She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

 

5*

This book is so incredibly twisted. It’s like a pretzel of grifting, stolen identity, assault, scams, revenge, and murder, all revolving around a Chicago-based critical care nurse named Meghan Miller. I won’t even try to write a synopsis since it’s impossible to do without spoilers. Suffice it to say, it’s a non-stop adrenaline rush, especially all of the times Meghan walks home from work in the dark, knowing there’s a masked man who has been assaulting, robbing, and raping women. Add to that the fact that she and her 16-year-old daughter are living in an apartment with a door that doesn’t properly latch, and you’re just waiting for the worst.

Mystery/thrillers aren’t a genre I usually read, but I chose this for a reading challenge based on a Facebook recommendation, and I’m not sorry. It is absolutely riveting, and I really appreciate it as a window into the way people’s minds work: the lengths people will go to protect themselves and their loved ones, the damage and repercussions of childhood abuse, and people who are just natural-born sociopaths. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Park Row through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Secrets of Starshine Cove (Starshine Cove #2) by Debbie Johnson

5*

After nearly a lifetime of taking care of her severely depressed, widowed mom and her now 18-year-old son Sam (whose father she divorced when he was 8), 42-year-old Cally’s life is turned upside down by her mother’s decision to marry a man she meets online and move to Scotland. When the salon where she works is flooded and temporarily shut down just before Christmas, Cally decides to take Sam to the last place she remembers being happy before her father died when she was 7, Starshine Cove. As anyone who read Book 1 knows, it’s a magical place by the sea full of handmade, decorative fairies and a group of kind-hearted villagers who are like real fairy godmothers, coming together to support and protect the people they care about, even if they’re only visiting.

In the process of rediscovering her happy place, Cally begins to realize that many of her memories are inaccurate and that the relationship with her mother is based on many false assumptions about her parents’ marriage. However, the pleasure she finds with the villagers who befriend her and the sense of usefulness she feels by making herself available for haircuts combine to create new memories and a greater appreciation for this magical safe haven that shines brighter than ever at Christmas. Add in the budding romance with widower Archie, the maternal care she has for his daughters, and the friendships she’s forming with Ella, Connie and some of the other inhabitants, and it’s no wonder that she begins to think this may be her happy place.

Although Book 1 holds a special place in my heart, this story was also incredibly charming and heartwarming. My only slight criticism is that much of this story is Cally’s inner monologue while I would have preferred more dialogue and a dual POV to get Archie’s perspective. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Finding Hope in Starshine Cove (Starshine Cove #3) by Debbie Johnson

5*

Reading any book in Debbie Johnson’s Starshine Cove series is like being wrapped up in a warm hug. It’s a magical place by the sea full of handmade, decorative fairies and a group of kind-hearted villagers who are like real fairy godmothers, coming together to support and protect the people they care about, even if they’re only visiting.

Possible Spoilers:

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In this third installment, we are introduced to Lucy when she serendipitously meets Josh at the Dublin airport on her way to her college friend Ella’s wedding. (Ella and Jake are the couple from Book 1, Escape to Starshine Cove.) One of the things she loves to do while waiting for her flight is imagine scenarios for the people around her, so it’s little surprise that, when she meets the handsome Josh, she pretends to be the worldly, put-together security consultant Amelia on her way to New York, not plain old Lucy heading to Dorset by way of London. What she doesn’t expect is that Josh will be attending the same wedding. After an initial embarrassing and angry encounter (Josh hates liars), she apologizes, and they start to get to know each other.

Although just about everybody approaching their forties carries baggage, Lucy’s first marriage to the verbally and emotionally abusive Robert has left her with lingering trauma and insecurities a decade later. However, Starshine Cove has a way of casting a spell on the people who visit and are in need of a do-over. Will Lucy, with the support of her 16-year-old daughter Rose (who wants to move there permanently) and her old and newfound friends, be able to leave the safety of her isolated Irish home and find the courage to start over, especially after his 2nd wife reaches out to her on the day of the wedding, asking for her help in escaping with her children, thus putting her in Robert’s sights again?

Finding Hope in Starshine Cove can be read as a standalone, but there are many characters from the first two books who feature prominently, and knowing their back stories enhances the experience of reading this one. Although there is a closed-door, slow burn romance between Lucy and Josh, much of the focus is also on both Lucy’s friendship with her 3 college friends she lost touch with (thanks to Robert’s narcissistic abusive tactics), and the effects of that abuse on both Lucy and Lyssa, the second wife. Just reading about it caused my heart to start racing, so it’s definitely a trigger warning for those who’ve been in abusive relationships. Despite this, there is much humor, light-heartedness and hope for the future. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

 

4*

This was a tough book for me to read for personal reasons. I found myself sobbing more than once. So, I’ll start by warning that there are several triggers: death of a child, neglect and abandonment, involuntary eviction, and grief.

Like Sampson’s first book, The Last Chance Library, this story centers around a group of unlikely collaborators who come together to save a place that is special to all of them. In the process of working on a common cause, they not only get to know each other, but also learn more about themselves. In the former, the female protagonist is a shy, reclusive, 30-year-old librarian who emerges from her grief over losing her mother when she realizes that the mission to save the library is worth the risk. In the process, she finds community and love with a former classmate who comes to their aid.

In Nosy Neighbors, there are two female protagonists who are initially at odds. Seventy-four-year-old Dorothy has spent the past thirty years noting the comings and goings of her neighbors at Shelley House, but only speaking to them when she wants to complain and lecture them about what she’s observed. The comfort and familiarity of her home is rocked when 25-year-old, pink-haired and tatted Kat becomes the latest of her neighbor Joseph’s illegal tenants, her arrival quickly followed by the shocking news that they’re going to be evicted from their home by their negligent landlord and developer.

Over the next several weeks, as Dorothy, Joseph, Kat and Will, a local newspaper reporter who has caught Kat’s eye, work to save Shelley House, they find themselves opening up about their past traumas and the way their experiences have influenced their behavior and life choices. One glaringly clear theme is that we can’t begin to know what causes people to act the way they do, and that rudeness, diffidence, and even affability can be masks they wear to hide their pain. It’s also about forgiveness. Even when people’s words and actions have caused immeasurable pain, the act of forgiving them or even forgiving yourself is the only way to move forward.

