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.