Book Review: "Well Versed" by Jen DeLuca

OMG!! I’m so happy that Jen DeLuca has taken us back to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire with another book in her Well Met series! Reading this book really brought me so much joy. Thanks so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance copy!

When she was a teenager, the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire was Caitlin’s favorite place to be. She loved working there each summer, singing and portraying the queen’s lady in waiting. But when she turned 18, she had her heart broken for the first time, and she no longer enjoyed any of the magic.

Now, six years later, she had to move back to Maryland after getting laid off from her job. She’s being pressed into service as the queen’s lady in waiting once again, as her aunt Emily is filling in for the queen this season. She just has to survive four weekends of wearing the same costume she did when she was in high school.

Returning to the Faire brings back lots of memories and helps her rekindle some friendships. But the last thing she’s expecting is to see Alex, one of the sword-wielding performers, who broke her teenage heart six years ago. His old act is gone, but he now performs Shakespeare on demand, and he’s even hotter than he was back then.

Caitlin is absolutely not going to let Alex derail her summer. But of course, they’re thrown together at every instance, so they start to become friends. Caitlin insists she will not fall for Alex again—but that’s easier said than done. But with them both going their separate ways after the summer, there’s no chance of them having a future, right? What if that’s exactly what they both want?

It was so great to return to these characters and see how they’ve been living their lives since the last book in the series was published. As always, DeLuca imbues her books with so much heart and humor, and I wish I could be there at the Faire. I hope we’ll get to return again!

The book publishes 9/22.

Book Review: "Summer Coven" by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor

I was so excited to see that my favorite vampires/bed and breakfast owners were back for a second adventure! Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Arthur Miller (no relation) and his husband, Sal Conte, finally feel at home in Trident Falls. Business at their bed and breakfast (called Dead & Breakfast) is booming, especially with the summer solstice festival coming to town. And since Arthur was able to solve a murder (and clear Sal as a suspect), they’ve finally made friends in town.

The summer solstice festival is absolutely packed, and all of the food and activities bring out Sal’s inner child. When he takes their cat, Rumble, to a pet psychic, there is a bit of a kerfuffle. Later that day, the pet psychic is found dead, apparently poisoned. (She obviously couldn’t intuit she was drinking poison.)

At first, Sal once again is the primary suspect, but Arthur is able to quickly clear his name. But his skills as a VAMP (Very Astute Married Paranormal) PI are requested by Ambrosia, the head of the Celestine Coven, a group of witches essentially operating an MLM of sorts. Of course, Arthur hasn’t solved his other case yet—the disappearance of their friend’s missing mother—but he realizes the two cases are connected.

It turns out Ambrosia isn’t the benevolently powerful witch she’s pretending to be. The coven is getting investigated for fraud, and Ambrosia (who used to be called Amanda) may not even be a real witch. Can Arthur expose the real criminals before it’s too late? How many diversions can Sal create?

This is a fun series. Arthur and Sal are an adorable couple, as each balances the other out. Sal is flighty, flaky, and utterly melodramatic, while Arthur could use a little more loosening up. I hope to see them again in another book!

Book Review: "Kiss Slay Replay" by Rachel Harrison

Over the last few years, I’ve become a huge fan of Rachel Harrison’s books, despite the fact that I don’t read much horror. But her upcoming book, Kiss Slay Replay, may be my most favorite yet. Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Being a wedding guest can definitely be stressful, even when your best friends are getting married. Willa is dreading her friends’ wedding because she recently ended her own engagement, and her ex will be there, too. She knows that breaking up with Ravi was the right thing, but why is she so conflicted?

Despite her misgivings, she drives up to the wedding. It’s being held at a posh summer camp-turned-wedding venue, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. All of her best friends are there and they quickly fall into old behaviors and routines. And then she finds out that Ravi has brought a date to the wedding.

Before she can completely spiral, she meets Danny, an old friend of the groom’s. They flirt and mess around a bit, and plan for more—but then a masked killer comes out of the woods and starts murdering everyone. Willa and Danny try to rescue people but nearly everyone has been killed—and then the killer comes after them. And just as she gets killed…

…she wakes up in her apartment, having had the craziest nightmare. But it turns out it’s the morning of the wedding again. She’s freaked out but knows she has to try and save her friends this time. No luck, however. She’s fallen into some type of murderous time loop, and each time she relives the wedding, the killing gets more and more brutal. Can she escape and stay alive?

This is definitely bloody and more than a bit disturbing. But apart from the horror, this is a poignant look at how our lives take different paths from our friends, and what do you do when things don’t go the way you planned? I loved this.

The book will publish 9/1.

Book Review: "The Blue Flame" by George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos is one of my favorite crime writers of all time. He’s definitely an author that should be so much more of a household name because his books are really excellent. I was so excited that he had a new book come out and that it featured a familiar character, PI Derek Strange.

“Everything that used to be complicated and laborious was easy now. But an investigator still needed to know how to talk to people and do the job.”

Derek Strange is still working as a private investigator, still operating out of his office in Washington, DC. And he’s still as dogged as ever when trying to figure out a case. When he’s approached by a drug lawyer, asking him to help clear his client of a murder charge, Derek is ready to search for answers.

What Derek discovers is a series of crimes affecting young men who grew up together, playing football in high school. But now one is dead, one is accused of his murder, and the younger sister of another is the link between the two. He figures out what happened and tells the police, although he keeps some of the details to himself.

Shortly thereafter, another murder occurs, and Derek feels a responsibility to clear it up. Of course, the police have warned him about interfering, and he finds himself treading in some dangerous neighborhoods, but it’s all in a day’s work.

I love the amazing details Pelecanos brings to his books, both in setting and habits of his characters. This is a crime novel but it’s also about greed, family, protecting your own, and second chances. I hope we’ll see Derek back again—I’ve missed him!

Book Review: "Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay" by Lex Croucher

It’s time to return to Camelot for the sequel to Gwen & Art Are Not In Love. Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

All is not happy in Camelot. With the death of the king, his son Gabriel has (reluctantly) assumed the throne, and he’s so ill-at-ease that it’s starting to cause a crisis in the kingdom. And since he became king, Gabriel has ended his relationship with Arthur, despite how much he loves him.

Meanwhile, Gabe’s sister Gwendoline is also having a romantic crisis. Bridget, the only female knight in the kingdom, left several months ago and hasn’t responded to any of Gwen’s letters. Bridget, who has always been unshakable when a challenge arises, suddenly can’t win a joust.

In a move to engender goodwill among his subjects, King Gabriel convenes a new round table. He and his knights will travel throughout the kingdom, investigating the rumored sightings of the questing beast and the green knight, and determining whether the holy grail has been found. Of course, Gabe’s anxiety increases at every appearance he makes, and he’s rapidly coming unglued.

Can Gabe become the king he was born to be? Can Bridget recapture her jousting skills? And can love return to Gabe and Arthur, and Gwen and Bridget?