Sampson writes with sensitivity and compassion. Her characters are complex, and represent the best and worst of us but, except for the villain, there is goodness in all of them. If you like women’s fiction with depth, small English village settings, rooting for the underdog, and authors like Jill Mansell, Jenny Colgan, and Debbie Johnson, you’re sure to enjoy Nosy Neighbors.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

5*

Another heart-warming winner from Abby Jimenez! Although Just for the Summer isn’t officially a book in the Part of Your World series, it might as well be given how many characters from those books are featured in this one.

It all starts with an online meet-cute when Justin (29), a software engineer from Minnesota who builds websites, posts on Reddit about how he’s cursed to be the guy women break up with and then go on to meet their soulmate. His friend Brad describes it as “ferrying women to their happily ever afters.” Emma (28), a traveling nurse whose next adventure will be in Hawaii, messages him to let him know that he’s not alone. From that initial exchange, they slowly start building a relationship through texts, emails, and video chats until Brad suggests they date each other to break the curse. That’s when Justin starts his campaign to get Emma to do her next assignment in Minneapolis rather than Hawaii. The fact that they find each other attractive and have an instant connection makes it easy for Emma to convince her best friend and fellow nurse, Maddy, to postpone Hawaii and spend the summer in Minneapolis at the Royaume Hospital (where the protagonists from the Part of Your World series all work).

Justin is really the perfect book boyfriend. Not only is he handsome and genuinely charming, but he’s also responsible, kind, and protective. One of my favorite parts of the story are his dating plans, surveys, catchy invitations, and post-date exit interviews. From the moment they meet, their conversations are witty, honest, and open, and, despite Emma’s commitment to leaving at the end of 6 weeks (following the plan they put together to break the curse: 4 dates, 1 kiss, and the breakup), there’s no way either of them can avoid catching feelings.

Unfortunately, as with all of Jimenez’s books, her characters are dealing with some serious issues. In this case, neither of their moms is going to win any parenting awards. Justin is the oldest son, and his mom is going to prison for embezzlement, leaving him to be guardian to his siblings for several years since their father died in an accident 4 years prior. Emma’s mother is an impulsive, irresponsible, and selfish drifter who had her at age 18 and essentially abandoned her when she was a child, with her ending up in the foster care system. Her final placement at age 14 resulted in her meeting Maddy, whose two moms took her in. She thinks she’s resolved her childhood trauma, but it's obvious that she has created a life where she can move around the world with just two suitcases of possessions so she’s prepared to leave wherever she lives at a moment’s notice. She also deals with periods of depression which she calls “getting small,” often triggered by her mother’s sudden reappearance. It isn’t until the truth of her mother’s betrayal is discovered that she finally recognizes she needs help if she’s ever going to be whole and able to accept love in her life.

I appreciated that Jimenez chose a dual POV so that we could really get to know Justin and Emma through the other’s eyes. One of the most poignant scenes, that made Justin realize the depth of Emma’s kindness and caring, is when she helps a woman with dementia (or a TBI) while on their first date. After explaining how she knew the woman needed help, she said that her motto is “In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy.” It’s that way of thinking that allows her to keep a tenuous hold on her fractured relationship with her mother, a philosophy that’s put to the test more than once after her mother reappears.

Abby Jimenez is one of the reigning queens of the romance genre, and her newest offering confirms that she deserves all the accolades. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own. 

 

The Marriage Sabbatical by Lian Dolan

 

4*

I guess I’m really old school, so I initially struggled with the open marriage premise of this book. However, I appreciate what Nicole’s friend Tessa said about the idea of monogamous marriages being the result of the Puritans’ influence and the Eisenhower administration’s focus on the “perfect American family myth.” Historically, marriages were mostly political or business alliances rather than love matches and, as long as children were produced and a wife fulfilled her other duties, fidelity was a non-issue. Of course, for the better part of history, people didn’t live long lives, so even loving couples rarely had to be concerned with boredom and monotony in a marriage.

In Nicole and Jason’s case, they decide on a 9-month marriage sabbatical after hearing of the Five Hundred Mile Rule from their neighbors. When Nicole backs out of a grueling motorcycle trip through South America following by months on a beach surfing (which Jacob had planned to take with his best friend before he tragically died) and tells Jacob she wants to go to Santa Fe to learn silversmithing and jewelry-making instead, he’s understandably upset. She is the one to suggest that they sleep with other people with a few rules and the understanding that they’ll reunite at the end and keep their dalliances to themselves. As they exchange weekly emails where she signs off with hugs and kisses and his are devoid of any affection, I couldn’t help thinking it’s a risky thing for a long-time couple who love each other. What’s the point of taking the chance of catching feelings for someone else when it’s just a 9-month separation?

So, I had to put my personal feelings about cheating aside (is it still cheating if both parties give permission?) and evaluate the book on its merits. Dolan, using flashbacks that fill the reader in on the things that initially drew Nicole and Jason together and the struggles and milestones they shared, gives readers a vivid picture of the strength of their marriage and commitment to their family. It also becomes clear that both Nicole and Jason’s plans (hers to learn to create beautiful, but difficult pieces of wearable art and his to write a mystery thriller) are better in their heads than in reality. Their time away, however, gives them the experiences and confidence to reevaluate what they want from life (with their kids due to graduate college, with her long-time job in retail a casualty of the pandemic, and with his demanding job in publishing keeping him away from his family far too much). It also gives them the opportunity to meet a varied and unique cast of characters (including an adorable mini poodle, Bardot) who enrich their experiences and helped them realize that the end of the sabbatical doesn’t have to mean going back to the same life that was no longer satisfying.

Overall, this was a very good depiction of a modern marriage in which the husband and wife love and respect each other but acknowledge that they need a break. If you’re looking for a love story featuring mature characters, this one is worth considering.

Fair warning: If you’re Covid-conscious and acknowledge that the risks of infection are still with us, it may be triggering to read about a family who goes back to “normal” even knowing that Jason’s best friend, an ER doctor, died driving home after a grueling shift in the early days of the pandemic.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from William Morrow through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline

 

5*

Legal thrillers aren’t my usual genre. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read more than a few. However, after reading The Truth About the Devlins and enjoying it immensely, I’m eager to read more of Scottoline’s books. She’s a former lawyer herself who, in her own words, hews “as close to the law when there are legal situations in the novels.”

