Book Review: "The Safekeep" by Yael Van der Wouden

“She belonged to the house in the sense that she had nothing else, no other life than the house, but the house, by itself, did not belong to her.”

I’ve wanted to read this book since it was published in 2024. I could’ve sworn I bought it but never could seem to find it. Until I discovered the book on the floor of my car’s backseat—I guess it must’ve fallen out of a bookstore bag!

In the summer of 1961, in the sleepy Dutch province of Overijssel, people have finally moved beyond WWII. Isabel lives alone in her late mother’s country house, and serves as its caretaker, but it will eventually go to her older brother Louis when he decides he wants it.

Isabel is a woman who strictly adheres to routine and discipline. Appearances matter to her, and although she rarely sees anyone other than her timid young maid, she believes she is doing exactly what she is supposed to. But when Louis introduces his new girlfriend, Eva, to the family, Isabel takes an immediate and visceral dislike to the woman.

These feelings are exacerbated when Louis has to travel for business and he asks if Eva can stay with Isabel for a month. Eva tries to befriend Isabel, strikes up conversations, tries to help, but Isabel cannot spend an extra moment in her presence. Until one night, when Eva cuts through Isabel’s icy reserve and they begin a passionate relationship.

This is a gorgeously written book. None of the characters—especially Isabel—is particularly appealing but I couldn’t help but be drawn into this story. It’s beautiful, frustrating, emotional, and memorable, and you need to let it unfold for you. One of the most remarkable debut novels I’ve read in some time.

Book Review: "So Old, So Young" by Grant Ginder

This book was so good. It’s exactly what I hoped it would be, and it hit me in the feels just as I expected.

They became friends at college or right afterwards. In the early days, Sasha, Mia, Adam, Richie, Theo, and Marco lived, worked, partied, and struggled in NYC. Each was hoping to make an impact on the world and find love (or at least happiness). But achieving those goals wasn’t always easy.

So Old, So Young follows the friends over 20 years. Once practically inseparable, as the years progress, it takes parties, weddings, and other celebrations to bring them together. Some of them wind up together, some of them try and fail, and for some, happiness and love remain elusive.

Yet as the friends find new loves, get married, move to different cities, have children, and struggle with life, the constancy of their friendships are affected. Some end with a whimper, some with a bang.

“He would blame himself for not being able to stop something he saw coming from its beginning, for not being able to defuse a ticking bomb. More than anything, he would wonder how they had gotten here. He would wonder how five people could have loved each other so completely, only then to decide they were repulsed by the monsters they had become.”

I’ve enjoyed Grant Ginder’s previous books, but in my mind, this is the best he’s written. No one is entirely likable, but I still felt for them. Many will recognize the issues and emotions these characters deal with. And you might want to tell your friends how you feel about them.

This book will publish 2/17.

Book Review: "George Falls Through Time" by Ryan Collett

“Did I want to go home? And which one was that?”

George has it bad. He’s lost his job, the rent and other bills are due, and his boyfriend broke up with him and moved out of their London flat. Desperate to make money, he works as a dog walker, but he cuts corners in order to walk more dogs at a time than he’s supposed to.

On a walk with six dogs owned by immensely high strung people, George looks up to discover two of the dogs are missing. How is he going to explain this to their owners? In the midst of trying to rescue one of the dogs, he trips and falls.

When he comes to, he’s in the middle of Greenwich Park, as he was when he fell. But the park is much quieter and emptier, and nothing looks familiar. As he discovers, somehow he’s wound up in the year 1300. Uh-oh.

Life in 14th-century London isn’t much better for George. He finds himself imprisoned, starved, and tortured. But his luck turns when one of his captors, Simon, helps him escape and they run off together and fall in love. But then there’s this thing with the King and a dragon…

This book was certainly wacky and really creative. But George isn’t the most appealing character, and at least at the start of the book, his dialogue is written as a stream of conscious marathon, full of run-on sentences. I liked the themes of rediscovery and anxiety about wanting to be loved, but it just took a long while to get there.

Book Review: "It's Not Her" by Mary Kubica

When I’ve seen lots of people post about a book and how much they loved it, I always get a little nervous reading it. Will I be the outlier, disappointed by the hype? It does happen at times, but in the case of Mary Kubica’s latest, the hype is real!

Courtney and her family take a vacation at a lakeside resort with her brother Nolan (who is married to her best friend, Emily) and his family. They’re ready to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.

But the peace is short-lived. Early one morning Courtney hears a scream and sees her young niece, Mae, come running out of Nolan and Emily’s cottage. She has blood on her and she’s unable to do much more than cry.

Courtney rushes over to the cottage and finds that both Emily and Nolan were brutally murdered. Their son Wyatt appears to have slept through the attack and is unharmed. But their teenage daughter Reese is missing. Was she kidnapped or was she the murderer?

As the police investigation unfolds, Courtney isn’t sure who is innocent and who is guilty. She becomes convinced her husband is keeping secrets from her and she’s starting to feel afraid of Wyatt. But she’s determined to find out what happened to Reese, as well as who murdered her family.

This was really good. Kubica kept ratcheting up the tension and creating so many questions that I trusted no one. And how it all wrapped up? Chef’s kiss.

Book Review: "The Epicenter of Forever" by Mara Williams

“Maybe joy and suffering are the same subjects brushed in different hues—not either or, but both and. Coexistent. They are lovers with clasped hands and entwined bodies. Maybe in order to have one, you must embrace, accept the other. The beauty is not in the ever after but in trusting the now.”

When Eden was growing up, she spent summers in the idyllic California mountain town of Grand Trees. It was a town that embraced nature and she loved the people who lived there.

But Grand Trees was also the place where her dreams ended and she dealt with a betrayal that shattered her family. Eden fled, vowing never to return. And apart from a brief appearance at a funeral, she’s kept that promise—until now. When she gets news that her estranged mother is suffering from Parkinson’s, she heads back there.

When she arrives, Eden finds her mother’s condition is worse than she thought. She also meets Caleb, her mother’s step-nephew and caregiver, who immediately blames Eden for all that transpired with her mother through the years. But despite her mother’s found family, she’s determined to try and rebuild their relationship, even if it means reopening old wounds.

While she is staying with her mother, Eden finds her relationship with Caleb changing from an adversarial one to a romantic one. Both have more in common than they realize. But the demands of her mother’s condition force Eden to make a choice: her family or her heart?

I thought this was so good. It’s a love story, sure, but it’s also about parental love and the fierce love of found family. I found Mara Williams’ use of imagery to be so powerful as well. ⁣

Book Review: "Leave It Up to Love" by Kristy Woodson Harvey

There’s something about the books that Kristy Woodson Harvey writes. Maybe it’s because they’re always set in sunny, idyllic locations, but they always seem to brighten up the day. I’m thankful to Amazon FirstReads for early access to this sweet and fun story.

All Lila has dreamed of is being a bestselling author. While sales of her first novel didn’t quite make a huge impact, she’s determined that one of her two new ideas may be her ticket to quitting her barista job and writing full-time.

