Book Review: "The Book Witch" by Meg Shaffer

“All stories are love stories if you love stories.”

Even before I descended into a constant pit of despair about what’s going on in our country, I always loved when books I read had elements of magical realism. Some of my favorite authors create these storylines so masterfully, including Meg Shaffer. Her newest book was one I eagerly anticipated given how much I enjoyed her two previous books.

Rainy March is a Book Witch, like her mother and grandfather before her. Book Witches are responsible for protecting books and their characters from those who wish to do them harm. She jumps in and out of books, saving them from book burners, rogue villains, and the occasional character who goes on the lam.

Book Witches follow a strict code of rules. Real people belong in the real world, fictional characters belong in works of fiction. They’re never supposed to tell the characters that they’re not real people. The biggest no-no? Falling in love with a fictional character.

Rainy has some trouble with the last rule. She is in love with the Duke of Chicago, a handsome British detective who is the lead character in her favorite mystery series. She keeps getting reprimanded from pulling Duke into reality, but when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, Rainy needs Duke to help her solve the mystery. But the lines between reality and fiction are blurrier than she realizes.

The concept of this book really made me smile. Who wouldn’t want to help their favorite literary characters and protect the books they love? At times things got a little confusing for me, but in the end, the story warmed my heart.

Book Review: "Love by the Book" by Jessica George

Remy’s debut novel was a huge hit and became a bestseller. It was a fictionalized account of the relationship with her three best friends, and particularly, the fierce bond among them. The pressure is on for Remy to write her second book, but she can’t seem to find any inspiration.

As if writer’s block wasn’t bad enough, her friends have finally decided to follow their own paths. One is moving to a house an hour outside of London and having a baby, one is moving to New York for a new job, and one has reunited with her horrible boyfriend. Remy is devastated, lonely, and adrift. Even trying a dating app disappoints her.

One day, Remy (literally) runs into Simone, who remembers Remy from secondary school. Simone is now a teacher, and she is tremendously devoted to her students. She also has a second job to help make ends meet. But when her family finds out about her side hustle, they cut her off.

Remy wants to become friends with Simone, as they both seem to see each other clearly. But Simone isn’t used to sharing herself with anyone, and she rebuffs Remy’s attempts at friendship. Little by little, however, they start to realize how important they are to one another, a valuable discovery as each comes to a crossroads in their life.

“The way you love has always been an inspiration to me, I guess, and something I’ve maybe never told you is that being loved by you is one of the greatest things in the world…and one of the easiest to take for granted. I know I have, just because I’m so used to it, you know?”

This is a platonic love story, and a beautiful one. It would be interesting to read this and then Andrew McCarthy’s new book on male friendships. Jessica George’s debut novel, Maame, was fantastic, and it’s great to see how her talent has gotten even stronger.

Book Review: "American Fantasy" by Emma Straub

“So often, the word nostalgia felt coated in bile—a nostalgia act. Annie understood and she didn’t. Nostalgia was for the Smurfs, for erasers that smelled like strawberries. Maybe that was what the costumes were about, the goofy T-shirts, but inside her head, which is where she heard the music, it had touched some lever so deep that it couldn’t be reversed, as much as she’d chosen to ignore it. Maybe that was nostalgia after all, that the music was a direct vein to her own childhood, the least complicated part of her life.”

Annie remembered enjoying the 90s boy band Boy Talk when she was a teenager. It was a subject that bonded her and her younger sister together. All these years later, her sister is still a huge fan, while for Annie, Boy Talk is firmly in the past.

Yet here Annie is, about to board the cruise ship American Fantasy, for a four-day cruise with all 5 members of Boy Talk. And her sister isn’t even able to make it, so she’s going solo. But she quickly makes a friend in Maira, a veteran of these cruises, who takes Annie under her wing.

The cruise is unlike anything Annie has ever experienced. There are throngs of (mostly) middle-aged women, screaming and cheering for their favorite band member. Lots of alcohol is imbibed, there is so much clothing and merch with the band’s faces on it, and there are so many opportunities to interact with the band members. Some of them go after these events with gusto, while some can’t wait to go back home.

