I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the NOT SO PERFECT STRANGERS by L.S. Stratton Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Author: L.S. Stratton
Release Date: March 28, 2023
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 320
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/NOT-SO-PERFECT-STRANGERS
One fateful encounter upends the
lives of two women in this tense domestic thriller, a modern spin on
Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers On A Train that flips the script
on race and gender politics.
“I’m a big believer that women should help each other, Tasha,” she says.
“Don’t you think?”
Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband.
Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before
their flight out of D.C. and out of Kordell Jenkins’s life forever. But
escaping isn’t so easy, and Tasha soon finds herself driving back to her own
personal hell. As she is leaving, a white woman pounds on her car window,
begging to be let in. Behind the woman, an angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes
a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life: she lets her in
and takes off.
Tasha and Madison Gingell may have very different everyday realities, but what
they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help
each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means...
They are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD
homicide unit. Unraveling the truth of what really happened may be
impossible‒and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like
Tasha and Madison?
This is one of my favorite genres, so I read a lot of these types of books. It takes quite a bit to perplex me anymore, but that is exactly what happened with this novel. I thought I knew what was going to happen but then the author threw in a twist I didn't see coming, which sent me reeling. I was sucked into the story from the first pages and I didn't stop reading until I had finished the last page. I ended up reading the entire novel in one sitting over a few hours. The author uses varying writing styles throughout the book - all of which I loved. There were "Before" and "Now" time periods and alternating narrators between Tasha and Madison. I thought it was a nice touch to add this extra layer to the story. Another thing I loved about the writing style was that the author wrote the entire book from the first-person point of view, alternating between Madison and Tasha. First-person POV is my favorite style by far because it allows a much deeper connection between the reader and the narrator(s). It lets me really slip into the story alongside the characters and feel like I'm right there with them. Dual first-person POV isn't something you come across very often, but I definitely think it was a perfect choice for this novel.
I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I can't go into the plot without giving anything away. There are a lot of things that you think you know but you have no idea and the author throws in tons of twists and turns along the way. I really liked both of the main characters, Tasha and Madison, for different reasons. They're both well-rounded with very distinct personalities as well as flaws that make them realistic. I enjoyed watching them both change and grow in their own ways throughout the book. Again, I can't say much without giving anything away. I'll just say this: read it and find out for yourself. I definitely recommend this book for fans of thriller, mystery, suspense, and contemporary fiction.
Not So Perfect Strangers Playlist
Tasha Jenkins and Madison Gingell, the protagonists for Not So Perfect Strangers, are two distinct, complex women so it would only seem right that any playlist for the novel should be eclectic, representing each of them. And because this is a very women-centered novel, I think the playlist should also feature women artists.
For Madison:
Every Single Night - Fiona Apple
Bedroom Hymns - Florence + the Machine
Blank Space - Taylor Swift
You Don’t Own Me - Leslie Gore
Sacrilege - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Smile - Maisie Peters
For Tasha:
I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Love You - Aretha Franklin
Don’t Hurt Yourself - Beyonce (featuring Jack White)
Pick Up Your Feelings - Jazmine Sullivan
Could’ve Been - H.E.R. (featuring Bryson Tiller)
Open My Heart - Yolanda Adams
Golden - Jill Scott
L.S.
Stratton is an NAACP Image Award-nominated author and former crime newspaper
reporter who has written more than a dozen books under different pen names in
just about every genre from thrillers to romance to historical fiction. She
currently lives in Maryland with her husband, their daughter, and their tuxedo
cat.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
(1) winner
will receive a finished copy of NOT SO PERFECT STRANGERS - US Only.
Ends April 4th, midnight EST.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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3/20/2023 |
Guest Post |
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3/21/2023 |
IG Post |
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3/22/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/23/2023 |
Review & Guest Post |
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3/24/2023 |
IG Post |
Week Two:
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3/27/2023 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic |
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3/28/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/29/2023 |
IG Review |
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3/30/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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3/31/2023 |
IG Review/FB Review |
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