I really love these characters so it was great to have a sequel. This book is a lot more serious and less playful than its predecessor, dealing with grief and anxiety and recovery. But the found family and the romance at the book’s core warmed my heart and made me smile.

Book Review: "Man, Overboard!" by Kathleen Rooney

Patrick was on a cruise with his family for Thanksgiving. He remembered drinking a lot when they boarded the ship. But then he finds himself floating in the Gulf of Mexico, the cruise ship heading in the other direction. Did he fall overboard? Did he jump?

“But it’s appropriate that I’m in the Gulf of Mexico, because it felt like there was a gulf already. Between me and everything. Like everyone else was fine and I wasn’t and I couldn’t fix it and I don’t know why. But now all I want is to get back to all that.”

As he treads water and hopes he’ll be rescued, Patrick reflects on the many issues he’s dealing with in his life. He works as a physical therapist, with a part-time job as a personal trainer. But he’s been secretly attending classes to learn how to be a clown, and that has been bringing him some of the only joy he’s been experiencing.

Much of Patrick’s thoughts are about his mother, who battled cancer when Patrick was young, but after she recovered, she left the house one day and never came back. He hasn’t spoken to her in years, but recently she’s reached out to him via email and social media. He’s totally conflicted about whether or not to respond.

Each chapter of the book marks another hour that Patrick is treading water and hoping to be rescued. At various points he hallucinates that sea creatures are talking to him and giving him advice, and some even chide him for his immaturity. He wonders what his family will say when (or if) they realize he’s missing from the ship. Will it even matter?

I can’t even imagine this happening to me. Kathleen Rooney does a great job in making you feel as if you’re adrift in the gulf with Patrick. He’s not necessarily a sympathetic character, but you start to see how he could’ve wound up where he was. This was a bit of a slow burn but I enjoyed it a lot.

Book Review: "You'll Love It Here" by Natalie Sue

This book snuck up on me with its charm and humor. I didn’t realize how much fun I was having until I was finished!

Mona is a workaholic, climbing the corporate ladder at her marketing firm. She’s hoping that once the big piece of business she’s been working on gets finalized, she’ll get promoted. Then she can move out of her apartment building, a place she never intended to be for long.

But in a split second, she nearly ruins her career by angering a big client. Her boss puts her on disciplinary leave, which leaves Mona with nothing to do except have staring contests with her goldfish and deal with the guilt she feels about not reconciling with her father before he died.

When Irene, her landlady, winds up in the hospital, she asks Mona if she could fill in for a few weeks. Irene’s niece is a realtor who thinks her aunt needs to sell the building, so she enlists Mona’s help in getting the building into better shape. In return, she promises Mona a fancy new apartment.

She barely knows her neighbors, but definitely has opinions about many of them. Yet as she starts to bring order to the building’s chaos, she realizes that she’s started to care about her fellow tenants. She even starts to fall for Sami, the handsome owner of the diner next door. But what will happen when the building sells and everyone has to find a new place to live?

I love the found family trope, and the characters all turned out to be more multidimensional than I thought. The book is funny, but it’s also poignant, and I love the way Natalie Sue embraced the Persian heritage of Mona and Sami. This was quirky and heartwarming.

Book Review: "The One Day You Were My Husband" by Rosie Walsh

You know when a book has been moving along and then all of a sudden it takes off running and you’re left breathless? The last 20 percent of this book was exactly like that!

Carrie had never really been in love when she met Johan. Both of them fell completely and needed to be together all the time. After a few months, while on vacation in Thailand, they impulsively decide to get married on a beach. As they’re having their first dance, armed policemen swarm the couple and take Johan away.

She never saw Johan again. Now, 12 years later, Carrie and her husband live on a moor in England, raising twins. Carrie is about to revive her career as a surgeon. She has a meeting in Stockholm with a former mentor, and in the process of looking for a place to stay, stumbles upon a beautiful guest house. And then she gets the shock of her life: Johan owns the house and has apparently reinvented his life. How did she not know this? How did no one let her know?

She’s torn whether she should go to Stockholm, because what if she runs into Johan? She can’t miss the meeting with her mentor, however. And when she sees him in her hotel bar, she can’t believe it. She needs to know what happened on their wedding night and why he never got back in touch with her after he got out of prison in Thailand.

The thing is, Carrie doesn’t know what to believe, but she’s obsessed with knowing the truth. What she doesn’t understand is that the truth is very dangerous. Is she willing to gamble on the life she’s built and the career she loved simply to understand what happened on what should’ve been the happiest moment of her life?

I felt like the book started out slowly, and while I appreciated all of the background of everyone’s stories, I just wanted to know what happened to Johan. But I also wanted to shake Carrie for some of the choices she made. I wound up really liking the book when it picked up steam. Rosie Walsh is truly a talented storyteller!

Book Review: "Etna" by Paul Yoon

“‘You found your purpose,’ the dog said. I thought about how to answer that. I said, ‘I learned to be good at it.’”

Etna may be a short book but it’s definitely one that left an impression. I found it moving and thought-provoking, a commentary on the cost of war to humans and animals. It’s a particularly timely book given the circumstances of our world at those point in time.

A puppy is taken from the farm where he lived, from his mother and siblings. He is taken by a military doctor, who names him Etna. She has the rare gift of being able to communicate with dogs.

Etna becomes a military dog, trained by soldiers during a devastating war in a fictional country. His companion is Fuji, a dog who was taken at the same time as he was. She is even fiercer and braver than Etna, until one day she runs away, never to be seen again.

When the war ends, it leaves destruction and grief in its wake. With nothing left to do, Etna decides to try and find the farm from where he was originally taken. He knows his family hasn’t survived but he still wonders if it’ll feel like home, remind him of his younger days. He sets off on a journey filled with interesting and sometimes frightening encounters, as well as with people who aren’t sure what to make of their lives now.

I’m definitely a dog person, and I could picture Etna on his journey. I was really worried about animals being harmed or hurt during the war, but Paul Yoon doesn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on that. I was really touched by Etna’s courage and his kind nature. We definitely don’t deserve dogs.

Book Review: "Meet Me in Paris" by Kristin Harmel

C’est magnifique!! I had a feeling when I picked up this book that it would leave me all kinds of emotional, but wow! This was sappy and beautiful and moving and just excellent.

“It’s in our nature as human beings to search for logical explanations for everything, but sometimes, all we need to do is find space in the quiet to listen to what our hearts are telling us.”

Julia has returned to Paris after nearly 30 years, bringing her daughter, Piper. Julia is dying, and wants this trip to be full of memories her daughter can cherish. Piper meets a handsome waiter and Julia surprises herself by falling for an American man, but how can she tell him she’s dying?

Jackson, a singer, had the biggest song of the 1990s. He’s in Paris to kick off a tour he hopes will revive his career, but he’s not counting on love, too. Ninety-nine-year-old Henry wrote Jackson’s big hit, inspired by his love for a French woman during WWII. He thought she died during the war, but he was wrong—so he’s returned to Paris to see if, despite her dementia, she remembers him at all.