In this story about a family of lawyers and TJ (the narrator, the youngest sibling, the college dropout, and the recovering alcoholic), the plot revolves around the mysterious death of a corporate accountant and how TJ and his older brother John are caught up in the mystery, to the point that they’ve put themselves and their entire family in the criminals’ crosshairs. However, it’s also about addiction and the lengths those afflicted will go to chase the high, the selfish actions they take that put people at risk, and the toll it takes on their loved ones.

Daughter Gabby Devlin, who is dedicated to her pro bono work, elicits TJ’s help as the family firm’s investigator on an actual civil case involving men incarcerated in Holmesburg Prison between 1951 and 1974. Without informed consent, they were subjected to legal, but unethical medical experimentation led by Dr. Albert Kligman, a dermatology professor at UPenn, that left them with horrendous scarring and often fatal illnesses as well as PTSD. Although the men in the book are fictional, the horrors the actual former inmates faced and the lengths the complicit corporations (who benefitted from the experiments), doctors, and our military and CIA went to avoid any civil or criminal liability are as appalling as what the Nazis did to concentration camp prisoners. You can read more about this in the novel Acres of Skin by eyewitness Dr. Allen Hornblum who believes these experiments violated the Nuremberg Code.

The pacing of this story is perfect, keeping you on the edge of your seat while trying to figure out how all the puzzle pieces fit together. TJ’s narration is charming, vulnerable, and honest, and you can’t help but hurt for him while also cheering him on. Whether or not you’re a legal thriller fan, I highly recommend you read this story.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
 

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

 

4*


This is the 2nd book by Graves I’ve read, the first being The Girl He Used to Know. That one remains one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve recommended it to countless people. This one is also a tender love story, but it didn’t grab me quite the same way. I found the pacing a bit slow and, as an “indoorsy” person, I couldn’t get excited about geo-caching, the activity that brought Wren and Marshall together, but also provided much of the framework for the story.

I appreciate this romance in which the couple, despite tragic circumstances that have left them grief-stricken and wary of starting a new relationship, have the maturity and personal integrity to communicate as openly as their wounded souls will allow them to while acknowledging that trust takes time to build and that healing does not follow a linear path. In The Trail of Lost Hearts, these two start as friends who quickly develop feelings but live thousands of miles apart. What should have been a brief fling turns into so much more but Wren, having been betrayed in the worst sort of way in her previous relationship, isn’t willing to accept anything less than a man who “checks all the boxes” and doesn’t hold anything back. She’s self-aware enough to recognize that and to be honest about her boundaries. The irony is that he, as a psychologist, needs to get help in coming to terms with his own loss so that he can share his feelings and his future with Wren. The question is, will the tenuous connection they made in their week together be enough to motivate them to do the emotional work they need to be together, especially when Wren drops a huge surprise?

If you’re a reader looking for romances with depth, mutual caring and consideration, a focus on relationship-building, and a small touch of spice, this is one worth checking out. If you’re a fan of the great outdoors, even better, since the scenes in Oregon sound breathtaking. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

One Moment by Becky Hunter

 

3*

I struggled to get into this story, due to the content rather than the writing style. Hunter did a good job of creating characters with depth and navigating a story from two perspectives: the ghost of Scarlett and a third-person narrator of Evie’s life post-Scarlett. I guess I’m just not in the headspace to be able to handle a story that starts with a tragic death and has a main character who is trying to come to grips with a devastating health diagnosis while still in her 20s as well as the loss of her best friend.

Usually when a ghost features heavily in a book, it’s because they have unfinished business and can somehow influence outcomes. In this case, Scarlett was simply an observer and commentator who couldn’t be seen, couldn’t move objects, and had no way of communicating with the living. So, other than her witnessing how her loved ones are coping with the grief, we don’t know until the end what conclusion she draws for her lingering presence, and it’s rather frustrating that she can’t “show herself.”

I enjoyed the romance between Evie and Nate, especially how thoughtful, supportive, and even-keeled he is (really a perfect book boyfriend). In his non-judgmental, non-pitying way, he helps Evie realize that life doesn’t end with a diagnosis; it just means she has to adapt to her new, unpredictable normal. Likewise, she helps him see that slowing down his itinerant lifestyle as a travel journalist to form a connection won’t have negative consequences.

If I could separate my own feelings from the narrative, I’d give it 4*, but since I struggled to get into it, I’ve dropped it to 3*. However, for readers who don’t mind depressing topics combined a very slow burn, closed door romance, it would be worth checking this out.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be #4) by Christina Lauren

 

5*
(release date: 6/25/24)

Contemporary, creative retelling of Disney’s Rapunzel movie, Tangled.

In Tangled Up in You, the writing duo Christina Lauren spins a backstory of how Rapunzel (Ren) ended up isolated from society for years until the fateful meeting with Flynn (Fitz). I love Ren’s wide-eyed innocence and inherent goodness and how bad boy Fitz, despite his desperate need to protect himself and trust no one, can’t help but want to be a better man for her. The use of a road trip with forced proximity in a variety of hotel rooms is a great plot device, giving the couple plenty of time to get to know each other through endless days of driving with stops at famous tourist traps along the way. (The biker bar scene is especially endearing.) Yes, Ren is seeing a world she only knew from books after her sheltered childhood, but Fitz is also viewing everything through a new lens, and it is actually Ren who is rescuing him.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the Meant to Be series, but I’m so glad Disney placed this story in Christina Lauren’s very capable hands. They have shown their readers that, although fairy tales are just make-believe, it is possible to have a happily-ever-after following heartbreak. Every great story has its roots in reality, and I love the characters and story they created to bring Rapunzel characters to life. Highly recommended clean romance for both teens and adults who need reminding that happy endings can exist.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Hyperion Avenue through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter

 

5*

I absolutely loved this book! Lynn Painter has such a talent for infusing her characters’ dialogue with humor. As a result, her books are all feel-good romances that we need with so much wrong going on in the world. In Happily Never After, she employs the fake relationship trope…that isn’t.