She can’t believe that her book is published by the same company as her favorite author of all time, Elizabeth Lancaster. The “Queen of Regency Romance” is her idol, and even though she orders a coffee from Lila nearly every day, Lila has never let on that she knows who she is.

Ever since her husband died a few years ago, Elizabeth has had writer’s block. She cannot write a word. But her publisher’s patience is running out, so they’ve suggested she use a ghostwriter: Lila, whose style is very similar to hers. Elizabeth doesn’t want to depend on her barista, but it doesn’t seem she has a choice. (She doesn’t.)

This is a story about recovery, finding your confidence again, and taking a different path. At the same time, it’s a sweet love story and a story about finding every way possible to achieve your dreams. This was a nice appetizer to hold me over until Kristy’s next book comes out in May!!

The story will officially publish 3/1.

Book Review: "Blade" by Wendy Walker

Maybe it’s because the Winter Olympics are about to start, but when I saw this mystery/thriller involving figure skating, I was ready to do a triple salchow. Luckily for all of us, I took the simpler route and just read Wendy Walker’s newest book.

As a teenage figure skater with Olympic dreams, Ana was accepted to train at The Palace, a famous skating facility in Colorado. Training was physically rigorous and emotionally draining, because the head coach believed that breaking down a skater’s fears could help them reach their goals.

By the time Ana turned 16, she left The Palace and her skating career behind. She found a new passion in law and now is a successful (and well-known) defense attorney specializing in working with minors. But the last thing she is expecting is to return to The Palace nearly 15 years later.

Grace, the talented daughter of one of Ana’s best friends from her skating days, is accused of brutally murdering The Palace’s assistant coach. This same man coached Ana and her friends back in the day, playing good cop to the head coach’s bad cop. Grace maintains her innocence even though the evidence certainly suggests her guilt.

But in order for Ana to defend Grace, she must confront her own traumatic memories of The Palace. What happened all those years ago? Could Ana have played a part in the coach’s murder? With a blizzard on the horizon, time is running out to find answers and unearth secrets long-hidden.

I love athletic drama, and there was no shortage of that here. The book shifts back and forth between past and present, contrasting Ana’s time at the Palace with her efforts to clear Grace’s name. I enjoyed the story although at times the back and forth confused me a little. But no characters were quite what they seemed!

Book Review: "The Fourth Daughter" by Lyn Liao Butler

Liv is an up and coming chef in NYC. But when she is involved in a traumatic incident, she can no longer leave her apartment without a full-blown panic attack. She misses cooking but can’t imagine setting foot in a noisy kitchen ever again.

After hearing from her beloved Ah-Ma, her grandmother who lives in Taiwan, Liv is motivated to end her self-imposed imprisonment. Apparently Ah-Ma saw a woman on the street that she was convinced is her fourth daughter, who was taken from her as an infant. This is a shock to Liv, who never knew that Ah-Ma had a missing daughter out there all these years. She agrees to fly to Taiwan to help find the woman.

When Liv arrives in Taiwan, she is amazed to hear Ah-Ma’s story about her fourth daughter. She tells of a country under martial law, where women had no rights and had to obey their husbands, and independent action was swiftly punished. Her husband (Liv’s grandmother) was a cruel man affiliated with the powerful military, and he arranged for their daughter to be taken.

As Liv and her grandmother try to track down this woman, they spend a lot of time eating and cooking traditional Taiwanese food. This awakens memories for both of them, and helps Liv recover some of her love of cooking.

The book shifts back and forth between 1960s Taiwan and present day, and is mostly narrated by Liv and Ah-Ma. (Other characters provide some narration from time to time.)

I found this book to be tremendously moving and thought-provoking. This is a story of love and loss, recovery and possibility. And it sure did make me hungry!!

Book Review: "In Bloom" by Liz Allan

“It doesn’t matter anymore. We are trouble. We have always been trouble. Our mothers have been telling us this for years.“

At first glance, this book appears to be fairly simple and straightforward. But it’s only as you come to the end that you realize what quiet power Liz Allan’s debut novel really possesses.

It’s 1994 in Vincent, a small coastal town in Australia. Four high school girls, longtime friends, have a band called The Bastards, because none of them has a father present. They’re obsessed with Nirvana, with loud, angry music, and believe the band is their ticket out of their horrible little hole of a town.

These girls live by a self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re almost a group of ruffians—poor, rowdy, disdainful, and not particularly smart—so no one expects much from them. But they don’t care—they’re just biding their time. And an upcoming Battle of the Bands competition is the key to freedom.

Trouble strikes when their lead singer, Lily, drops out of the band. Shortly thereafter, she accuses the girls’ beloved music teacher (and perhaps their only champion), Mr. P, of sexual assault. The other three girls know he’s innocent and don’t understand why Lily would accuse him of such a horrible act. They’re determined to discover the truth, and nothing—or no one—will get in their way.

Most of the book is narrated by the three remaining Bastards in a collective voice. This was an interesting and very effective choice. You really feel for these girls, who just want to be viewed in a positive light by their peers and their families. The book really made an impression on me!

Book Review: "Dear Debbie" by Freida McFadden

Oh, Debbie, Debbie, Debbie. You are such a fantastically memorable character in one hell of a book!

Debbie is an advice columnist for her local newspaper. For years she’s been helping women deal with difficulties they’re having with their husbands, children, families, etc. But taking her own advice isn’t the easiest thing.

Lately, though, Debbie has been struggling. Her older daughter snaps at everything she does or says, her younger daughter is sullen and clearly hiding a problem. And her husband is definitely up to something. She notices that he stops sharing his location on his phone from time to time. Plus, other people just make her angry.

Debbie has always kept her mouth shut as best as she can. But keeping her cool is getting more and more difficult. So it might be time to right some wrongs and protect her family. No matter what it takes.

This is funny and twisty and even a little bit menacing. I don’t know if I’ve ever devoured a book so quickly in my life. What a great job Freida McFadden did with this!

Book Review: "Two Women Living Together" by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo

True confession: I seemed to have missed the words “The Bestselling Korean Memoir” in this book’s subtitle. I totally thought this was a novel until I realized this was an actual account of two women’s lives.

That being said, while the book definitely landed more on the practical side for me, I found it to be an interesting read. Each chapter felt like it centered on a valuable lesson or piece of advice.

Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo were two women living in Korea. Each had a career and friends they enjoyed. They also both lived alone, and loved it that way: the solitude, the independence, having their own space to do what they wanted.

Hana and Sunwoo became friends and realized they shared not only common interests and passions, but also philosophies about life and living. Plus, each had two cats. Yet as they approached their 40s, both women realized that there was something to be said for human companionship. Neither was in a romantic relationship and didn’t see that as a real possibility, so they made the decision to buy a house together.

This wasn’t a romantic or sexual partnership, nor was it two acquaintances living together until something better came along. This was creating a chosen family, integrating each other into their lives but maintaining their own identities as well.

The book recounts their decision, how they put it into action, and the things they learned. What it’s like to suddenly depend on someone else yet retain your own independence and individuality. How to reconcile chores and other household responsibilities. And perhaps most importantly, how to acclimate four cats into one household. This was funny, insightful, a bit moving at times, and really unique.

