asked to clear out the gatehouse at Greystone Manor after the sudden death of Colonel Loxton’s sister, she is intrigued to finally see inside the impressive house. But when she discovers the body of the Colonel, who greeted her only hours before, dead behind the sofa with a bruise on his forehead, Julia believes his death is no accident.

Once forensics confirm it was murder, Julia tries to piece together what happened. On the day the Colonel died, she saw an unknown man getting into a car outside the manor. The butler Garforth and the housekeeper Biddy claim there were no visitors that day, so who was this mysterious man? Or is someone in the Colonel’s family not telling the truth, with tensions running high over the inheritance?

Days later, Julia finds another body dead among the rhododendrons and knows the deaths must be connected. At the Colonel’s funeral she heard his friends talking about a long-buried secret. Had the second victim discovered it, and is it motive enough to kill? With time running out, can Julia solve the case before there’s another murder at the manor?

An addictive and totally charming cozy mystery set in the English countryside. Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and J. R. Ellis.

Buy Link

Amazon https://geni.us/B0GSG27BW9social

MY THOUGHTS

Julia Bird has an opportunity she is definitely not going to turn down. She has been assigned to clean out the gatehouse at Greystone Manor following a recent death in the Loxton family. She is more than happy to go about her duties, but that happiness quickly turns to shock when she discovers the body of Colonel Loxton. They had spoken only hours earlier, and now Julia has found him dead. It is clearly a case of murder. One thing Julia has proven to be particularly adept at is solving murders, so she takes it upon herself to do exactly that.

The more Julia searches for answers, the more questions she uncovers. Was the Colonel killed by a stranger, or is someone within the household responsible? Before Julia can make much headway with her investigation, there is yet another murder. Julia isn’t one to believe in coincidences, and she becomes convinced that the two deaths are connected. Now she is in a race against time because the last thing she wants to discover is yet another body.

Readers of this engaging series are certain to enjoy this tenth installment. Yes, Julia lives in the quiet English countryside. Yes, she seems to constantly stumble across dead bodies. And, yes, she always manages to find her way to the truth. Perhaps it’s a bit fantastical, but isn’t that part of the fun of cozy mysteries? With its charming setting, intriguing secrets, and determined amateur sleuth, Murder at the Manor House is another entertaining addition to the series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter
https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Katie Gayle here: https://www.bookouture.com/katie-gayle

Robin Loves Reading

BLOG TOUR - Watch Them Disappear

 Watch Them Disappear

by Carla Covach

Series
Detective Gina Harte Book 19

PublisherBookouture 

GenreMystery & Thrillers

FormatKindle ARC

Pages345

Pub. DateSeptember 21, 2026

Rating🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

DESCRIPTION

The house where she lives alone lies dark and empty, her bed still perfectly made. Her car waits in the carpark, her phone unanswered. Mindy Carson has vanished into thin air…

When Ursula leaves work for the evening, she’s shocked to see her friend’s car still parked nearby. Happy-go-lucky dog groomer Mindy left for home ages ago. Something is desperately wrong. On the window is an unmistakable smear of blood.

As police visit Mindy’s home on the outskirts of town, everything looks in order, until they notice the small red light in the corner of her bedroom. Then another, and another. There are cameras watching her every move…  

Unpacking Mindy’s life piece by piece, police start to wonder whether Ursula knows more than she’s letting on. Had she found out about her husband’s secret messages to Mindy? Who was the person behind the cameras, watching Mindy’s most private moments? And was the local teenager making Mindy’s life hell really the last person to see her?

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, police fear they are too late to save Mindy. And when another person is reported missing, it’s clear she isn’t the only one being watched. Does the killer have another victim in their sights? And can they catch them before another life disappears forever?

Prepare to be absolutely hooked by the latest nail-biting thriller from bestselling author Carla Kovach. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Karin Slaughter.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H87GMTL4social

Apple Books:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781807220372?itsct=books_toolbox&itscg=30200&at=1010lnPy&ct=B0H87GMTL4-social&ls=1

Kobo: https://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781807220372

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=jQjzEQAAQBAJ

MY THOUGHTS

When Mindy Carson goes missing, Detective Gina Harte is on the case. Police are alerted by Mindy’s friend Ursula, who notices that Mindy’s car is still parked where they both work. Mindy should have been home hours ago, and something clearly isn’t right.

Gina and her team begin their investigation at Mindy’s home, where they make a shocking discovery: multiple hidden cameras have been installed throughout the house. Gina decides to talk to Ursula again, especially because she has a feeling that her friend is hiding something. Could it have something to do with Ursula’s husband? Was he the one watching Mindy?

But the investigation quickly takes a different turn. Gina learns that a local teenager had apparently been making Mindy’s life hell, and perhaps this is where her investigation needs to lead. Before she can fully question the teenager, however, the body of a young woman is discovered. Gina can’t help but fear that Mindy may also be found dead. And then another person goes missing. Clearly, there is a pattern, and Gina needs to figure it out before someone else disappears.

This may be the most intense book I’ve read in the series so far. The surveillance aspect of the story is incredibly disturbing, particularly because it involves teenagers and the dangers that can come with technology and social media. I couldn’t help but think about real-life cases where people have unknowingly put themselves at risk without realizing just how easily they can be watched or monitored.

What makes this story especially unsettling is that we aren’t talking about someone simply watching through a laptop or phone camera. These are hidden cameras involved, connected to a much larger network of surveillance. The idea is frightening, and some of what Gina uncovers is downright heartbreaking.

I was completely glued to this book and stayed up late because I simply had to know how everything would unfold. And while I’m not going to give anything away, let’s just say the outcome is definitely no bed of roses. This is a gripping, disturbing installment that kept me turning the pages right up until the end.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla has been writing seriously since her mid-thirties. She started by writing stage plays which led to her producing and directing her own full length piece of theatre. After that, she decided to write films and books where she began by self-publishing. In the past, she has acted in a few indie films and has also co-owned a photography and video production company. 

Right now, she is a full time crime and thriller author living in Worcester with her husband, Nigel and Poppy the cat.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaKovachAuthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ckovachauthor?lang=en
Website:  https://griffbuck.wordpress.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/carla_kovach/
Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/carla-kovach

Robin Loves Reading