Sophie meets Max, a architect/engineer, when he is hired by her best friend and maid of honor to object to her wedding to Stuart on the grounds that he’s cheating. (It’s a side gig he fell into by accident.) Since she didn’t actually love him, she’s able to work out her aggressions by lobbing Twinkies at his car from the balcony of the bridal suite. When Max comes to collect payment, they end up spending hours drinking and talking. A couple of weeks later, he calls out of the blue to remind her of her offer to be the Objectress to his Objector, thus starting a beautiful friendship fueled by “halting a lifetime of misery, one wedding at a time.” When her boss tells her she needs a better work-life balance if she’s going to recommend her for promotion and his father says he can’t retire until his mother is convinced he’s “taken care of” (i.e., in a committed relationship), they play up the “friendship” with cosy photos posted on social media and conveniently-timed FaceTime calls in front of witnesses that hint at a deeper relationship, while stressing they’re just friends. With Max believing in love but avoiding it after a painful break-up (figuring the risk is greater than the reward) and Sophie convinced it doesn’t exist at all (especially after being cheated on in every relationship she’s had), a friends with benefits scenario is awfully tempting. Will they be the exception to the rule and manage to not fall in love?

The chemistry between these two delightful characters is scorching, in large part because of the respect they have for each other, their honest communication, and the laughter and lightness they share. Max is the perfect book boyfriend, and Sophie is a smart, successful businesswoman who actually does manage to find time for a social life. To add even more levity to this delightful story, Painter introduces Larry and Rose, Sophie’s meddling, irreverent, geriatric roommates who move in to help with rent after she kicks Stuart out. They’re like cool, protective grandparents who live to embarrass her but who also dole out sage advice on her love life.

If you’re looking for a convincing, witty, light-hearted romance that doesn’t rely on tired tropes, you’ll love this book. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy

 

3*

Abbey Bly is the daughter of an aging rock star who quit touring when she was 11 to become an overprotective, full-time dad. The last thing he wants is for Abbey to repeat his mistakes. So, when she announces she is going to Pembridge University in London for her sophomore year, he doesn’t take the news well. When she arrives, she discovers that what she thought were three female roommates are actually attractive men (with androgynous names). Lee is the fashionable gay one, Jamie the whorish aristocratic one, and Jack the Australian Chris Hemsworth lookalike who she’s instantly attracted to. However, the number one (and only) house rule is no fraternizing among housemates.

Unlike their American counterparts, these three are not impressed with her dad’s fame which is a huge relief to her. As Jamie says, “Englishmen only make a big deal about pints and footy.” Being the daughter of a rockstar and a groupie, Abbey never understood musician worship until her first night out with the gang…when she’s dumbstruck by the edgy singer/guitarist on stage, Nate. Soon, she’s juggling her feelings for two guys and still keeping the truth of her living arrangement from her dad.

In addition to the romance, there’s also a mystery element to Girl Abroad. Shortly after Abbey is given a year-long assignment to research and report on an interesting topic, she discovers a painting of a mysterious woman from the 1940s-50s at an estate sale at an ancestral home of the Tulley family, aristocrats who have fallen on hard times. She decides to investigate what this woman’s connection is to the Tulleys, one of whom paid to have her portrait painted. The only clue she has is a Dear John letter tucked into the back of the frame from Josephine to the man she’s rejecting. Josephine was in a love triangle, and it’s Abbey’s job to discover who she chose and what became of them all. As a librarian and lover of research, I found this subplot really compelling.

One big frustration I had that almost spoiled the book completely for me is that nearly halfway through the book, Abbey is in a love triangle with two different guys, but she can’t have either of them. It’s a double slow burn, but when it catches fire, it feels almost like cheating although none of them is willing to commit. It’s all a little too messy for my taste, especially when the feelings are strong all around. I didn’t feel Abbey had enough of a personality for two guys to fall for her, and her behavior was really hypocritical. Unfortunately, aside from the mystery element, there isn’t much to recommend this story. It falls far short of Kennedy’s hockey romances.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Bloom Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

                                    

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

 

5*

Clayborn has done it again, written a beautiful romance framed by a complex story that proves that true love can flourish, even under the most trying conditions.

In The Other Side of Disappearing, Jess has parented her younger sister Tegan for ten years after their mother Charlotte left them to travel with a con man, Lynton Bainbridge. During that time, Jess has dedicated her entire life to ensuring that Tegan is safe and loved, sacrificing her own wants and needs, including pursuing any romantic relationships or friendships. When their life is suddenly upended by the arrival of podcaster Salem Durant and Adam Hawkins, who Tegan (pretending to be Jess) contacted about her mother’s involvement with Lynton (the subject of Salem’s groundbreaking show before he disappeared with their mother), Jess has no choice but to reluctantly accompany them on a road trip that follows the clues from five postcards her mother sent before she completely disappeared.

From Tennessee to Florida to a stop at Adam’s family farm in Missouri and then onto Oklahoma, New Mexico and finally Washington, Jess and Adam grow close despite her trust issues, worry about Tegan, and anger at both Salem for digging into her painful past and her mother for prioritizing men over her daughters. On the other side of Charlotte’s disappearance is the complex trauma which Jess tried desperately to suppress. Confronted with the past and the choices Charlotte made, the feelings of betrayal, abandonment, and Jess’s fear that she failed to make the right choices in trying to protect Tegan force their way to the surface. When the mystery is solved, will the fallout be more than Jess can handle?

Clayborn wisely chose a dual point of view to delve deeply into what both Jess and Adam are thinking and feeling. Although Adam is falling for Jess, his emotions and motivations are influenced by the death of his best friend and football teammate Cole and his need to set the record straight about the NFL’s and others’ handling of his mental illness and complicity in his death. How he balances his needs with his awareness of Jess’s issues is neither trite nor sensationalized. They’re just two traumatized human beings who are figuring themselves out and acknowledging their flaws and insecurities. This emotional and slightly steamy love story wrapped in a mystery is heartwarming and unforgettable. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Kensington through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.



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Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

 

3*

Spoilers ahead

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Although this is a cute, spicy Hallmark-esque, enemies-to-lovers rom-com, it is just too much of a cliche to be more than 3* for me. I didn’t understand whether Emmy’s hesitancy towards falling for Grayson was due to her father’s untimely death and fear of losing someone else she loved or her lingering hurt feelings over something that happened between them when she was just 15 and he was 17. Either way, it just seemed to be a contrivance to drive the plot. On top of that, I’m also not a fan of a 3rd act break-up, especially when it’s due to eavesdropping and a failure to communicate. Overall, this lacked strong character development, and maybe it’s because I live in LA and am tired of “the industry”, but I just couldn’t get into the relationship between two successful stars and the public’s obsession with their romance.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone

 

4*

Shep’s the perfect book boyfriend in this friends-to-lovers, best friend’s older brother romance with an accidental pregnancy set in New York City.