Book Review: "Photograph" by Brian Freeman

“When someone you love does something you can’t explain, you begin to realize that you don’t actually know them at all.”

Y’all, I may be late to the party, but this book was EXCELLENT! I had wanted to read it before the end of last year, but didn’t get around to it. Already three of my 5-star reads in January are thrillers!

Shannon is a private investigator in Daytona Beach. Having survived an assault but not getting justice, she only helps women in need. One day, a woman named Kate comes to see her. She found a check that her mother had written to Shannon for $5000 and she wanted to know why she hired Shannon.

A year ago, Faith came to Shannon and said she wanted to know who she really was. Shannon discovered that Faith had taken on a new identity at some point but wasn’t able to trace who she was before. That answer satisfied Faith. But apparently, Faith was violently murdered. And the only clue was an old photograph of a young girl standing outside a motel.

In order to figure out who killed Faith, Shannon has to trace where the photograph was taken and, hopefully, find the identity of the young girl. The search for answers takes her to a small town in Michigan that was rocked by violence a number of years ago, but no one ever found conclusive answers about what happened. In the course of her investigation, Shannon will need to confront some of her own secrets, too.

For a thriller, this book made me surprisingly emotional at times. That being said though, Brian Freeman didn’t let up with the action, tension, or twists. I raced through the book and can’t believe how great it was!

Book Review: "Woman Down" by Colleen Hoover

Petra Rose is a bestselling author with legions of fans, some of whom have even tattooed her words on their bodies. But when one of her books is significantly changed when it is adapted for film—and she appears to have endorsed the change—the internet turns on her. She is savagely criticized by fans and even those who can’t resist kicking a person when they’re down.

All the stress has given Petra a horrible case of writer’s block. She hates everything she tries to write and is so afraid of making another blunder, that she’s fallen way behind with her next novel. But she’s running out of money, so she has to pull herself together.

She rents a lakeside cabin as she usually does when writing. But the peace she hopes will lead to a burst of creativity doesn’t materialize. Then early one morning she wakes to see police cars outside her cabin and there’s a policeman at her door.

This policeman, Detective Nathaniel Saint, has a magnetism Petra is drawn to. He’s exactly the inspiration she needs for one of her main characters. When he leaves, the words seem to pour out of her, and she feels inspired and hopeful for the first time in a while. Under the guise of research for her novel, Petra invites Saint back to her cabin the next day.

But as their “research” gets more and more intense, the lines between reality and fiction start to blur. Is Saint the inspiration for Petra’s character, or is the character somehow shaping the way she sees and feels about Saint? She needs to set her boundaries before it might be too late.

I’m a huge CoHo fan. I was really excited to see her back for the first time in several years. This book is definitely spicy and twisty, but I thought it moved at a very slow pace for like 60 percent of the book. I hope this book signals a permanent return for Hoover, perhaps back to some of the romances I’ve loved the most.

Book Review: "Two Left Feet" by Kallie Emblidge

As many of you know, I’m a sucker for a sports romance. I’ve totally broadened my horizons, though—this is my first soccer (football) romance in a long while. And my heart grew a bit bigger from this one, that’s for sure!

Oliver Harris is a star in the Premier League for the Camden Roses. He’s a local boy, born and raised in Camden, so the fans treat him like royalty, despite the team’s mediocrity. But with the arrival of a new head coach from the Netherlands and rumors the team’s owner is getting frustrated, things have been a bit tense.

After an injury sidelines Oliver for a few months, the coach gives him a new assignment. The team is calling up a young recruit to sub for Oliver and hopefully play alongside him once he’s back on the pitch. Would Oliver mentor the player and ensure he fits in?

At first, he is angry and worried about this request. Why should he train someone to replace him? But when he is assured that isn’t the case, he reluctantly agrees to help the young player, Leonardo Davies-Villanueva, who has dreamed of playing for Camden since he played for their youth academy.

Oliver is jealous of Leo’s talent and confidence, and at first he can barely stand him. But he begins to realize that the coach’s idea of working with Leo isn’t a bad thing, as their playing styles complement each other. And the easy camaraderie they build leads to attraction—and a direction they’re not sure they want to move in. Will they have to choose between their sport and their happiness?

There were so many moments that left me emotional—not only the romantic ones between Oliver and Leo, but also confronting their fears about not being able to achieve their dreams. And there are some family issues that touched me too. I found the other teammates to be a hoot and also enjoyed the actual soccer games. I hope to see more sports romances coming from Kallie Emblidge!

Book Review: "The First Time I Saw Him" by Laura Dave

This is exactly what a sequel should be! I loved The Last Time I Saw Him and while I never expected a sequel, I was definitely excited to get my hands on this. Laura Dave did not disappoint!

Five years ago, Hannah’s husband Owen disappeared. She and her teenage daughter Bailey were forced to uproot their lives and move to Southern California. While they didn’t necessarily have to look over their shoulder constantly, they always had a plan in place should things go wrong.

When Owen shows up at a design exhibition Hannah is attending, she’s happy to see him but cannot react. And then the next morning she gets a text telling her to get out of her house. It’s time for she and Bailey to go on the run.

They have to keep at least a few steps ahead of those who want to harm them. Hannah is most focused on ensuring Bailey’s safety. She knows the sacrifices that might need to be made but hopes that they can gain the upper hand.

The narrative shifts from present to various points in the past. But nothing is quite what it seems. Dave definitely keeps the twists coming and the tension constantly simmering.

I thought the pacing of the book was spot on. I also love the way the story was told, combining suspense with emotion and making me more and more curious about how things would come together in the end. I’ll be waiting for Dave’s next book for sure!

Book Review: "Discipline" by Larissa Pham

“When I was a student, I had thought I could manipulate that gaze to a certain extent, that I had agency. That being desired gave me power. But what I learned then, and what I understood now, was that though one might thrust an oar into the river and think herself steering her own way, the current pushes on, uncaring.“

Christine has recently written her first novel and has embarked on a cross-country book tour. Her novel is a fictionalized account of a relationship she had with an art professor in graduate school. The end of the relationship affected her mental wellbeing so much that she dropped out of grad school and has never painted again.

As she travels from city to city, she reflects on the 10 years that have passed since leaving school. She reconnects with ex-boyfriends and former friends. She engages in conversations about what inspires her to create, and avoids questions about whether the novel is her story.

And then she starts getting emails from her former professor. At first he tells her that the book sharply differs from reality; in some cases, that is true. But as they communicate back and forth, the initial trepidations she had fade away. He invites her to go visit him at his home on a remote island in Maine.

The 10 years have aged the professor significantly. And while there are definitely moments where Christine’s anger resurfaces, they have some brief discussions about what happened between them, the consequences, etc. Can she forgive him and move on with her life?

This is Larissa Pham’s first novel and it is beautifully written and insightful. I wasn’t quite sure how the story would unfold and I was surprised by the powerful emotions I felt. This is definitely a character-driven novel so it may not be for everyone. I look forward to what’s next in Pham’s career!