Lou and George became friends as soldiers in Vietnam, and are in Paris for a tour for veterans. But there are secrets both have kept from one another. Shelby is on a trip with her two best friends, supposedly celebrating her divorce. However, celebrating is the last thing she wants to do, and when she meets Russ, a bar owner, she finally starts to see the woman she knows she is.

These stories, as well as a few others, unwind over several days. Kristin Harmel said she was inspired by Love Actually, so that was more than enough incentive for me! I was fully engaged in all of the stories, and just wish Lou and George’s story got as much page time. But this was such an amazing book.

Book Review: "Lost and Found" by Tarah DeWitt

Oh, Tarah DeWitt. Once again, I’m left in a puddle of tears after reading your latest book, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the love and joy and strength and recovery the characters carried. I know Spunes, Oregon is a fictional town, but I sure do wish I could go there!

“‘As someone who’s lost my fair share of people…the grief is never going to be gone, anyway. It’s like…’ He flips on his blinker before he makes a turn. ‘Like weight training. The weight itself never gets lighter. You just get more accustomed to lifting it.’”

Bea has been laid bare by the death of Merritt, her best friend since childhood. She is knocked further for a loop when she learns that Merritt had her eggs frozen before she began treatment for cancer, and has left the eggs to Bea in her will. While Bea has always wanted to be a mother, this isn’t how she imagined it, but how could she not try and fulfill one of Merritt’s dying wishes?

Determined to do all she can to have Merritt’s baby, she turns to her longtime friend, Silas. The two of them have nursed more than a crush on each other for years, but circumstances have never aligned. Silas, a firefighter, is still feeling vulnerable after a near-fatal accident, and he’s grappling with his own grief. But he’s all too willing to help Bea prepare for IVF.

Despite the strong chemistry between them, Silas and Bea vow to keep things on a friend level. But the lines get blurred more than a few times, and it’s not long before both have fallen completely for each other. However, both are so frightened of hurting the other—and getting hurt themselves—that they have to find a way to let their hearts be unguarded.

This is DeWitt’s third book in her Spunes series and it was so fantastic. It’s joyful and sad and funny and immensely steamy and utterly beautiful. The characters she creates are so vivid, you wish their stories wouldn’t end when the books do.

Book Review: "Murder with a Side of Shrimp and Grits" by Skylar Warren

I’m so thankful that this book wound up on my radar. Of course, I’m utterly starving after reading it, but this cozy mystery absolutely warmed my heart. You’ve got to love a book that makes you wish you could somehow teleport into the town it’s set in!

Honeybee’s Hideaway diner has been feeding the bellies and the souls of Willow Bluff, Georgia for 50 years now. Jessie Haynes is running Honeybee’s now, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. The smell of butter and garlic, with just a hint of cinnamon, has filled Jessie’s life for as long as she can remember.

On the day of the diner’s 50th anniversary celebration, the mayor comes in and orders his usual shrimp and grits. But after the first bite, he has trouble breathing, and he collapses quickly thereafter. When word gets out that the mayor died, the townspeople immediately suspect Jessie, despite the fact they’ve seen her cooking since she wasn’t tall enough to see over the counter.

Jessie is devastated by what happened to the mayor, and the damage his death does, not only to her reputation, but to the future of Honeybee’s. Suddenly she’s the topic of gossip and speculation all over town, and some are even trying to capitalize on her misfortune.

When they find a wrapper from a peanut packet in the diner’s pantry, it quickly becomes obvious that the mayor’s death was no accident. And clearly someone wanted to hurt Honeybee’s in the process. So Jessie, along with her mother, her best friend Tee, her young waitress, and the town’s handsome new therapist band together to clear Jessie’s name and find the killer.

I absolutely love books in which cooking and restaurants play a part. And while I’m craving nearly everything Jessie cooked in this book, I so enjoyed the warmth of Willow Bluff and all of the characters. I’m excited that this was the start of a new series, and the second book will be out in October!

Book Review: "Hot Girl Murder Club" by Ashley Winstead

I’ve read all of Ashley Winstead’s books, and one of the things I love about her is she’s never content to write the same book twice. Every one of her books is different from the next, and she always keeps me guessing!

Ten years ago, Scout Sage’s younger sister Georgia was murdered at a Hollywood executive’s Christmas party. The alleged killer was never brought to justice.

Now, with her musical career just on the cusp of exploding, Scout is always surrounded by a posse of beautiful women. Some of them are famous for having overcome abusive relationships or other toxic situations. But with a string of revenge-type murders occurring, suddenly Scout (and her so-called “Hot Girl Murder Club”) is the prime suspect.

Detective Grey Holloway is tapped to lead the investigation, despite her youth and Barbie-like appearance. Is Scout a vigilante murderer, or is someone trying to frame her and call her out for her past transgressions? The deeper Grey digs, she finds that there have been many crimes perpetrated against women in Hollywood that have gone unpunished, and there may even be a more personal tie to these incidents.

This book is really quite timely given the way the pendulum has swung back from the #MeToo era. There are characters in the book who give voice to the anti-woke, pro-male perspective that seems to be prevalent in today’s society.

There are A LOT of characters in this book and a lot of perspectives. I found the two main narrative threads to be the most interesting, and when either of them were the focus, I was much more dialed in. But I love some good vigilante justice, and Winstead again delivered a compelling read!

Book Review: "Love & Other Killers" by Brynne Weaver

“Everybody’s gotta have a hobby, even if it is hunting the most wretched pieces of shit on the planet in a blood sport competition, and I intend to maintain my run as champion of the Annual August Showdown.”

I haven’t read any of the books in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy yet, but after reading this, I definitely need to! This was a fun, twisty, dark, and steamy story.

Sloane and her husband Rowan, along with his two brothers and her best friends, have an annual competition each August. But it’s not quite your usual competition. The six of them are all serial killers, and each year they challenge each other to hunt down a cold-blooded killer. Whoever makes the kill—the more brutal, the better—gets bragging rights.

This year’s target is Allan Munster. He’s a chicken farmer with a moonshine distillery on the side. He goes to church every Sunday. But he’s also a monstrous murderer who has covered up his actions. Or so he thinks.

So it’s women versus men to see who can take Munster down first. They’re lying in wait. But Sloane can’t help but wonder what the appearance of someone from their past earlier in the day means…

I thought this was great. The characters and their banter were fantastic. (One character called another “Budget Batman” a few times and it made me laugh.) There’s lots of steam, too. Suffice it to say, I’m heading for the Ruinous Love trilogy now!

Book Review: "Country People" by Daniel Mason

This was a quirky, enjoyable book that packed a stronger punch than I was expecting. It’s been a while since I’ve read something by Daniel Mason (I read The Piano Tuner a number of years ago), and I found myself completely captivated by his storytelling.

Miles has been working on his doctoral dissertation for more than 12 years. He just can’t seem to settle on a topic—every time he starts work he loses focus and shifts to something else. It doesn’t help that his wife Kate is a well-loved and highly revered professor and expert on John Milton.