Eve floats through life, never really knowing what she wants. When she accidentally gets pregnant after a one-night-stand with Ethan, she struggles with acknowledging that her life is going to profoundly change once she has a child. When she tells her best friend Willa the news, her response is angry instead of congratulatory, since Willa and her husband has been trying to get pregnant while Eve never even talked about wanting children. Shep is the only one who’s happy for her and is there for her every step of the way.

Eventually, Willa accuses Eve, in the gentlest of ways, of never knowing what she wants, whether it’s having a baby, starting a romantic relationship with Shep, or even getting promoted at work where her dream has always been to be a policy analyst in wildlife conservation (if she’s willing to get her Masters to earn the promotion). As her pregnancy advances and her crush on Shep grows, she has to do a lot of soul-searching and growing up.

This is a charming, sexy romance with really likable characters. The chemistry between Eve and Shep is hot, as evidenced by how even a seemingly innocent hand massage is titillating. The lifelong friendship between Eve and Willa is tested, but their bond is so strong that it withstands Willa’s distancing herself and the natural displacement of being number one in each other’s lives when they each find their life partners. I really appreciated how Ethan wants to be involved in his baby’s life and that Eve helps him clear a path to make that happen. Shep is loving, kind, supportive and so tuned into her needs, instinctively knowing that he must play nice with Ethan because anything less will hurt Eve and the baby. If you’re looking for a feel-good, low angst, somewhat steamy, slow burn romance, here it is. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from The Dial Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

 

4*

I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan and am always so excited when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, this is not one of my favorites. It seems that the authors’ inspirations for The Paradise Problem were Succession and Pretty Woman (except for the prostitution). Although there’s a decent romance, the main plot is more of an exposé on corporate greed and corruption and the lengths a narcissistic man will go to protect himself and evade responsibility, even throwing his children under the bus.

Even though Liam and Anna entered into a marriage of convenience in order for them to qualify for graduate family housing at UCLA, they lived together as strangers for only a year until he completed his PhD. So, it’s a surprise when Liam shows up on her doorstep, telling her they’re still married (she really should have read the documents she signed, thinking they were divorce papers) and that he needs her to accompany him to his sister’s wedding to play the devoted wife so that he doesn’t lose a substantial inheritance. She negotiates a generous payment (to help her with student loans and her father’s medical bills) since this is essentially a business arrangement. So, the feelings that grow between them during their brief time on the private Indonesian island seem unrealistically rushed. Yes, the sexual chemistry is there, but the emotional connection is slightly problematic. For Liam, it’s clear that Anna’s supportive and nurturing nature is humbling, if not a little scary, since he’s never had anyone who had his back and offered hugs and encouragement. It’s less clear what Liam offers Anna emotionally, especially after she becomes collateral damage in Liam’s efforts to protect his siblings. My guess is that she’s a natural empath and caretaker, and the damaged little boy inside Liam and his eventual willingness to share the pain his father’s evil machinations have inflicted on him are like catnip to her.

I’ve still awarded this 4 stars for the Succession vibes that had me on edge the entire time, Anna’s funny banter and bonding with Liam’s niece, and the strength Anna’s emotional support gives Liam when his father’s manipulative tactics come to a head. Bottom line, the writing duo of Christina Lauren write compelling books that keep them at the top of the contemporary romance field, and this one is no exception. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Clear by Carys Davies

 

5*

This beautiful story was not at all what I expected. It’s about the Presbyterian ministers who broke from the established church in protest against the system of patronage (wealthy landowners could install their own ministers in parishes on their estates) and formed their own Free Church. However, they gave up their homes and their salaries (emoluments), so had to find alternate ways to earn income and funds for new church buildings until their congregations were self-sustainable.

John Ferguson is one such minister who asks his brother-in-law if he knows of any work and ends up taking on the job of evicting the last inhabitant of a desolate Scottish island that the greedy British landlord wants to use for raising sheep. The story takes place towards the end of The Clearances, a punitive, inhumane practice begun after the Battle of Culloden in the mid-1700s that forced (often burned) Scottish people out of their homes and, if they survived, either onto land that was barren and ill-suited for farming or onto ships bound for the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The day after John arrives on the island, he falls off a cliff and the following day, Ivar finds him, tends to his wounds, and nurses him back to health. In their weeks together, they use pantomime and other visual clues to learn each other’s language and form a strong bond. There’s a surprising twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

At just over 200 pages, this is a compact story that portrays the emotional toll The Clearances took on the Scottish people and what can happen when a good man takes on a task that is anathema to his moral compass and sees the human side of a tragedy up close rather than through the lens of greed. It’s a beautiful, atmospheric tale that, in little ways, is reminiscent of movies like The Banshees of Inisherin, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and The Piano. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Scribner through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

 

5*

Another ambiguous ending? This is the second book of Serle’s that I’ve read (the first being In Five Years), and I feel like it’s a cop-out. Please, make a decision and don’t make your readers draw their own conclusions. Yes, I’m going to believe that Daphne is getting the happy ending I want for her, but it would have been better to read it on the page.

The premise was interesting, but by Chapter Five, I was already thinking that, if Daphne knows the expiration date on a relationship, why doesn’t she end it sooner if she knows it won’t work out or if she knows her heart will be broken when she starts to catch feelings? I was also frustrated because, to me, it was obvious that she should be with Hugo who she’d had only a three month romantic relationship with but who she still remained close friends with five years later, not wanting to imagine her life without him. Isn’t that what love is all about, someone knowing all of your secrets and flaws, but still wanting to be in your life? Why does she let a little slip of paper decide for her?

As for her relationship with Jake, it’s all so boring. Where’s the passion, the not being able to imagine a life without him in it? Jake’s a great guy, but he deserves better than someone who just wants a safety net because she doesn’t think she deserves anything more. Her parents love Hugo, her best friend thinks there’s still something there, and even Jake, after meeting Hugo for the first time, acknowledges that Hugo is in love with her. Yet, she lets a damn piece of paper determine her fate.

I don’t actually think Serle is a romance writer based on the two books I’ve read, if your definition of romance is a clear happily-ever-after. I won’t be reading anymore because they leave me very dissatisfied. In Expiration Dates, there’s also way too much of Daphne’s introspective monologue obscuring the dialogue, and it annoys me that Daphne isn’t forthcoming with the men in her life (except Hugo).