Book Review: "The Poppy Fields" by Nikki Erlick

Nikki Erlick’s last book, The Measure, was one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in some time. So needless to say, when my book club picked this to read, I was pretty excited.

How do we truly heal from pain? That’s the question at the core of the book. Everyone’s grief looks different, and all too often, we seek a quick fix. But it’s not always that easy.

In a remote stretch of the California desert, a controversial center called The Poppy Fields promises a place to sleep through your sorrow and wake up healed. The center, however, is extremely selective about who they accept.

Four strangers find themselves on a journey to this mysterious facility: Sasha, an occupational therapist; Ray, a firefighter; Ava, a book illustrator traveling with her dog; and Skye, a free spirit. Each has their own reason for wanting to meet the center’s brilliant founder, Ellis—but as secrets from their pasts emerge, their paths intertwine in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed the camaraderie of the four strangers and I found Ellis to be an intriguing character. However, the pacing of the book was sooo slow, and none of the travelers’ secrets were particularly surprising. This was definitely a case in which the concept was great but the execution wasn’t. Onto the next!

Book Review: "The Hitch" by Sara Levine

This was one of the wildest, most creative books I’ve read in some time. I'll never look at corgis the same way again!

Rose is an anti-racist, secular Jewish feminist eco-warrior, a believer in eating healthy foods, and the owner of an artisanal yogurt business. She’s unmarried and doesn’t have children of her own, but she dotes on her six-year-old nephew Nathan and her beloved Newfoundland, Walter.

Rose is one of those people who knows everything about everything. She has an article, a study, a program to back up all of her opinions. And one of her opinions is that she should get to spend more time with Nathan, but her brother and sister-in-law don’t necessarily think she’s the best influence on him.

However, when her brother and sister-in-law take a vacation to Mexico, they agree to leave Nathan in Rose’s care. Rose is so excited; she has her spare bedroom redone for him, and has outlined a vegan meal plan for the week. But only one day into her caregiving stint, disaster strikes. When Rose, Nathan, and Walter are in the park, Walter attacks and kills a corgi.

Walter has never acted aggressively before. And when Nathan starts acting strangely, Rose figures it’s his reaction to the incident. But then Nathan tells Rose that the corgi’s soul is living inside him. And this dog is a troublemaker. If Rose can’t fix this, she’ll never be trusted to care for Nathan again.

Although the concept of the book sounds silly, it’s actually quite moving and thought-provoking. Rose is not the most likable character but she does grow a bit by the end, and she really does love Nathan. I’ll be thinking about this for a long while!!

Book Review: "Half His Age" by Jennette McCurdy

“How does one know their worth? What constitutes worth? I’m seventeen with bad grades. I live in a nine-hundred-square-foot apartment with a single mom. Most of the things I ingest are sold in a 7-Eleven. And I know people say worth is a thing you’re born with, a thing you just intrinsically have by nature of being a human being, but I’m not so sure. People are too precious about what it means to be human. We’re just people.”

Waldo is a high school senior who is in many ways wise beyond her years, but in other ways she is a needy 17-year-old desperate for love and to be noticed. She practically raised her own mother, whose emotional ups and downs correlated with whether or not she was in a relationship. But Waldo never lets anything stand in the way of getting what she wants.

And what she wants is Mr. Korgy, her writing teacher. He’s 40, married with a young son, has a bit of a paunch, and definitely is showing signs of aging, but none of that matters to Waldo. Mr. Korgy makes her feel seen, and that intensifies her desire for him.

Waldo sets about her plan to seduce her teacher. But it’s not just about sexual conquest—she feels that she can learn so much from him, and he can help her feel better about herself. And while he tries to resist her flirtatious advances, he starts to see her as an oasis from his exhausting life.

Will they get caught in the throes of passion? Will he abandon his wife and son for Waldo? And is this really what she wants from her life?

Obviously the main concept of this book is a bit troubling, since Mr. Korgy is an adult and should know better. But this is a powerful look at how it feels to get what you want at someone else’s expense. Is the grass always greener?

Book Review: "In His Wake" by Chad Zunker

This compulsively readable political thriller was one of the Amazon First Reads selections for this month. Thanks so much to Thomas & Mercer for the complimentary advance copy; this would make a great movie!

“Power makes you do foolish things. It clouds your head like a dangerous drug and warps your mind. Like a cancer, it changes you from the inside out. And it can quickly bring you to your knees.”

When a presidential candidate is assassinated in Austin, Texas two weeks before the election, it throws the country into turmoil. Dean Dawson is an investigative reporter covering the incident, although his older brother Eric, who is the FBI special agent in charge, keeps him in line.

Amidst all of the chaos, Dean gets contacted by his ex-girlfriend April. She saw a text thread on her boss’ phone that not only mentions the assassination, but also raises the possibility that Dean’s father—a former partner at April’s firm—might not have drowned a few months ago. Could his father still be alive? And could he have been involved in the candidate’s assassination?

The more that Dean and April try to uncover, the more leads that Eric and the FBI chase, the more people start ending up dead. They have no idea how tangled this web of lies and corruption is, and how much they might all be in danger.

From the minute I started reading, I was hooked. The sad thing is, thrillers like these seem much less far-fetched given what’s happening in the country. Chad Zunker kept the pacing going and the tension rising.

The book publishes 2/1.

Book Review: "How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder" by Nina McConigley

“To have freedom, there is always a fight. Sometimes you lose part of yourself. Sometimes you gain something altogether different from what you thought. And sometimes which side is right and which side is wrong gets all muddled together.”

You know me and books with cool titles! This is one of those books that deals with a very serious subject but tries to put a humorous spin on it. It’s an interesting approach but I think it lessened the overall power of the story.

Agatha and Georgie are sisters growing up in rural Wyoming in 1986. Their American father is often absent, working for an oil company. When their relatives—their uncle, aunt, and young cousin—arrive from India, they are very excited to see family and learn more about their Indian culture.

But shortly after their family arrives, both sisters are repeatedly molested by their uncle. He warns them that if they tell anyone, no one will believe them and he and his family will have to go back to India, which will devastate their lonely mother. So at that point Agatha and Georgie decide their uncle has to die.

Their plan to kill their uncle is juxtaposed with a look at how this changes the relationship between the sisters. The plot also meanders through anecdotes of their family’s history, India’s independence, the history of Wyoming, the oil industry, and other topics, and is intercut with magazine quizzes about love and other emotions.

When the book focuses on the actual story, it’s very powerful and emotional. But all of the detours quickly frustrated me. One or two might have been interesting, but after a while, I just wanted the book to stop being clever and coy.

Book Review: "Detour" by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

John Ward is a billionaire who is running as a third-party candidate for president. He’s funding a mission to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. The mission will lay the foundation for future settlements as the effects of climate change destroy Earth.

The crew of the mission is composed of three astronauts and three civilians. The astronauts are legendary and the hope is they will train the three civilians: Padma, the scientist whose research convinced Ward to form the mission; Stitch, a graffiti artist who won his seat in a lottery; and Ryan, a Washington, DC cop who helped foil an assassination attempt on Ward.