When Kate gets offered a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in Vermont, she jumps on the opportunity. But she and Miles both believe that the change of scenery will do him good, and maybe he’ll finally be able to finish his dissertation and get his PhD.

So he and Kate uproot their two young children and their dog, and drive cross-country to Vermont from their California home. When they arrive in Vermont, and Kate quickly immerses herself in the world of academia, Miles, who is an excellent storyteller, finds new sources of inspiration for the stories he makes up for his kids.

While he has every intention of finishing the dissertation, since he’s worried that Kate will think he’s a failure, he doesn’t make any progress. But he does meet a motley crew of fascinating people, from an exterminator to a biochemist who is obsessed with his orchard. And then he gets drawn into a group of people who believe there’s a passage to another world in an underground cave.

There’s lots of sly humor here, but the book is also an exploration of finding yourself, the power of stories, parenthood, marriage, and fear of failure. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect here but I really enjoyed it.

Book Review: "Pretty Dead Things" by Kelsey Cox

In the small town of Anhalt, Texas, the Lone Star Princess Pageant is a big deal. The competition is cutthroat—and that’s just among some of the mothers! No one believes their daughter is more deserving than Kennedy Claire, a former winner herself, who will stop at nothing to make sure the crown winds up on her daughter’s head.

Twenty-five years ago, on the night of the pageant, Isabelle Whitmore disappeared. Everyone believed she was murdered by her boyfriend Ben and that her body was buried somewhere on the sprawling Sherman Ranch. Now, Izzy’s twin sister Ingrid has returned to town, just as construction crews are digging up the ranch to build houses.

The pageant reawakens old hurts and resentments. Melanie can’t shake the trauma she experienced after being pranked by her friends; Cat, who has finally gotten sober, is convinced she’s being followed; and Ingrid begins to realize the truths she believed about her sister’s disappearance may not be accurate.

When a major winter storm—nearly unheard of in Texas—strikes Anhalt, all the pageant contestants and their families are stuck together under one roof. But after one death shakes everyone up, the question of who is responsible worries everyone. And that’s not all they’ll need to deal with.

This was a really good thriller. I really didn’t know what was going to happen and who would be the culprit, and Kelsey Cox definitely kept me guessing. There was a lot going on but it never felt overwhelming. I want to go back and read her debut thriller now!

Book Review: "Main Characters" by Bobby Palmer

This will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year. It’s so unlike anything I’ve read in many ways, yet it took complete hold of my heart.

Clara and Seb meet one day in a park while she is on her lunch break from work. She sees Seb sitting with his dog and the image captures her, so she draws them. She gives him the picture and then figures she’ll never see him again.

They see each other a few times. It’s clear they’re drawn to each other. Yet just when they start to get close, Clara disappears. But they’re brought together again about a year later, when Seb auditions for a movie she’s working on.

As Seb’s acting career waxes and wanes, Clara’s filmmaking career starts to take off. The two have the kind of love that their friends, even strangers envy. Until it disintegrates under the weight of so many things said and unsaid.

What sets this book apart from a typical romance is that it’s told not from Seb or Clara’s point of view, but from that of casual observers. From a barista who observes their first awkward encounter to passengers who eavesdrop on their conversations on buses and other public transportation, from people who work with Clara on her films to a real estate agent showing them apartments, each has a vantage point at a specific time and place.

This is a fantastic love story, but it’s also the story of friendship, family, grief, fear, want, and ambition. The push-and-pull of their relationship through the years did make me want to smack them both, but I absolutely loved this book.

Book Review: "The Romance Revival" by Christina Lauren

It’s always interesting when an author that’s well-known in a particular genre decides to try something new. That’s kind of the case with Christina Lauren’s new book, which mashes up romance with a bit of sci-fi and mystery. ⁣

⁣ Emery and Luca have been inseparable since he swept her off her feet at a wedding in Las Vegas. They married just a few months later, and they’re about to celebrate their third anniversary. ⁣

⁣ The thing is, Emery, who is a scientist, is a complete workaholic. She’s busy day and night, misses dates and dinners, and often feels miles away from Luca. And her work is top-secret, so she can’t even tell Luca the truth about what she’s doing. Being secretive is taking its toll, but she knows it’s just for a little while longer.

⁣ And then the unthinkable happens: Luca is killed in an accident as Emery looks on, helpless. She cannot lose him. So she injects him with a drug she’s been working on, in order to bring him back to life. It’s a complete risk and a violation of so many laws and ethics, but it works.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ Luca wakes up and is healing nicely. The one drawback is he has no memory of Emery or their life together. But this time, she’s determined not to waste a second. She hopes Luca will fall in love with her again—and she can turn over a new leaf in the process.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ The romance aspect of the book is top-notch. Luca and Emery have intense chemistry and the second chance they’re given is so lovely. But when the book shifts into mystery mode, I felt like it lost its appeal. The action sequences seemed formulaic and implausible, and I just wanted to read their love story. ⁣⁣

Book Review: "The Spider Silk Scarf" by Ana Reyes

Nora is a thief. There’s just something about taking an object that doesn’t belong to her that gives her a thrill. The more expensive, the better. She has a closet full of her treasures in the apartment she shares with her fiancé, Ben.⁣

⁣ “She didn’t think of herself as a bad person. She had simply refused to accept that, because she was born poor (and was, statistically speaking, almost certain to die poor too), she didn’t deserve nice things. She stole only from the rich and never from anyone she knew.“⁣

⁣ One day, Ben, a plumber, is working in the house of Mrs. Martin, a reclusive old woman who was rumored to be a witch when Nora was growing up. He told Nora that he overheard Mrs. Martin talking about a precious item, a scarf woven from the silk of black widow spiders. Apparently it took 12 weavers years to make the scarf, and only 11 survived.⁣

Nora must get her hands on that scarf. It becomes an obsession for her. And even though she knows it isn’t wise to steal from a woman who might be a witch, she just can’t stop thinking about it. She needs to add it to her treasures. But she has no idea just what she’ll find when she breaks into the house late one night.⁣

⁣ Ana Reyes weaved (pun intended) a really fascinating story. It was a bit intense, a bit creepy, and I had no idea what would happen. This was one of Amazon’s First Reads for August, and I really liked it.

It will officially be released on 9/1.⁣

Book Review: "Be Still My Unbeating Heart" by Josh Winning

What fun this was! I mean, I was already sold on the description: “A cozy vampire vacation mystery set in a seaside Italian village, featuring a reformed vampire, his magical talking cat, and a handsome, brooding detective.” But Josh Winning did such a great job with this book.

Bastian is a vampire. But a vegetarian one. Five years ago he cleaned up his act and kicked the whole feeding off humans thing.

Everybody needs a little time away, even the undead. So Bastian and his best friend, Whitby (the aforementioned talking cat), head to Vernazza, a beautiful Italian village. Bastian is hoping to enjoy the sunshine (as long as he has sunscreen), take in the sights, dance a little, and maybe find a handsome man to enjoy it all with.