I chose this book to fulfill the prompt “Quick Read” in a book challenge I’m doing and, despite the fact that it’s only 272 pages and I’m generally a fast reader, it took me too many hours to slog through it. It’s not that she’s a terrible writer, by any means, but I just don’t like ambiguity in my romances.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott

 

5*

After saving Good Witch Willow’s life, Lilah Goodluck (oh, the irony!) is given 5 predictions, whether she wants them or not. Her boyfriend will cheat on her, she’ll be passed over for a promotion at work, she’ll win the lottery (if she can remember the rapid-fire numbers the witch spouts), her soulmate’s name is Alistair George Arthur Lennox, the illegitimate and hot as hell son of the reigning King of England, and she’ll die in 9 days. After the first three come true in a matter of hours, she begins to worry that her days are truly numbered. When a distracted Lilah totals her car to avoid hitting Alistair’s, this serendipitous meet-cute with her own Prince Charming leads to 8 days of checking off items on her bucket list while trying to fight their growing attraction and feelings, lest they discover they’re soulmates and the final prediction of her death becomes inevitable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first-person POV, light-hearted, instalove, grumpy/sunshine romance featuring a curvy librarian in Los Angeles and a prince with some serious trust issues and a need for control. It reads like a modern-day fairytale a la Pretty Woman, including a Rodeo Drive shopping spree, complete with a fake relationship, parental abandonment by the King, and some pretty steamy scenes given the intense chemistry between the two. I love the witty banter, not just between Lilah and Alistair, but also with Alistair’s free-spirited mother Lady Helena and her everyman Dougal. I really hope they make this into a movie with great actors because it would be a hoot and harken back to the golden age of romantic comedies. If you need a mood lifter and like romances with no third quarter break-up where the MCs have open, honest communication and bring out the best in each other, pick this one up. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Graydon House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Lost Dresses of Italy by M.A. McLaughlin

 

5*

All the best historical fiction seamlessly blends real events and people with fictional characters and, often, periods of historical figures’ lives from the author’s imagination. In this dual timeline story, McLaughlin introduces her readers to Marianne Baxter, a war widow and costume curator, who is invited to Verona, Italy in 1947 by a friend to research and restore three Victorian-era gowns for the reopening of a museum that was damaged during the war. When she finds a letter in a sleeve addressed to famed poet Christina Rossetti from her father, it begins a hunt for clues not only about the woman who wore the dresses, but also how they ended up in a walled-over room in the museum. In her postscript, McLaughlin mentions a cryptic quote from Christina Rossetti’s brother William, who accompanied her on her trip to Italy in 1865, which presumably was the inspiration for this fictionalized period of her life. “Had she [Christina] henceforth lived in Italy…she would, I believe, have been a much happier woman than she was.”

The story opens with a murder outside the museum, when a young man in the Italian Resistance is double-crossed by a compatriot who kills him for the emerald he was about to sell to raise money for their cause. In the letter, Christina’s father writes of a pendant that she would have found after his death, a probable connection to the murder. As Marianne begins to follow the clues as to what transpired during Christina’s visit to Italy, it angers the museum director, Alessandro Forni, whose cousin was the murder victim. As he tells her, “Wading into the unfamiliar waters of a foreign country, which has so recently endured a bitter war, can stir up nothing but ugly things lurking in the depths.” This foreshadows what becomes a suspenseful mystery that combines the restoration of various art forms with jewelry theft, the physical and emotional toll war’s death and destruction had on the people and the morally dubious choices they had to make to survive, and an epic love story that has faint echoes to the most famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. So, it’s only fitting that most of the book is set in Verona.

McLaughlin chose a dual POV, featuring two creative women eighty years apart who went to Italy and found love when they weren’t looking. Their trajectories were different, but their time there profoundly changed them. Don’t be surprised if you end up going down a rabbit hole Googling information about the Rossetti family, especially after reading the conversations between Christina and her more famous brother, Dante, both of whom their mother referred to as the “storms” (versus their other siblings, William and Maria, who were the “calms”). The Lost Dresses of Italy is a compelling story with vibrant characters driven by greed, obsession, passion, and grief, one that you won’t quickly forget. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Alcove Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester

5*

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard exemplifies the best of historical fiction, seamlessly blending real events and people with fictional characters whose lives intersect. It combines a family saga, the mystery surrounding both Astrid’s disappearance and the identity of her father, and an exposé on the misogynistic toxicity of the fashion industry.

In the author’s note, Lester mentions that Mizza Bricard, Astrid’s biological mother, was a real person, knowledge which led me down a Google rabbit hole. Fictional Mizza was the first generation of Bricard women who gave birth out of wedlock (what an archaic term), thus passing on the common surname, but that’s not where the commonalities end. Beautiful MIzza, who began her fashion career almost by accident, grew up fast in the salons of Paris on the eve of World War I, rubbing elbows with everyone from Coco Chanel to Pablo Picasso. Despite her incredible design talent, she was relegated to being a “muse” to Christian Dior with a sordid reputation thanks to the misogynists with fragile egos who rule the world of haute couture, both then and now. As Lester mentions, “I believe the truth is more likely to be found in the accounts of those who knew her, rather than men reporting on her thirty or forty years after her death who’ve decided that the racier the anecdote, the more chance they have of being published.” If you’d like to read more about Mizza, I’ve included a link at the bottom of this review to an article written by Lester for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mizza’s fictional daughter Astrid, who was raised by her adoptive parents, enrolled in Parsons School of Design in NYC in 1970 at age 24, and, despite not being raised by Mizza, she suffered a similar fate by virtue of association. Hawk Jones was a wunderkind who started his own design house right out of school. From the moment they met in the Parsons Archives, the pull between them was undeniable and unavoidable. Although Astrid’s designs inspired Hawk and he was adamant about giving her credit, the toxic and petty fashion patriarchy persisted in undermining her talent and painting her as a muse as well. Like her mother, whose famous, somewhat scandalous photograph sealed her fate, Astrid was captured wearing a silver lamé dress and nothing else while dancing at a disco. As months passed, she and Hawk pumped out hot-selling pieces while rubbing elbows with the likes of Mick Jagger, and ultimately fell in love. When it all came to a head at the Battle of Versailles in 1973 (an actual event that had the established and favored French designers competing against the upstart, risk-taking American designers), Astrid disappeared, and no one knew if she was dead or in hiding for the next 40 years.