The cruise gives Annie the opportunity to reflect on what it’s like to be (and feel) middle-aged, and how it feels to relive a part of your younger years. She deals with divorce, career issues, and the uncertainty of what her life holds.

I’ve never gone on a cruise, and Emma Straub’s imagery made me feel sunburned and claustrophobic, lol. The book alternates narration from Annie, Keith (one of the band members), and Sarah, an employee of the production company that organizes the cruise.

Book Review: "Mad Mabel" by Sally Hepworth

What an absolutely fantastic book this was! I’ve been seeing so many reviews with people raving about how much they loved this, so needless to say, I was nervous if it would live up to the hype. Honestly, it blew the hype out of the water.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is an 81-year-old woman who lives a mostly quiet life. Sure, she’s a bit cranky and doesn’t suffer fools, but she tries to keep to herself. She and her best friend Daphne can still crack each other up after decades of friendship.

When she finds one of her neighbors dead in his house, the past gets stirred up. Because years ago, Elsie was known as “Mad” Mabel Waller, Australia’s youngest convicted murderer who was suspected of killing others when she was even younger.

“‘It’s a lot of stuff to be held responsible for,’ I agree. ‘And yet, when you’re accused of one thing, it becomes pretty easy to be held responsible for others too, at least in other people’s eyes.’”

Interest in “Mad” Mabel has everyone buzzing. The police are suspicious of her role in her neighbor’s death, while the media wants to learn all it can about this legendary murderer. When she is ready to tell her story, it’s time for people to understand if she’s really a cold-blooded killer or just a lonely old woman who has been misunderstood all these years.

Elsie/Mabel is one of the most memorable characters I’ve read about in some time. While in recent years, older people have been cast as criminals or amateur detectives, Elsie is a unique character all her own. Sally Hepworth has imbued her with such complexity.

Book Review: "Don't Eat Your Human Boyfriend" by Lily Mayne

You know I can’t resist books with attention-grabbing titles like this! I was looking for a fun read after a few heavier books, and this sure fit the bill.

“I wanted to eat the new guy. And by ‘eat,’ I of course meant…you know….I also meant I literally wanted to eat the new guy. I contained multitudes.”

Elliot is an ethical ghoul. The thought of having to hunt down and kill humans for food disgusts him, so he’s spent the last 8 years working at Broth with a Bite, an outlet in a mall food court. He works in the “special” kitchen which serves food to people with the same nutritional needs. Those working in the regular kitchen have no idea what Elliot and his coworkers actually cook.

Then one day, a new guy starts working at Broth with a Bite, and Elliot can’t take his eyes off of him. Ricky is sweet and good-looking, with a great body and an infectious smile. And he smells sooo good. Elliot is smitten, and judging by how much Ricky blushes when Elliot is around, the feeling is mutual.

They start becoming good friends despite the fact that Ricky has no idea what the “special” kitchen serves, and probably doesn’t even know what a ghoul is. But when attraction and sex start turning to love, Elliot knows two things: he has to tell Ricky the truth, and he needs to keep his teeth to himself.

I’ve never read a romance with a ghoul in it, particularly a handsome and sensitive one. This was really fun. It was very steamy and sweet, and it was interesting how their stories were vastly different but more similar than they first thought.

Book Review: "My Dear You: Stories" by Rachel Khong

I was so excited to read Rachel Khong’s brand-new story collection. I really enjoyed her previous books, Goodbye, Vitamin and Real Americans, and couldn’t wait to see how her voice would work in a variety of stories.

This was a really intriguing collection. Many of the stories dealt with unique, almost futuristic topics, but also many dealt with relationships, love, marriage, dating, and family.

Of the 10 stories in the book, here are a few of my favorites. In the title story, a young woman dies on her honeymoon and goes to heaven, only to find her memories of her life start to disappear. “The Freshening” envisions a world where the U.S. government creates an injection which turns everyone a person sees into the same race, sex, and ethnicity.