However, on their first beach walk, Bastian stumbles over the body of a young woman. It looks like she’s been killed by a…vampire? Of course, the police find him near the body and immediately suspect Bastian of murder and take him into custody.

Bastian is put on house arrest, guarded by Nicole, a handsome police inspector, who initially seems immune to his charms. But Nico starts to fall for Bastian, and realizes, as more bodies appear, that someone else is responsible, and is framing vampires. Yet the police commissioner has summoned the Vampire Council, and that could wind up causing more harm than good.

I really enjoyed this book. Bastian and Whitby are the oddest of pairs and their banter is quite fun. And while the mystery is definitely twisty, there’s a lot of dialogue about accepting who you are and embracing your differences—which works for everyone, not just vampires. I’d love to see another book in this series!

Book Review: "The Amateur" by Chris Bohjalian

“…when you kill someone, it breaks you. It changes you. You’ve shattered the water glass—your soul is something different and new—and the shards can never be glued back together.“

Mira is 18 years old in the summer of 1978, and she’s a talented golfer, heading to Yale in the fall. But in an instant, everything changes. While at the practice net, the ball she hit flies through the net and strikes Kenny, a 17-year-old caddy, in the head. He dies moments later.

Everyone is quick to point out the sheer unlikelihood of this tragedy happening, and they tell Mira that Kenny’s death is not her fault. But she is so rocked with guilt that she can never play golf again and decides she can’t even go to Yale because it will remind her of what she did.

But Kenny’s death is just the tip of the iceberg. Because Mira happens to be having an affair with a much older married man, and when Kenny’s father realizes he’s seen the two of them together, a new scandal erupts. Suddenly Mira isn’t just an unlucky young woman—the people in her town start to turn on her, and she gets embroiled in the lawsuits trying to identify who is at fault in Kenny’s death.

The book is ostensibly Mira’s memoir, written years later, after she’s enjoyed a successful writing career. The courtroom drama definitely added some new twists to the plot, and the epilogue was a bit of a sucker punch. Mira isn’t the most likable character, but this book is really excellent. I couldn’t put it down!

Book Review: "Love You More" by Emily Giffin

I had forgotten how much I love the way Emily Giffin writes! Not only was this book romantic and emotional, but it also really made me think about what I would do if faced with the situations the main characters found themselves in. And I’m honestly still not sure!

Billie had always wanted to be a doctor. Now she and two of her friends run a reproductive clinic in New York City. She’s also fallen in love with Dean, a trauma surgeon. This relationship makes her happy and feels so stable.

The night after Dean’s surprise marriage proposal, she gets a phone call from Mick, her first love. They fell in love in high school and dated through college, but when she left Wisconsin for medical school, their relationship couldn’t survive. The pain and loss devastated Billie for some time.

It’s been years since she’s spoken to Mick. But he’s calling with news that upends Billie’s happiness. Before she knows it she’s back in Wisconsin, reconnecting with her old friends and seeing Mick for the first time in a different light. It’s painful but cathartic, and yet it leaves her both secure in the choices she’s made and wondering if the path she took is the right one.

There were so many beautiful moments in this book. While the plot wasn’t surprising, I loved seeing it all unfold the way it did. The characters weren’t completely likable (but who is?) but most of their actions were understandable. I was actually sad to see this end!

Book Review: "Killer Vibes" by Jack Friday

Peter is a lazy stoner who makes money as a weed dealer, mostly selling to local athletes. He’s smarter than he appears but he definitely has bad judgment, which leaves him broke and homeless. But salvation arrives when he learns that his uncle—whom he last saw 10 years ago—has left him a house in Austin.

He never really knew his uncle but he’s not one to look a gift house in the mouth. Yet he quickly discovers that his uncle not only owed $40K in property taxes, but shortly before he died, he took out a $500,000 line of credit. The money is nowhere to be found and the bank is ready to foreclose.

Everyone is pressuring him to sell the house, which is in a very popular neighborhood in Austin. But Peter doesn’t like being told what to do. And when he finds the hidden money, he realizes that his uncle was in far more trouble than it appeared, and it probably led to his death.

Peter’s refusal to sell the house angers lots of people, and things start to get more precarious for him. He connects with a private eye who was hired to protect him, and in addition to investigating his uncle’s death, the man teaches Peter about being a private investigator—something it appears he’s quite good at.

What Peter doesn’t realize is that he’s gotten himself tangled in a very sticky web, and there are lots of secrets he never knew. But can this lazy stoner outsmart money- and violence-hungry killers without hurting his buzz?

I loved this book. It was funny, action-packed, sexy, and surprisingly emotional at times. Peter is such a terrific character and I hope this is the first in a series of books featuring him. I shouldn’t be surprised how much I enjoyed this, given that Jack Friday is a pen name for John Fram, whose books are crazy good!

Book Review: "When She Was Ours" by Anna Nordberg

This was my Amazon First Reads selection for July. What a powerful and emotional book this was! I really hope lots of people read this.

Thea was an excellent surgeon—tough, compassionate, always willing to go the extra mile for her patients. But for the last several years, she’s been fighting a losing battle with cancer, and she knows she’s coming to the end of her life.

As family and friends gather for her older daughter Phoebe’s wedding, she’s so grateful she’s alive to see it happen. At the same time, she’s full of sadness that she won’t live to see her younger daughter Astra graduate from college or forge her own path. But the last thing anyone is prepared for is an incident during the wedding that will change many lives.

Despite being a woman of science, Thea keeps feeling premonitions of imminent harm to her family. So before she dies, she meets with a family friend and makes one request, not knowing if it will ever be needed.

Years later, Phoebe and Astra have moved on with their lives but their grief is still hard to process. When they are contacted by a man who offers them a glimpse of their mother’s early life and her innermost thoughts, they jump at it. But the decision sets in motion a chain of events that will impact a number of lives.

This was just excellent. It’s so thought-provoking and moving in its exploration of grief and how it impacts each of us differently. Another fantastic debut novel in 2026!

Book Review: "25 Days in Athens" by Jack Strange

Will and Ollie broke up more than three years ago, after Will rejected Ollie’s second marriage proposal. But even though they clearly wanted different things, Will still pines for Ollie and believes they are soulmates, despite the fact that Ollie has moved on.

Ollie’s announcement on social media that he and his boyfriend Alec have gotten engaged throws Will into a spiral. And then Will gets invited to their wedding in Athens. Why would Ollie invite him?

Even though he’s not sure it’s the right idea, Will decides to attend the wedding. But he plans to arrive in Athens earlier than others, so perhaps he can tell Ollie how he feels and maybe they can be reunited. No one thinks this is a good idea.

When he arrives in Athens, Will runs into Sam, his childhood best friend, who moved away years ago. They were once totally inseparable, and Will is pleasantly surprised to see that Sam grew up to be absolutely gorgeous. Reconnecting feels amazing, and there’s definitely some serious chemistry between them. But Will is in Greece to get Ollie back.

Sam agrees to be Will’s plus-one at the wedding, and they pretend to be a couple. But the closer the two of them get, the more Will considers telling Ollie how he still feels. Will he throw away a chance at happiness for a glimpse of what might have been?