Mizza Bricard at age 55, photographed by Louise Dahl-Wolfe

Blythe Bricard, daughter of Astrid and Hawk and divorced from fashion mogul Jake Black, is at the tipping point of her fashion career. Like her parents, she and Jake met in design school and vowed to support each other’s dreams. However, the pressure and fickle nature of the industry has led her to the point that she must decide if she will continue designing costumes for film (which would mean giving up her dream) or revive her mother’s fashion brand, Mizza, either with Jake’s competitor, with Jake’s company if they can first overcome their personal differences, or by taking the reins herself with investments from other women. In a world heavily populated by female customers, workers, and talent but still run mostly by men, it’s a point of pride and ownership she craves. And, of course, she wants to be the first in her family’s line to get credit for her work and shed the heavy mantle of “muse.”

Although this isn’t a romance, the relationships each woman had are intrinsic to the plot and it’s impossible not to root for both Astrid and Blythe to find some happiness. However, the over-reaching theme is the damage caused by generational trauma and parental neglect and abandonment as well as the repeated messaging that talented women in fashion, especially ones who are trying to be innovative (like Astrid with her mix-and-match separates for ‘working women’, modeled after Anne Klein, the actual female designer at Versailles) will be suppressed, rejected and ridiculed by both petty journalists (like real-life Women’s Wear Daily’s John Fairchild) and most male designers.

“Dior didn’t know Mizza would be reduced in later years. And she was his muse. But she was a designer too. History forgot the second half because it’s a man’s name on the awning. History kept the first half because that’s the way stories of male creators working with women are written.” (Blythe's niece Coco in response to her question about why Dior allowed the press to slander Mizza)

Lester has written characters so compelling and well-rounded and settings so alive with imagery that you can’t help but put yourself in their place. As the mother of a fashion model, I was also affected by the knowledge of how men treated female designers because they were threatened by their talent. I really appreciate Lester’s extended author note, showing readers the depth of her research and findings.

The only slight criticism I have is that the multiple timelines got a bit confusing at times, and I personally would have preferred a first-person point of view from each of the Bricard women. It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t negate the power and appeal of this story. Highly recommended.

For more information on Mizza Bricard, read

She was known as Christian Dior’s muse, but Mizza Bricard was so much more than that.

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/she-was-known-as-christian-dior-s-muse-but-mizza-bricard-was-so-much-more-than-that-20230914-p5e4ro.html

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

 

4*

Another case of “Don’t let the cartoonish cover fool you.” This is not just another smutty hockey romance, but a beautiful love story between two kind, thoughtful, and flawed characters, dance teacher Aurora (Rory) Evans and NHL defenseman Mike Martin. They first laid eyes on each other when Rory was a 16-year-old barista at Mall of America and Mike was a charming customer who caught her eye. Since her entire life was consumed with ballet (thanks to a pushy dance mom), she had no time to make friends and was ostracized in school. So, why not invent a Canadian boyfriend as an excuse to get out of school activities and to not feel so alone? She spends the remainder of her teens writing letters to Mike that serve as a diary of sorts. Little did she ever expect that, nine years later, he’d be the recently widowed father of one of her students.

Mike is struggling to adjust to new household routines and paternal commitments his late wife used to handle and to cope with his daughter Olivia’s grief and anger, so he turns to Rory as someone his daughter trusts to ask her to serve as a pseudo-nanny while he’s on the road. Since she’s in need of a new place to live (after a recent break-up), a car, and health insurance, she accepts his offer of the apartment in his basement. Over time and many honest and heartfelt conversations, their friendship evolves, especially since they support each other and see beyond the façades they present to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the emotional scars they both carry (her abusive Mom who has left her with an unhealthy obsession with food and a compulsive need to please others and him with the complicated grief over his wife and rocky relationship with his daughter) make their friends-with-benefits situation temporary and just for fun. When Rory finally confesses her teenage fantasy to Mike, will there be any hope of a future together?

There are so many aspects to Holiday’s lovely romance that I appreciate, including chosen family with Rory’s best friend and boss Gretchen and Mike’s teammate and wife, Ivan and Lauren, the main couple’s support and encouragement of each other, an enlightened book boyfriend, the positive portrayal of therapy, the perfect balance of humor and heartfelt conversations, just enough steam to keep it interesting, a dual POV, an epistolary element with her letters to her fake boyfriend and their texts when they first get to know each other as adults, and yes, hot hockey players! What can I say? I used to work for the NHL! Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Forever Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky

 

4*

The (Fake) Dating Game is a sweet, relatively quick read that reminds readers that good guys don’t always finish last. Holden and Leo, who meet when Holden checks into the Los Angeles hotel where Leo is a concierge, strike up a friendship and quickly bond over painful break-ups, karaoke, and maternal obligations. Holden, whose mom died several years before, wants to honor her memory by participating in their favorite game show, Madcap Market. Unfortunately, when he presents the idea to his longtime boyfriend, he ends up getting dumped and in need of a partner. Leo, who is still living with his mother, has been trying to save money so he can get a place of his own. So, they agree to pair up and fake a relationship in the hopes of being selected to compete. Will they be able to keep their secret and win the $100,000 prize despite an unexpected challenge?

One of the most refreshing and appealing aspects of this story is that Holden and Leo genuinely care for each other and, even as new acquaintances, are very honest, willing to communicate, and comfortable with each other. They have loving and supportive parents who are proud of them, which isn’t the norm in most LGBTQ romances. Bottom line, they’re just so damn cute together, and you can’t help but root for them both to win the competition and have their happily-ever-after. This is the first book I’ve read by Janovsky, but it won’t be the last. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Afterglow Books by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

4*

In Till There Was You, Lexi and Jake serendipitously meet at a New York City bar when they’re both on the cusp of fulfilling their dreams: Jake as a singer/songwriter and Lexi as a professional chef. After spending a steamy weekend together where they formed a strong emotional bond, he heads to LA to record a demo album and she returns to her culinary school classroom, both hoping to take up where they left off when he returns, but fate has other plans. What are the chances that an overnight sensation and a fledgling chef can carve a path to happily-ever-after, especially when everything from Jake’s self-serving agent to a promise Lexi made to her late mother are pushing them in the wrong direction?