“The Family O” is about a group of Asian women who have all dated the same man they met on a dating app, and he apparently fetishizes them. In “Tapetum Lucidum,” a woman and her husband adopt a cat who somehow conjures up the ghosts of their exes. And in “Serene,” a woman befriends a sex doll she hopes to sell in order to get breast implants.

Khong is such a talented writer. These stories evoked a range of emotions and were very thought-provoking. Some definitely packed a punch, and I’ll be thinking about them for a long while.

Book Review: "The Name Game" by Beth O'Leary

Happy Pub Week to Beth O’Leary’s newest book! She’s rarely one to write a simple romance, and this book is no exception. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy of this one!

Charlie Jones is desperate for a fresh start. She’s been dealing with grief and feels at odds with her life, so she applies for a job as manager of a farm shop on the remote English island of Ormer. When she gets hired, she’s excited to begin again.

Jones (as he’s called) is trying to get sober and put a painful breakup behind him. Taking a job as farm shop manager on Ormer is the perfect way to do so. But when he arrives to start his job, he is shocked to discover that another Charlie Jones believes the job is hers.

Chaos ensues between the two Charlie Joneses. Neither is willing to give up the chance for a new life, but the owners of the farm can’t afford to pay for two managers. So the Charlies strike a deal: they’ll both work at the shop for half of their salary, and after two months, the owners will decide which Charlie gets the job. Each is skeptical of the other but also recognizes how broken they both are.

The book progresses as two separate streams of correspondence. Charlie writes in a journal, while Jones sends himself emails. Of course, a spark starts to gain heat between them. And then there’s a massive twist which shakes everything up (and it confused me, I must admit).

O’Leary’s first book, The Flatshare, is one of my favorites, and that, too, is told via correspondence. I don’t feel this book has the warmth of the former, and I don’t know that I believed in the romance between the characters. (And while the residents of Ormer are quirky and cantankerous, I didn’t like them much.)

Book Review: "Kin" by Tayari Jones

“No matter who your mama is, or how long she’s been gone, you can’t help but miss her. When you are born, she marks you with her milk, even if you never tasted her breast. That’s not hoodoo, it’s just the way the body and the spirit come together to make you a person.”

There’s something about the way Tayari Jones writes that draws me in from the very first page. And this, her newest book, is so beautifully written and so perceptive in the way it captures loss, chosen family, friendship, and love.

Vernice (aka “Niecy”) and Annie have known each other practically from birth. Growing up in the small town of Honeysuckle, Louisiana, both girls were motherless. Niecy’s mother died when she was very young and her Aunt Irene raised her, while Annie’s mother left her in the care of her mother. The sense of being left behind pervaded both of their lives.

What Niecy wants more than anything is to be a mother and wife, to have a normal life. She goes to attend Spelman College, where she tries to blend in as much as she can, but for the first time she is introduced to a world where Black women can be powerful and privileged.

Meanwhile, trying to find her mother is the one thing that occupies Annie’s mind. She takes off one night with a young man she likes and two others and heads for Memphis, where her mother has supposedly moved to. But the journey to Memphis—and to finding her mother—is a circuitous one, seeing her experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

There is so much emotion in this book, and not all of it is out in the open. The relationship between Niecy and Annie is rich with love, struggle, strength, and guidance, and their connection is a powerful one even when they don’t see each other and they live different lives. I really felt this book in my heart.

Book Review: "Lift Me Up" by Milly Johnson

For years, Tam did nearly everything to hold it all together at YorkMart, the grocery company where she worked. Most of her efforts went unseen or someone else took the credit, but better she stay out of the spotlight, right? Yet when her boss leaves she is temporarily promoted to the top spot, finally giving her the chance to prove herself.

She envisions the company’s board being so impressed that they offer her the job permanently. Instead, they bring in an outside expert named Jack, sending Tam back into her old role. She hears rumors that he’ll be bringing his own people in, and when Jack requests her presence at an important meeting with the board, she figures she’ll be given her farewell.

She winds up in the elevator with Jack. Somewhere between floors 13 and 14, the elevator gets stuck. Tam starts to panic, envisioning all the ways she will meet her end. To calm her down, Jack talks to her and gets her to let down her guard a bit. She figures that if he’s going to let her go anyway, does it matter what she says, if he asks for her advice?