The book was a mashup of some of my favorite romance tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, and second chance. I loved the pairing of Will and Sam, and thought that the supporting characters were a lot of fun. And don’t get me started on the setting of the book!

Book Review: "Unsayable: A Life in Writing" by Michael Cunningham

“When you set out to be a writer you may or may not understand all that you’re agreeing to. You’re saying, by implication, that you’re qualified to write about the passions and sorrows and underlying motives of others. You live, with various degrees of comfort and discomfort, with the fact that even if your work is read by only a handful of people, you’ve claimed the right to set down the definitive version of relations that, in fact, have no definitive versions.”

Michael Cunningham is one of my all-time favorite writers. The Hours and The Home at the End of the World, in particular, are books that, more than 30 years after they were published, still profoundly affect me. So I couldn’t resist reading his new memoir, which talks about how he found his way to writing and how his love of language and storytelling shaped him.

Even as a young child, he was obsessed with language, and the specifics of it. There wasn’t just a tree in his yard, it was an oak tree, while there was a maple tree in his neighbor’s yard.

He started writing stories when he was young but he never had much confidence in them. So he turned to painting and drawing as a creative way of expressing himself. But he never stopped searching for the words to convey emotions or share accounts of his experiences—true or false.

Cunningham touches on specific moments in his life—being with his best friend in high school, who was his first love; spending time in Provincetown with an elderly gay couple who loved his stories about his adventures; working briefly as a hustler; and the first time he met the man who would become his husband.

This was a fascinating, at times emotional, book. I definitely thought it provided some insight into a writer’s mindset and it made me appreciate Cunningham’s writing even more.

Book Review: "The Gulf of Lions" by Caitlin Shetterly

Alice is a recent breast cancer survivor. It’s only been a year, and she’s still very scared of her long-term prognosis. Just before she was diagnosed, she learned of her husband Pete’s infidelity. So while he did everything during her surgery and recovery and chemotherapy, she still isn’t sure how she feels about him and their marriage.

She once was a writer, and during her recovery she found passion for it again. She’s landed a fantastic freelance assignment: she and her two daughters will travel to France, where they will camp across the country. Her daughters, Sophie and Iris, are 13 and 8-1/2. None of them have ever camped before. But this trip is both mother-daughters’ reconnection and a trip of triumph.

The places they go, the scenery they see, the people they meet, the food they enjoy, all of this imbues the trip with beauty and joy. But at the same time, Alice isn’t fully prepared for a trip with two girls who need more of her than she’s prepared to give, nor is she fully ready to be alone with her own thoughts about her mortality and the state of her marriage.

“There are versions of me I don’t recognize anymore.”

While this book is billed as a standalone, Caitlin Shetterly’s previous book, Pete and Alice in Maine, is, inherently a prequel. I wish I had known that because that book would probably have set the foundation for these characters and their actions, and perhaps make me feel more sympathetic towards them.

There are many beautiful and thought-provoking moments in the story, and the imagery is absolutely vivid. However, I didn’t really love the characters—especially Sophie and Iris. And the last 15 percent of the book came out of nowhere, creating melodrama where there had not previously been any.

Book Review: "The Good Parts" by Evann Normandin

This book was a sad one. There are bright spots, certainly, and a dash of hopefulness, but I found this to be an emotionally heavy book. That being said, however, it’s so beautifully written.

Rose and Landon meet the first night they’re both in college. Both feel awkward at times, which is what draws them together, but with Landon, Rose feels like she can step out of her shell every once in a while. Landon falls quickly for Rose, and can think of nowhere else he’d rather be than with her.

They get married and build a life together. For a while things are wonderful. But when tragedy strikes, it destroys them both, and Rose leaves. Landon has faith that she’ll return, but then one day he gets a letter in which he learns she has taken a memory-erasing pill and will no longer remember him or their life together.

Devastated, Landon travels to Edinburgh, where Rose is living her new life. He believes that if she fell in love with him once, she can do it again. But Landon’s reappearance triggers memories that Rose should have forgotten, and these memories prove physically harmful to her. Can he let her go in order to save her life?

There are a lot of sad moments in the story. Rose isn’t the most sympathetic character all the time, although her grief is justified. And while Landon certainly has his quirks, his devotion to Rose is never in question.

The book has an interesting narrative structure: Rose’s story starts at the beginning while Landon’s starts in the present. There are lots of messages to take from this book and I’ll be thinking about this for a long while. This really was a spectacular debut!

Book Review: "Yes, Chef" by Grace Reilly

A grumpy/sunshine romance with a handsome, brooding, tattooed chef with abandonment issues? Plus lots of delicious-sounding food and ultra-steamy steam, too? I’m in!

Poppy’s family owns a major restaurant company, but her own job as a brand influencer is criticized for not being serious enough. She tries hard to please her family and make them respect her, but every effort seems to turn disastrous or, worse, publicly humiliating.

One night, at one of her family’s most renowned restaurants, she has a very public meltdown when her boyfriend breaks up with and denigrates her. At the same time, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Jack Hartman, causes an angry scene before quitting. Both Poppy and Jack commiserate in a bar and lick their wounds. They both need to run away.

Jack heads back to Diamond Bay, Florida, where he grew up. His recently deceased mentor left Jack his restaurant, where he worked as a teenager. He figures he can resurrect the restaurant, show off his prowess running his own place, and hopefully parlay that into a new job back in New York City. With nowhere else to go, Poppy follows Jack, hoping he can use her influencer skills to build a brand and buzz for this new restaurant.

Of course, despite their attraction to one another, they get along like oil and water until both realize they’re working toward the same goal. Plus, Jack has unresolved issues with his mentor’s memory as well as fearing failure, while Poppy just wants to prove herself to her parents once and for all.

Give me a book that takes place in a restaurant and you know I’ll be happy. The chemistry and banter between Poppy and Jack is top-notch, as are all of the supporting characters. I loved that the book dwelled on emotional issues and featured two love interests with ADHD. Such a great book!

Book Review: "The MASH Up" by Laura Marie Meyers

This was all kinds of adorable. Definitely put a smile on my face!

Ruby lives her life according to plans and rules. She doesn’t deviate from the path she’s set for herself, and luckily, her boyfriend is the exact same way. But her carefully choreographed plans go awry at her 35th birthday party, when her boyfriend tells her he’s moving to New York for a job opportunity. It’s the biggest risk he’s ever taken—and she can’t take it with him.

When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that she’s living inside a game of M.A.S.H. that she played in 7th grade. She wears brightly colored clothes, drives a tie-dye jeep, and owns a roller-disco diner. It’s all exactly as she dreamed back then, before her life became regimented. The only part of her dream that hasn’t manifested itself is her “other half,” which is supposed to be Penn, her twin brother’s best friend.

In this version of her life (as in real life), Penn knows how to get on her every nerve. It’s been that way since they were kids. But has he always been this sexy? Or this annoying?