The relationship that Hameroff created for these two is honest, fun, supportive, trusting and heartwarming, so readers will root for them to fall in love, despite circumstances and choices that pull them apart. As Lexi’s insecurities over her mother’s death and her father’s abandonment (when he quickly remarries and moves away) have her convinced that Jake won’t stick around as his star ascends, he sees her as a grounding influence, a muse, and the only person who truly cares about him, not his celebrity. So, when the third act break-up inevitably happens, although it is not what either want, it’s not due to a frustrating lack of communication or wrong assumptions authors often use gratuitously. It’s because these two need time to figure out if they’re pursuing the right dream and if they can prioritize the love that’s been so evident from the beginning. For readers who like insta-love, second chance romances with a bit of spice and a lot of heartfelt emotion, this one hits all the marks.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Switched (Ghosted #2) by Sarah Ready

 

5*

Switched is a standalone sequel to Sarah Ready’s Ghosted, one of my favorite books of 2023, featuring Jillian’s best friend Serena “Ducky” Otaki, a brilliant American physicist working in Geneva. In a hysterical meet-cute at her favorite local pub, she accidentally sits on wet varnish and asks a handsome stranger, Henry Joules, to help her get unstuck. Although there’s an instant attraction and intense feelings, her one true passion is physics and she has no space in her life for a loving relationship, especially if it means merging their lives and giving up her individuality and career. Henry, also a physicist and her new project lead, comes from a big, loving family and thinks he’s found the woman of his dreams until she plays off their night of passion as just a bit of fun.

Fast forward 427 days and during a heavy thunderstorm, particles collide and they wake up in each other’s bodies. As they go from Geneva to his brother’s wedding in England and then on to her childhood home in California, they tap into each other’s memories, hear about their upbringing from family members eager to share stories, and start to strengthen their connection based on a growing mutual respect. The question is, can a coffee-chugging vegetarian who surrounds herself with chaos and a neat freak who loves his full English breakfast and daily mug of tea, and who can barely tolerate each other, figure out how to switch back? And, if they do, will the stars align for a happily-ever-after for these two lonely souls?

Sarah Ready has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Each book she writes has a unique premise, vivid characters, and a relatively low-angst romance. In Switched, she’s gives us the perfect book boyfriend, a free-spirited female in STEM, and a large helping of magical realism. It’s a joy to read. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook

 

5*

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook is a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in 1851, alternating between the numbing chill of an Arctic expedition and the "Murder Mania" that's taken hold of England. Pook does a phenomenal job of describing the landscape and tenor of the times, making readers feel as if they're there: the frozen tundra that makes men go insane; the gruesome gallows with massive crowds of people from all walks of life, lured by the spectacle of a murderer being hanged, replete with the sounds and smells of unwashed masses; the docks with the rats, the criminals, and the smell of rot; and the eerie Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Pook has chosen both a narrative style that reads as if it was written at the time and a diary written by the protagonist's late sister who pretended to be a male cabin boy on a recovery voyage through the Northwest Passage. The identity of her sister's murderer is never in doubt, but the way Maude goes about avenging her death and exacting her revenge is chillingly ingenious. This isn't my normal go-to genre, but I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Take Two, Birdie Maxwell by Allison Winn Scotch

 

4*

Birdie Maxwell was the rom-com queen until a video of her berating the director of her next film for inappropriate behavior goes viral. Overnight, she goes from being America’s sweetheart to teetering on the edge of losing all she’s spent nearly 20 years of hard work building. With nowhere to hide, she runs away to the small California town she escaped at 18. The last thing she expects to find is a love letter in her childhood bedroom. When she shows it to her best friend, Mona, they realize that it might be the key to salvaging her career. What she doesn’t expect is for Elliot O’Brien, Mona’s twin, renowned journalist, and the man she’s loved unrequitedly since age 12, to walk into the bar and for Mona to suggest they work together to hunt down and interview all her past loves. The ensuing road trip in Mona’s rickety old RV is road trip rom-com heaven. 

 

There’s a lot going on in this story: a journey of self-discovery and growth for Birdie, a second-chance romance for Birdie and Elliot if they can learn to be open and honest about their true feelings for each other, a nod to the #MeToo movement and how Hollywood so easily forgives and defends abusive men, the challenges in sibling relationships, the price of fame and putting one’s career above all else, and how two people in a relationship can have vastly different perspectives both during and after it ends. Scotch does a great job of balancing emotional plot points with humorous banter, garnering sympathy for characters who often make choices that hurt those they care about, and building up to a resolution that brings both surprises and satisfaction. Recommended read for rom-com lovers.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Romance through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

 

5*

 

One of the big reasons I enjoy historical fiction is the opportunity it presents to learn something new. In The Spectacular, author Fiona Davis introduced me to “The Big Apple Bomber” who terrorized New York City for 16 years in the 1940s – 50s, setting off bombs in many of its landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall (twice). I also got a backstage pass to the Rockettes in their heyday. In typical stellar fashion, she has managed to merge the two when her female protagonist, 19-year-old Marian Brooks, auditions for the precision dance troupe on a whim and is accepted. Against her overly-protective father’s and soon-to-be fiancé’s wishes, she moves from her comfortable home in Westchester County to New York where she rehearses and performs 4 daily shows for 21 days straight with just a week off before the cycle begins again. 

 

On a surprise double date, she meets a young psychiatrist, Peter Griggs, who surprises her with his incredible insight into her upbringing and personality. At first glance, she isn’t impressed with either his looks or his personality and doesn’t expect to see him again. However, when a bomb goes off during a performance of the Christmas Spectacular (a show I’ve been privileged to see), her connection to the tragedy and the police’s failure to catch the bomber cause her to solicit Peter’s help in finding him before he strikes again. As they and a reluctant police force work together with the clock counting down, a mutual respect and attraction is formed. It will take Marion’s courage to stand out in a performance that demands uniformity to catch a killer.

 

As in all her books, Davis uses a dual timeline to offer perspective. In this case, it’s Marion at age 55 as she prepares to sell her family home and reluctantly agrees to attend a Rockettes reunion. We learn what she’s done in the intervening yearsm and she also uses the opportunity to tell readers about how Peter’s work is the origin of criminal psychological profiling. I couldn’t help but think of the show “Criminal Minds” as I read it. Davis is undoubtedly one of the reigning queens of dual timeline historical fiction and fans of the genre will love this one. Highly recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dutton in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

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