The mission will last two years. Ryan doesn’t want to leave his wife and kids for that long, but Ward promises him a $15 million paycheck which could change their lives. And although all six of the crew members are nervous about the mission, they move forward with it.

But when the ship starts circling Titan, things go wrong. The ship is rocked by multiple explosions which threaten their return home. Yet working together, they’re able to make it back to Earth and are hailed as heroes.

Upon their return, each person notices that their life isn’t quite what it was before the mission. They returned home to find things—and their loved ones—are strangely different, like they’re in the wrong multiverse. Ward has ordered that the crew members can’t talk to each other or the press. What happened on their mission? They’re not quite prepared for what comes next.

Science fiction isn’t my usual genre, but this sci-fi thriller was excellent. It’s the start of a series and I hope I don’t have to wait long for the next book!

Book Review: "The Odds of You" by Kate Dramis

Sage had always dreamed of being a writer. Her first book made it on the New York Times bestseller list, which is a rarity for a debut author. Of course, now the pressure is on for her to deliver her second book, pressure she’s not handling very well.

On a cross-country flight to Comic Con she strikes up a conversation with a man whom the flight attendant is quite enamored of. When they arrive at the airport, the paparazzi circle because the passenger is Theo Sharpe, an actor who’s just about to become a huge star. And the paparazzi think Sage is his mystery girlfriend, which quickly turns into a PR nightmare for her, as Theo’s fans accuse her of being opportunistic.

No matter how hard Sage’s camp denies there’s any connection between her and Theo, the press keeps fueling the fire. And while there is certainly chemistry between the two, they can’t act on it. All of this is taking its toll on Sage’s confidence and it’s manifesting itself in continued writer’s block.

To escape the pressure and the constant judgment of her parents, who want her to pursue a more stable career path, Sage goes to Scotland to clear her head. The last thing she’s expecting is to see Theo at a pub, but his family has a home there. Slowly, they start to let each other in and both leave themselves tremendously vulnerable. But they understand each other’s struggles, which makes it even harder when secrets are revealed and the world re-enters.

“What do you do when your greatest might never live up, not because it can’t, but because people’s imaginations are boundless, and so the comparison is impossible?”

Third-act breakup notwithstanding, I found this book to be very moving and I was fully immersed in their struggles. While Kate Dramis has written romantasy before, this is her first contemporary romance, and she did a great job. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Book Review: "I Could Be Famous" by Sydney Rende

“Money. Fame. The high you get when a group of strangers screams your name with tears in their eyes. The ability to strut around L.A. like you really belong there (most people don’t), like you landed in the exact right spot.”

The quote above describes the characters that some of the stories in this enjoyable debut collection center around. In some cases they’re famous; in others, they’re infamous; and in others they’re either fame-adjacent or wanting to be famous. (The irony is not lost on me that I’m discussing this book on social media for my followers.)

There are 11 stories in this collection. The characters always made me a little bit nervous, wondering what disaster they might cause. But I really enjoyed nearly all of them.

Some of my favorite stories include: “Nothing Special,” about a young woman who becomes friends with a popular influencer yet realizes the life she covets isn’t all that great; “High School Junkie Girlfriend,” in which an aspiring young actress aims for authenticity before her audition for the role of said girlfriend; “The Actor Naked,” which deals with the ways the relationship between an actor and his assistant changes when she sees him naked; and “Monsters,” about a reality TV star who just wants to be loved, but can’t seem to pull it together when she’s not on camera.

I really was impressed with Sydney Rende’s storytelling abilities. All of the stories felt complete and I felt totally immersed in the mini-universes she created. Not all of the characters are sympathetic but they were all fascinating.

Book Review: "Is This A Cry for Help?" by Emily Austin

This was a very moving and thought-provoking book. It felt tremendously current given the issues being dealt with across the country.

Darcy is a librarian at a local library. She loves her job, even if not every patron is kind or appreciative. She and her wife Lou have a relatively idyllic life, complete with two loving cats. Darcy has just returned to work following a medical leave, the result of a mental breakdown after she heard that her ex-boyfriend Ben has died.

She hasn’t seen or spoken to Ben for years, since their breakup. But Darcy feels tremendous guilt and sadness about Ben’s death, the way their relationship ended, and the fact that she was never completely honest with him about her sexuality.

Now that she has returned to work, she and her colleagues start dealing with protestors who believe the library is harmful to children. The leader is a particularly vociferous critic who believes the library shouldn’t carry any materials dealing with sex or race or any of the issues these conservatives believe to be “dangerous.” While Darcy is still a bit mentally unstable, she’s also outraged about this attack on the library.

“I find it grating when attention is focused on seedy, unconstructive things, while so little focus is put on all that’s good.”

Emily Austin skillfully combined grief, love, guilt, and the periodic insecurity we feel in relationships. I definitely cared about Darcy and hoped her life wouldn’t go off the rails as she returned to work. I really loved the way her wife and her colleagues made her feel protected.

Book Review: "Anatomy of An Alibi" by Ashley Elston

“It’s not just the anatomy of an alibi—having someone vouch that you were somewhere else when the crime was committed—but it’s the psychology of it: that that someone is believable.”

I love when a book I’ve been eagerly anticipating by an author whose work I love knocks it completely out of the park. This book has been everywhere on Bookstagram but I finally sat down and read it, and it proved that Ashley Elston’s success writing adult novels was not a one-time thing!

Camille is the daughter of a powerful Louisiana family. Her husband Ben is a handsome lawyer whose representation is sought after by the most powerful people. Not too bad for someone just barely 30!

But Camille is not happy in her marriage. Ben has been spying on her every move, and she’s fairly certain he’s corrupt. Once she has proof, she can divorce him. When she meets Aubrey, who believes Ben is tied to a tragedy in her life, Camille might have found the way to put her plan in motion. She and Aubrey will trade identities for 12 hours, so Ben will think he’s tracking Camille, but she’ll actually be spying on him.

Both women believe they have a foolproof alibi, but that isn’t the case. And they have no idea what they’ve stepped in the middle of.

Every time I thought I had a handle on what was happening, Elston flipped the script. There are a lot of narrators and lots of time shifts (pay attention to the chapter headers) but it all contributes to a crazy puzzle of a book! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Book Review: "Cursed Daughters" by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel, My Sister, the Serial Killer, caught me by complete surprise when I read it in 2018. I couldn’t wait to see what she wrote next—although she made me wait until the end of 2025! This book is very different from her first but it is more evidence that she is a writer to be reckoned with.

On the day that they bury her cousin Monife, Ebun gives birth to a baby girl. This baby, named Eniiyi, resembles Monife so much, the family is convinced she is the reincarnation of her late aunt. They believe Eniiyi will follow the same path Monife did in life, right down to her tragic end.

In addition to the belief that Eniiyi is fated to meet the same end as Monife, there’s also the family curse: “No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace...” This curse has left several generations of Falodun women brokenhearted.