Having to live such a spontaneous life is very unsettling for Ruby. But she figures that the only way she’ll get back to the “real world” is to make Penn fall in love with her. What if, once that happens, she doesn’t want to leave? What if she realizes she likes this side of her—and Penn?

This was a really fun debut novel. Penn is definitely a crushworthy book boyfriend, and the banter between him and Ruby was top notch. I loved that this had a bit more emotional depth than a typical rom-com, and I think I want a tie-dye jeep!

Book Review: "Seek Immediate Shelter" by Vincent Yu

It’s just an average morning in the town of Beckitt, Massachusetts. Some people are going about their daily rituals, some are still sleeping.⁣

⁣ And then, out of the blue, an alert shows up on every cellphone: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”⁣

⁣ As you might imagine, panic ensues. People react in a multitude of ways. David decides his wife is taking too long to get to the car, so he tries to leave. Nina sends an angry text to her daughter, from whom she’s estranged. Rachel, a high school student, longs for her parents despite the fact they embarrass her. Russ shepherds his family into the bathtub, but he can’t fit with all of them.⁣

But within minutes, a second alert appears: “FALSE ALARM. PLEASE DISREGARD. ALL CLEAR.” While recriminations will begin and fingers will be pointed at those responsible for the error, the citizens of Beckitt have to live with the consequences of their impulsive actions.

⁣ ⁣ I loved the concept of this book, but I felt like the execution didn’t work as well. For the first few stories, you saw the message come out of the blue, you felt the peace shatter and the panic set in. But at some point the alert just gets referred to in passing, so then essentially the book becomes just a collection of very tangentially connected stories. On to the next!⁣

Book Review: "The Bright Afters" by Sadie McCarney

I have a Bookstagram friend to thank for putting this powerfully emotional book on my radar. I don’t think I would have found this otherwise.

The Bright Afters is a book of verse monologues set in Nova Scotia. When the book opens, it’s just before another school year begins, which sparks excitement and anxiety among the students.

“First-day hair matters. But something else gets tucked in with Aqua Net and bobby pins: you hide your secrets in your hair. And if you listen, you can hear the chorus of follicles whisper: this will be, this will be, this will be our year.”

On the first day of school, Colton, a gay student, is brutally attacked in the bathroom by another student. The reactions of everyone—from Colton, his sister Christine, and his best friend Annie, to his attacker, teachers, even the school janitor—compose a Greek chorus of sorts. There are secrets and confessions, rants and laments.

Obviously, the attack is disturbing and many of the reactions are unsurprising. But their being told in this type of narrative adds impact and power. I don’t read a lot of poetry—and the book doesn’t quite read like poetry—but this will remain in my mind for some time to come.

Book Review: "One Good Eye" by Kevin Wade

Kevin Wade is a screenwriter and was showrunner for Blue Bloods. Given how much I loved that show, his first book, Johnny Careless, was a favorite of mine last year. Now, thanks to Celadon Books, I received an advance copy of his newest book, and it was just as great!

Jeep Mullane is the chief of police for four towns on Long Island’s Gold Coast. Following a hurricane, he gets called to the estate of his old friend Jenny, who was assaulted during a home invasion. But she’s not interested in filing a police report or finding out who hit her, despite Jeep’s encouragement to do so.

Jenny and Jeep have known each other since high school. Their relationship has always been complicated—part romantic, part platonic, part protective. Even when they’ve stopped speaking to one another, Jenny remains an enormous part of Jeep’s life. So of course he’s going to investigate who is behind Jenny’s assault.

What Jeep doesn’t count on is an immensely tangled web. There are definitely people he suspects but so much action and crime is swirling around him. From Jenny’s ex-husband to two local motorcycle gangs, federal agents and a police captain living under an assumed name, Jeep can’t quite figure out who was responsible and why. And of course, how much does he trust Jenny?

I thought this was excellent. Even though this is the second book featuring Jeep, you really could read it as a standalone. But Jeep is such a great character that you’ll want to read both!

Book Review: "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

Wow. I have seen so many mixed reviews of this book that I wasn’t sure if I was going to read it, but my curiosity got the best of me. This was utterly fascinating and really mind-bending!!

“And who was I? A flawless Christian woman. The manic pixie American dream girl of this nation’s deepest, darkest fantasies. The mother every woman wanted to be, and the wife every man wanted to come home to….My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.”

Natalie is one of those influencers you either love or hate. She and her husband Caleb live on a 500-acre farm in Idaho. Her husband is a cowboy, and their five children (with one more on the way) are photogenic and thriving in the traditional lifestyle they’re raising them in.

Of course, nothing is quite what it seems. Their rustic farmhouse cost millions to look that way; they have nannies to watch and educate the children; and the farm definitely doesn’t run itself. But her millions of followers eat it up—or they criticize her every move.

But there are cracks in this perfect façade. And then one morning, Natalie wakes up to find she’s in 1855. She’s living in the original version of her farmhouse, with a family that resembles her real one—but is also vastly different. Is this a dream? A hoax? A reality show?

I really had no idea how Caro Claire Burke would tie everything up. This book was very timely given the trad wife craze, and it was both insightful and emotional. What an incredible debut!

Book Review: "The Au Pair" by Teddy Wayne

I’m never quite sure which I like more: a popcorn thriller I can read quickly, or a thriller with lots of twists, that makes you say or think, “Wow!” This book definitely fell into the first category, although I kept hoping for at least a bit of the second.

Steven’s first novel was a huge success. He hoped his second book would be received even better, but it took a critical drubbing and barely anyone read it. He’s hoping his third book will help rebound his career.

When he married Lucy, he was the breadwinner. But she co-founded a company and they live an extremely comfortable life, thanks to her money. Steven is a stay-at-home dad, and Lucy pays him a stipend each month, while he tries to find a way out of his writer’s block.

In order for Steven to truly concentrate on his writing, they decide to hire an au pair. Astrid is from Norway. The children become enamored of her quite quickly—and Steven can’t take his eyes off her. When he learns she loved one of his books, he’s utterly flattered, and he falls head over heels for her. He tries fighting his attraction as long as he can, but his resistance is futile.

When the family takes a vacation to a house in the Catskills, Lucy is on edge most of the time. Astrid is there to care for the children, but Lucy feels left out. And when scandal results into a high-profile trial, no one’s lives will ever be the same.

This book definitely kept my attention the whole time—I read the whole thing very quickly. I felt that I had seen the whole story before, and while I hoped for surprises, the book was fairly predictable.

Book Review: "Almost Life" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I will admit that this book started slowly for me, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep reading. But I persevered a little longer and was richly rewarded by this beautiful, emotional love story.

Erica and Laure met in 1978, on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris. Laure is French, a graduate student at the Sorbonne. She’s very cerebral and lives her life the way she wants, no matter what. Erica is enjoying the summer before returning to England to start university.

Both women feel a spark the moment they met. While Laure has had relationships with women before, the awakening of this desire surprises Erica. They fall quickly, knowing they only have the summer. Yet once they part, the longing, the emotions, the hurt all continue.