When Eniiyi reaches womanhood, she saves a man from drowning and promptly falls in love with him. She then realizes the curse is hanging over her head. Her only recourse is to search for answers in the older parts of Lagos, to find a way out of her fated predicament. Can she break the curse and have the chance at happiness? Can she free the other women in her family?

There is such a vibrancy to the way Braithwaite writes. The city of Lagos is as much a character as Eniiyi and her family. The book follows each generation’s confrontation with the curse and the tragedy that befell Monife. It gets a little repetitive at times, but it was just so moving.

Book Review: "Chasing Stardust" by Erica Lucke Dean

This sweet, funny, and moving book really warmed my heart. Many of us have imagined what our parents were like when they were younger, but how many of us get a first-hand look?

Zoey is devastated when her beloved mother dies of cancer. She has spent the last few years caring for her, putting her own future on hold while her older sister stayed in college. She knows it’s time to focus on moving forward, but she has one last task to complete for her mom.

Her mother has asked Zoey to spread her ashes following a path between Tennessee and California. Apparently it’s the path her grandmother followed in 1972: David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour. Her grandmother G-Lo was more than a groupie—she and the singer slept together, and that’s how Zoey’s mother came to be.

With her mother’s ashes and her diary in hand, driving her grandmother’s old Cutlass, she’s ready to hit the road. But from the very start she gets into trouble and the car breaks down outside Nashville. At an all-night diner she meets Dash, a handsome young man who’s apparently fleeing his domineering father’s expectations. Dash is more than willing to be a partner on this journey.

“How do I explain that I’m having a hard time reconciling Mom’s memories with my own…that with every word I read, my perception of her changes, dredging up emotions I can’t begin to understand. That I’m caught between this unquenchable desire to know everything about her past, and the fear of what I’ll discover if I spend too much time looking.”

As the trip continues, Zoey learns about her mother, grandmother, and herself. I love road-trip books and thought this was an utterly enjoyable read.

Book Review: "The Frequency of Living Things" by Nick Fuller Googins

“I decided right there to play it safe: one full week to detox from my sisters. Because family and opioids really aren’t so different. Both can make you feel great until suddenly they don’t.”

Even though she’s the youngest, Josie has almost always taken care of her older twin sisters, Ara and Emma. Josie is a scientist, organized and levelheaded (at least when it comes to other people’s lives). Her sisters are musicians, so Josie often pays their rent, schedules their doctors’ appointments, and helps with issues related to their band.

The band, Jojo and the Twins, were once a huge, Grammy-nominated success. But their second album remains elusive, and it’s been years since they opened for famous bands. Their lack of progress in recent years is definitely related to Ara’s problems with addiction and dealing with trauma from an assault. Emma feels as if she’s to blame for the assault, so she’s essentially been enabling Ara’s addiction.

But when Ara winds up in jail, it throws Josie and Emma in a tailspin. Emma decides that the band will record a jailhouse album and hopes that preorders will help pay Ara’s bail. But for the first time, Ara decides she wants to kick her drug habit and her reliance on her sisters, both of which are easier said than done.

Their mother Bertie is a famous lawyer and fighter of injustice. She was too busy building a better world for her daughters than actually mothering them. When she is asked to help Ara, she has to decide whether to come back into her daughters’ lives or let them fight their own battles.

I love books about family dynamics and drama, and this one had a lot of it! It’s a powerful read that evoked a lot of different emotions in me. I felt like the book meandered a bit as it provided background into the characters, particularly Bertie, but the story really moved me.

Book Review: "The Storm" by Rachel Hawkins

Batten down the hatches and hold on tight, because this book will blow you away! I’ve been patiently waiting for its release date and everyone’s been loving this, so I’m quite glad it met my expectations.

Geneva is the current owner of the Rosalie Inn in St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama. The inn is actually the only structure to withstand the three hurricanes that struck the town over the decades. It’s been a part of her family for generations, but the costs of keeping it running are starting to wear on her.

When an investigative journalist reserves a room for an undetermined amount of time so he can write a book, Gen is excited about how much this stay will help the inn’s finances. It turns out he’s writing a book about a scandalous murder that happened in town in 1984, when Hurricane Marie washed ashore. The son of Alabama’s governor was found dead and the accused was Gloria “Lo” Bailey, his teenaged mistress.

The biggest surprise for Gen is that Lo comes to the inn with the author, as they’re collaborating on telling her story. Lo says she’s returned to St. Medard’s Bay so she can finally prove her innocence, but is that the truth? As long-hidden secrets start to reveal themselves, Lo’s motivations are definitely questionable.

But there’s another hurricane headed for town, and this one could be the biggest one of all. Can Gen figure out what happened all those years ago—and who was responsible—before she winds up in harm’s way, one way or another?

Rachel Hawkins’ books don’t disappoint, and this one definitely got my pulse racing! The narrative shifts between the present and the past, when each of the other hurricanes hit town. There are secrets nested within secrets, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all ended up.

Book Review: "Alice Rue Evades the Truth" by Emily Zipps

I bought this at Thunder Road Books last week. I mean, when a book is described as a sapphic homage to While You Were Sleeping, it needs to be picked up immediately.

Alice works nights as a lobby receptionist for an office building. One night, Nolan, the handsome man on whom she has had a crush, collapses in front of her. She frantically calls 911 and gives Nolan CPR, which she doesn’t think she’s doing right anyway.

The good news is that Alice saved his life. The bad news is that Nolan’s family is mistakenly told that she’s his girlfriend. (Somehow the EMT told the hospital and…) Nolan is in a coma, but his family wants to know everything about Alice—how long they’ve been dating, etc. Seeing how happy his family is keeps Alice from telling the truth.

There’s one other complication: Alice feels immediately drawn to Van, Nolan’s gorgeous butch sister. But giving into her feelings for Van would be essentially cheating on a comatose man. And what happens when the truth comes out? It all seems like too much of a risk.

“What exactly is the protocol for when your fake-boyfriend’s hot sister and her dog walk you to your door after you leave his hospital room?”

If you’ve seen While You Were Sleeping, you pretty much know the path the story will take. There are some serious emotions afoot here, as well as dealing with unresolved trauma and fear. But the banter, the steam, the crazy family, and Frank the dog make the book so worthwhile.

Book Review: "The Mad Wife" by Meagan Church

“‘We call this hysteria.’ He said it so matter-of-factly. I didn’t feel hysterical, and I wanted to tell him that, but I feared that anything I said would only prove his point. Instead, I smiled and nodded. He packed up his bag and continued, saying, ‘I see this in women such as yourself all the time, this housewife syndrome. You’re a bit tired, doing a lot around the house. Not really feeling like yourself. Finding yourself a bit moody like your kids.’”

I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while. I had a feeling it would be a powerful one, but wow. (Kudos to Meagan Church for an introductory note that says, “If you find the pages growing heavy, if the emotions press too hard against your heart, please know you have permission to set the book down. Step away, take a breath, and return only when you’re ready.”)

Lulu tries hard to be a model housewife of the 1950s. She knows what her responsibilities are: keep her husband happy, take care of her young son Wesley, clean the house, cook meals, and be a fabulous entertainer. And as the so-called Queen of Molded Food, her gelatin salads and desserts are the envy of all.

Following the birth of Lulu’s second child, everything starts to unravel. She’s not sleeping, she’s tired all the time, and she’s just not happy or in the mood to be the perfect housewife. When new neighbors move in across the street, Lulu becomes fixated on the wife, Bitsy.

The more difficult it is for Lulu to pull herself together and be happy, the more scrutiny she finds herself under. And as she uncovers secrets about Bitsy, she starts to worry if she’ll face the same fate. But what’s true and what has Lulu invented in her mind?

This book really packs an emotional punch. It’s sad to think that this was (and in some cases, still is) the reality for women in the 1950s. I absolutely felt for Lulu and rooted for her to have a happy ending. Definitely a thought-provoking read!!

Book Review: "Famous Once" by Jane Green

This was one of the Amazon First Reads for January. Jane Green’s writing is so lush and evocative, and she always captures the time period of her work and the setting so effectively.

In the 1970s, Astrid Lane was one of the hottest models in the world. Everyone knew her face and her name, and she was often found in the company of the world’s most glamorous stars. When she fell for rockstar Callum Blake, it was a fairytale match, and Astrid was more than happy to step away from her career to raise the couple’s daughter, Zara.

But fame took its toll, and when Astrid and Callum’s marriage fell apart due to his infidelity, Astrid became addicted to drugs and alcohol, leaving young Zara to fend for herself.

Years later, Astrid lives a quiet life as a caterer, and has a somewhat-estranged relationship with Zara. But when a retrospective of 1970s music and fashion raises the profile of the stars of that time, Callum is back in the spotlight. His life is the subject of a podcast, but of particular interest is a tragedy that happened all those years ago.

Zara, who is a globetrotting reporter, wants to dig into the tragedy, even if it might unearth information that could damage her father. Astrid becomes a target of threats to keep any information she has a secret, which includes hours of audio recordings Callum made for her through the years. Zara and Astrid pore over these recordings and other memorabilia, and the truth is finally uncovered.

I thought this was a good story, but it was a little too short to feel complete. Everything was treated with a broad brush rather than detail, but I would love to see this expanded into a novel.

The story will be released 2/1/2026.

Book Review: "The Trip" by Audrey J. Cole

In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, “Whoa!” This fast-moving book was wild. This is now the second book of Audrey J. Cole’s that I’ve read and I can say one thing unequivocally: her books should come with a defibrillator!!

In high school, Palmer, Beth, Courtney, Gigi, and Emma were inseparable. Sure, Courtney was a bit of a mean girl at times, but she was kind and generous at others. Before they graduated, Courtney suggested they go on a weekend camping trip, with hiking and rafting. Yet only four of them returned. Courtney fell into the river and could not be rescued.

Questions about what happened on the camping trip followed the girls everywhere. They couldn’t seem to shake the cloud of suspicion they were under. While Palmer and Beth kept in touch, for the most part they all drifted apart.

Twenty years later, Gigi is a popular influencer, married to a hotel mogul. She invites the others on a yacht trip on the Pacific, to end in San Diego. Palmer’s marriage has just ended and she’s struggling emotionally, so Beth convinces her to come on the fully paid trip. And then the four of them can pay tribute to Courtney.

It’s not long before they’re sailing directly into a storm. The power and radio go down and the captain is missing, so they’re left with the first mate, who doesn’t seem to know the first thing about sailing. And then they find a note which brings the memories—and the secrets—from that camping trip back into the light. What really happened that weekend? Who was responsible? No one is above suspicion, and they all could be at risk.

The book shifts between high school and the yacht trip. None of the characters appears particularly sympathetic, and I had no idea whom to trust or root for. The twists came as fast as the waves and the storm! I needed a reminder of why I never want to go on a cruise, so thanks, Audrey!!

Book Review: "Meet the Newmans" by Jennifer Niven

As someone who grew up watching family sitcoms, from The Brady Bunch to Good Times, Family Ties to Full House, I absolutely loved this book. Jennifer Niven wrote one of my all-time favorite books—All the Bright Places—and I’m so glad to read her again!

The Newmans—Del and Dinah, and their sons Guy and Shep—have been a part of the public consciousness for years. The real Newman family plays themselves on their popular sitcom, and are America’s favorite television family. Every problem is solved in less than 30 minutes.

But it’s 1964, and the televised Newmans have gotten out of touch with the world around them. Their ratings are awful, sponsors are withdrawing, and it’s possible that the show might be canceled at the end of the season. And while the future of the show is up in the air, the real-life Newmans are in freefall as well.

When Del, who runs all aspects of the show, gets into a car accident and is placed into a medical coma, the show has two more episodes in the season. Dinah decides she’s going to handle it, so she hires a strong-willed reporter named Juliet to write the script for the finale with her. But Juliet will only do this if Dinah is willing to break the Newmans out of their bubble of perfection. Both women want to write a script the world will remember.

As Dinah takes control of the show, she discovers some secrets her husband has been hiding. Older son Guy has a secret too, but will it be exposed by the tabloids first? And Shep, the heartthrob, is finally realizing his charm can only get him so far. Each of the Newmans are ready for life after the show—but first they want the finale to succeed.

While Niven has said the book was inspired by 1950s stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, it also reminded me of the movie Pleasantville. For the first time, Dinah is confronted with the realities that women face in society as exposed to the “ideal” she portrays. I found this funny, emotional, and thought-provoking, and I’m so glad I met the Newmans!!

Book Review: "The Flightless Birds of New Hope" by Farah Naz Rishi

“Aden Shah’s parents flew before they died, and even he couldn’t miss the morbid punch line in that. After all, no one loved birds more than the Shahs.”

When Aden gets word that his parents have died in a freak accident, he leaves Chicago to head for his childhood home in New Hope, Pennsylvania. It’s been years since he’s been home or spoken to his family, but as the executor of his parents’ estate, he has to put his feelings aside.

His return is met with anger from his younger siblings, Aliza and Sammy. Aliza has essentially raised Sammy, since their parents were often traveling or neglectful. Aden must also confront one of the main reasons he fled home 10 years ago: Coco Chanel, his parents’ prized Major Mitchell’s cockatoo. Coco got more attention than anyone else in the Shah household.

Frayed by grief, anger, and resentment, one night Aden opens Coco’s cage and lets her fly away. Of course, when his siblings panic about Coco’a disappearance, the three of them hit the road to find her and bring her back home. They follow her tracking chip and tap into a vast network of bird watchers to try and find her.

But what they figured would take just a few days at most turns into a cross-country road trip where everything that can go wrong does. Along the way, they argue, reopen old wounds, and try to process their grief and anger toward one another, their parents, and life in general.

This is a powerful meditation on grief and resentment as well as growing up knowing you’ll never be as important as your avian sibling. I just felt everything repeated itself too much—the failed rescue attempts, the rehashed arguments, and the crazily farcical incidents that arise. The characters’ growth arc took a bit longer than necessary, but the emotions were still very palpable.