“It is the condition of the heartbroken to believe no one has felt as they have, ever in the history of the world.”

The book spans more than 30 years. It sees Laure and Erica together and apart, trying to wring everything from each encounter. It traces the strength of their love despite other lovers, marriages, and changes both personal and political. In addition to being a love story, this is a reflection on the changing culture and politics toward equality.

This book was a very emotional one for me. I was surprised at just how much it took hold of my heart. I love books that take place in Paris, as I could see the city in my mind’s eye. Don’t be put off by the slow start, as the story is so worth it.

Book Review: "Under the Falls" by Richard Russo

I read Richard Russo’s first novel, Mohawk, in 1987, about a year after it published. (No, I’m not interested in knowing that you weren’t born yet.) I’ve been reading his books ever since, so I’m thankful to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance copy of his upcoming book!

Growing up in Stone Mountain, New York was tough for Tyler. His father was an abusive drunk and all Tyler wanted to do was escape. He found solace and support from his best friend Curt and Curt’s girlfriend Freddi. But when he turned 18, Tyler left Stone Mountain without saying goodbye to anyone, and never planned to return home.

Eighteen years later, Tyler is the lead singer of a popular band called (of all things) Stone Mountain. He’s reluctantly agreed to perform in his hometown, headlining a benefit for his childhood friend Doc, who became a paraplegic in an accident when they were younger. Just heading up the mountain, Tyler is confronted by old memories and his guilt about leaving without saying goodbye.

It turns out that not everyone in town is a fan of Tyler’s. Some feel that he used the town and people’s lives as inspiration for his songs, and people wonder when the town is going to benefit. The concert ends in a bit of a riot, and Tyler is more than ready to flee again.

Curt is now the town’s police chief, and he’s so thrilled his best friend came back. But Curt’s wife, Freddi, is very angry at being left behind, and that anger manifests itself in a tragic way. Her anger increases until she knows she must make Tyler pay.

Russo traditionally writes books about elderly men, their friendships and relationships, often in small New York towns. This book is a new genre—mystery—for him, and I didn’t think it worked. He’s still a beautiful writer, but I really never understood what caused Freddi to become so unhinged and do the things she did. And honestly, after a while, I just didn’t care. Oh, well.

The book will publish on 8/11.

Book Review: "Slasher Summer" by E.L. Chen

If you’re a fan of slasher films, particularly those from the 1980s, you’ll enjoy this action-packed, slightly campy tribute. But you might be surprised that this book deals with more than just fear and murder, but also trying to move past the mistakes and hurts of our youth.

Seven of them—Patrick, Jason, Tiffany, Freddy, Jen, Carrie, and Michael—were high school friends and members of the school’s Jumpscare Society. They were all particularly obsessed with the horror film Slasher, which became a cult classic.

Slasher was filmed in Cedar Lake, a nearby sleepy town. The cabin, where much of the film’s action takes place, is a tourist attraction, and each summer the town is overrun by fans. But Patrick has arranged for all of them to get together and stay at the cabin for a weekend. It’ll be the first time all of them have gotten together since friction tore apart their friendships before the end of senior year.

While there are definitely some grudges still being held, they’ve (mostly) vowed to have a good weekend. Of course, not long after their arrival, a shadowy figure is spotted in the woods. Freddy is sure he saw The Slasher (but he is perpetually stoned) and Tiffany thinks someone tried to drown her in Clear Lake.

Then a rainstorm hits and the power goes out. Cell coverage is very spotty, so they can’t call for help. And then an unwelcome guest arrives at the cabin. Is this just someone trying to enhance their weekend, or is The Slasher going to enact his revenge?

This book was definitely fun and a little frightening. There are a lot of POVs, and lots of secrets, but it all comes together around halfway through the book. E.L. Chen really did a great job with all of the slasher Easter eggs, including all of the characters’ names. It may skew a bit YA, but there definitely were some fun twists.

Book Review: "The Shampoo Effect" by Jenny Jackson

“Back in high school, when they all started drinking and going out, they became obsessed with ‘the shampoo effect.’ When they had a big night of partying and followed it with a beer the next morning, they could get drunk again in an instant, the way a second squirt of shampoo in the shower produced outsized suds….Fran thought about the shampoo effect at moments like this, and the way it applied to so many interpersonal dynamics—the way that in these old relationships nobody was ever really working from a clean slate, new feelings were built on old feelings.”

Caroline leaves her publishing job and her life in New York City to move to the beach town of Greenhead, Massachusetts. She’s won a prestigious fellowship and plans to work on her first novel.

Not long after arriving in Greenhead, she falls for Van, an environmentalist who has definite border collie energy. Van grew up in Greenhead and still socializes with all of his childhood friends. Caroline is brought into the circle, but feels like an outcast, given everyone’s shared memories.

Shortly after they start dating seriously, Van tells Caroline that Bailey, a friend he has slept with on and off since high school, is pregnant. The baby is his, but neither has romantic feelings for one another. This becomes another hoop Caroline must jump through with Van’s friends, who would rather see him be with Bailey and raise their child together.

Despite all his assurances to the contrary, Van can’t get enough of fatherhood and wants to be a huge part of his son’s life. So he breaks up with Caroline and soon moves in with Bailey. Caroline is so hurt by this that she writes a short story about this group of friends, changing names but revealing secrets and quirks they all don’t know about each other. This rocks the group to their core.

I enjoyed this story but the pacing felt a bit slow. I could predict how the book would conclude but it felt like it took a long time to get there. I do like the way Jenny Jackson writes, though!

Book Review: "Wedding Manner" by C.G. Macington

I stumbled onto this amazing little series a few months ago and now, with the third book it has (probably) come to an end. These characters that C.G. Macington created have climbed into my heart, and I hope it’s not the last time we see them.

Dr. Maxwell York, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Jude’s Hospital, was raised to be the heir to the York family legacy. He’s known as the “Ice King,” but the coldness people perceive is his need for order, for routine, for meticulousness. He’s always known he was different, but he’s amazed to discover just how different—and the lengths to which his mother went to hide this fact.

Max is engaged to be married to Dr. Jax O’Connell, the hospital’s Chief of Trauma. Jax is an adrenaline junkie; he’s never met chaos he hasn’t thrived in. He and Max are opposites, but he knows how to ensure Max isn’t overwhelmed or overstimulated.

Their impending wedding has brought out the ultimate worst in Max’s mother. She is determined that the wedding will put the York family in the best light possible, even if it is as far from the grooms’ desires as possible. Yet with the help of Max’s brother Preston and his boyfriend Luke, they’re determined to get their way, no matter what they must do to their mother.

The wedding is causing everything to fall apart, even the marriage of Max and Preston’s parents. But for the first time, the ulterior motive isn’t money or appearances. It’s love and happiness. For everyone.

This book was so wonderful and it made me sad that the series is ending. There are parts of the book that made me laugh and other parts that made me sad, made me think of how I would handle these issues if it were my family. Just a spectacular trilogy.