Book Review: "Just Watch Me" by Lior Torenberg

This book was an all-out wild ride. Reading it was like watching a car crash—it made me wince and cringe a little bit, but I absolutely couldn’t look away. Thanks so much to Avid Reader Press for the complimentary advance copy!

Dell’s life is out of control. She’s just gotten fired from her job at a smoothie place and she’s not sure how she’s going to be able to pay her bills. To top it off, her sister Daisy has been in a coma and the hospital wants to either take her off life support or transfer her to home care. For that, she’ll need $14,000. Quickly.

With no income source except selling plants online, she decides to turn to live-streaming to raise money. Under the user name @mademoiselle_dell, she mocks, cajoles, and even begs her followers for money to help Daisy. And then she decides to start a 7-day, 24-hour livestream.

But if you want to keep your viewers engaged all that time, you have to give them content. Dell discovers—despite suffering chronic stomach pain—that she can eat hot peppers, so she encourages people to donate money for her to eat them. She becomes obsessed not only with how much money she’s raising, but also with her ranking among other streamers.

The pressure of living life online starts to get to Dell. She doesn’t really know how to sustain her followers except to get increasingly more outrageous. And as she battles online trolls and deals with frayed relationships with her mother and her next-door neighbor, it appears that Dell hasn’t been quite honest. With anyone.

The book follows one week of Dell’s live-streaming, with a section for each day. You know she’s going to have consequences to deal with, but how bad will it be? Can she save her sister? Can she eat even hotter peppers? I wanted to shake Dell more than a few times, but I couldn’t turn myself away from her story.

This book will publish 1/20.

Book Review: "Recipe for Trouble" by Dylan Morrison

As I was reading this fun, sweet, and swoony rom-com, I really wished it was adapted into a movie. The chemistry between the two main characters was adorable and intense.

Ben is a video editor for a multimedia company. He’s good at his job, although he hates it and his colleagues don’t make him feel like he’s a part of the team. He’s a fairly solitary person and he’s tried to convince himself that’s fine.

One day he gets a request from someone in another part of the company to help with a video. Apparently Ben is told it’s a disaster. And that couldn’t be more accurate. It’s a cooking demonstration, and while the chef is clearly knowledgeable (and very hot), he’s an absolute mess in front of the camera.

Ben makes Pete, the chef, look like an expert. He does such a good job that the powers that be want Pete to host more videos. Pete does not want to, but he has no choice, so Ben starts to collaborate with him to help Pete adjust. The more time they spend together, Ben starts to understand what makes Pete tick, and Pete can somehow charm cranky, cynical Ben.

As the chemistry between them intensifies, the videos they produce garner more and more viewers. But when outside forces threaten to sabotage their work and their burgeoning relationship, both will need to prove what they’re made of—and whether the two of them together can truly be a recipe for success.

There was so much I loved about this book—the banter, the cooking, the supporting characters, and, of course, Ben and Pete. I will admit I didn’t quite understand Pete’s major hangup which seems to hang over them, but I was rooting for both of them to stop flailing about. This really made me grin like an idiot.

Book Review: "Dead Money" by Jakob Kerr

My first read of 2026 was a twisty thriller-ish mystery about the multibillion-dollar machinations of the tech industry and the double crossing that occurs in the thirst for power and money.

Mackenzie Clyde is more than a fixer. A trained attorney, she’s worked her way up to be the director of investigations for one of the biggest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. She makes problems—and problem clients—disappear before they harm the firm’s investments.

But then Trevor Canon, CEO of Journey, one of the hottest startups, is found murdered and his assets are frozen. It just so happens that her boss and his firm are the biggest investors in the startup, so getting answers ASAP is crucial. Mackenzie gets a role as an “advisor” to the investigation, which means she has to collaborate with the FBI, who aren’t the most forthcoming.

Everyone’s a suspect—the other executives at Journy, other venture capitalists, even organized crime. Because the murder—and the motive behind it—is about more than money. And Mackenzie doesn’t know whom to trust—or if she’ll be left out to hang when the truth is uncovered.

“It was much simpler, she thought, to see the world for ‘what it could be’ if you never had to actually experience the world as it was. It’s a lot easier to be a visionary when you’re at the top of a skyscraper than when you’re battling for elbow room on the street.”

This is an interesting read which gets a bit technical from time to time. There were definitely lots of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing. I would’ve liked a little more action, but I still couldn’t stop reading.

The Best Books I Read in 2025...

Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2025 has come and gone. It was an interesting year, for sure!

As some of you may be aware, in June I fell and wound up fracturing my hip and my pelvis in multiple places. I was in a lot of pain and I really couldn't move much, but I had trouble focusing, so it took a while for me to get back into reading. So while my total of 339 books is lower than the last few years, I'm not disappointed by it. (I know some of you are rolling your eyes at the book total anyway, lol.)

Choosing my favorite books of the year is always a challenge given how much I read. I usually make a first pass and then have to whittle the list down to a more manageable number. This year I chose a top 25 and then an additional 15 books that I really wanted to call attention to. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this list and what your favorite books of the year were!

The Top 25

1. Life, & Death, & Giants by Ron Rindo: If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. This was an emotional and thought-provoking read with some of the most memorable characters, and I was all choked up at the end.

2. The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff: This was a beautifully written, powerful, and emotional debut novel. It’s an exploration of the myriad ways people we love impact our lives and it really struck a chord with me.

3. Don't Tell Me How to Die by Marshall Karp: This book was totally not what I was expecting but it was utterly fantastic. You may think this book is primarily a family drama, and while there are some elements of that, be ready to be thrown some curves.

4. The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead: Each of Ashley Winstead's books is totally different. It’s a book about grief, loss, love, family, and hope, as well as fighting for your dreams. It will publish 1/20/2026.⁣

5. My Friends by Fredrik Backman: I’m a huge fan of Fredrik Backman’s, and he sure knows how to make me cry!⁣ You can obviously tell from the title that this is a book about friendship, but it is also a story about loss, loneliness, the love we feel in our souls, and the joy when that love is reciprocated.

6. The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy: This was such a wonderfully special book with one of the most memorable narrators I’ve found in a long while. It's full of humor, emotion, and charm, and it’s very heartwarming. Check out the world from Denny Voss' perspective.⁣

7. I See You've Called In Dead by John Kenney: I often say that what makes a 5-star read for me is a book that moves me and makes me think. This book is definitely one of those.⁣ I couldn’t have loved it any more if I tried. It’s beautifully written, sarcastic, and packs such an emotional punch.

8. Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft: I was hooked from the very first lines of this book. As the host of a true crime podcast, Daphne Woolsoncroft knows her stuff and she has created one terrific page-turner. The book definitely got my heart rate up!!

9. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston: There's just something about the way Ashley Poston writes. I cannot get enough of the way she sprinkles her romances with magical realism as well as humor and such gorgeous emotion. ⁣⁣With this book, I found myself highlighting so many quotes and definitely getting choked up.

10. When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: This book scared the crap out of me, grossed me out on occasion, and broke me emotionally. Horror is definitely not a genre I read much of, but this is easily one of the most powerful and memorable books I’ve read in some time.⁣