But the thing is, Jack knows all the work she’s put in. He thinks she should have been hired permanently too. He thinks she’s exceptional. Which is something no one has ever told her—not her family, not her fiancé, no one. She’s just made herself smaller and smaller and taken the criticism or indifference.

In the acknowledgments of the book, Milly Johnson says that she often writes “…about women who are due a renaissance because there are too many who do not value themselves for all they do for others, for the wonderful selfless people they are.”

This book really captures that spirit, although Tam must endure a lot of criticism and indifference before she can see her worth. Is it really a choice between being vibrant and seen or nearly invisible and irrelevant?

This story will publish 5/1.

Book Review: "Ghost Town" by Tom Perrotta

I started thinking about this and can’t believe it. I’ve been reading Tom Perrotta’s books since 1994! (And no, I’m not interested in knowing how young you were in 1994, or hearing you weren’t born yet, lol.) Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of his latest!

When Jimmy, a middle-aged writer and television producer, gets a letter from the mayor of his New Jersey hometown, he’s thrown for a loop. Apparently they’re naming the new municipal complex in memory of his father, and they’d love to have him attend. Jimmy hasn’t been back home since 1974 when he was 13, and he’s not sure he wants to return.

“Maybe all that stuff catches up to you in the end, the demons you think you’ve outrun, the bad memories you locked away in a metal box, and then you hid the box in a dark corner of the basement under a heap of dirty blankets, and then you moved far away and did your best to pretend you were someone else. But that box is always right there, right where you left it.”

Thinking about the invitation takes him back to 1974, the year that everything changed. His mother died of lung cancer, his hippie cousin and his wife moved in next door, and he was just trying to make sense of growing up and really see the world around him.

For the most part, the plot is composed of Jimmy’s reminiscences about losing his mother, befriending a local dirtbag, having a crush on a girl, feeling betrayed by his best friend, and watching everything fall apart. There’s also his desire to hold onto his mother’s memory, and perhaps see and feel her presence.

As always, Perrotta’s observations of New Jersey suburban life are dead-on. But for me, unfortunately, the rest of the book never felt complete. There’s some brief discussion of racial tensions—but not enough for Perrotta to give voice to them—and a weird, unfinished ghost story plot thread. Beyond that, nothing really was that interesting, not even Jimmy himself.

The book will publish 4/28.

Book Review: "Upward Bound" by Woody Brown

This book gave me lots of feels! But on top of the wide range of emotions it took me through, I found it really eye-opening. It definitely made me think about how we view adults with disabilities.

“No utopia has presented itself. Adult day care is adult day care.”

Upward Bound is an adult daycare facility for adults with disabilities. While the name sounds cheerful, for many of the clients, it’s a depressing, boring haven—but at least they’re not in an institution. Many of the clients are nonverbal, but some try to communicate the best they can.

We meet Jorge, the nonverbal gentle giant who likes to escape and go across the street to hide. Jorge is primarily cared for by Carlos, once a young man on a downward trajectory until his sister got him a job at the facility. Tom is a handsome man with cerebral palsy, who can’t talk or move much, but he has a rich inner life. Emma is autistic and nonverbal, but Beatles music brings her piece. And then there’s Dave, the director, who is very particular—especially about Upward Bound’s annual fundraiser and Christmas show.

We learn about each of these folks in their own chapters, and in some cases, they even narrate for themselves. But our guide for most of the book is Walter, a highly intelligent man with autism, who can communicate through an aide, and he aspires to be a writer. Through his eyes we see what the clients are really thinking, even if they can’t speak.

I found this to be funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking, sometimes simultaneously. Walter is a wry narrator who definitely has a grasp on the world around him. Impressively, the book’s author has minimal speech and types to communicate, but he is a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA and received an MFA from Columbia.

Book Review: "A Good Person" by Kirsten King

“When I was ten years old, I nearly pushed a girl into a gorilla pen at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts.”

That opening sentence certainly sets the tone for what a wild book this is. It may very well be the most stable statement that the main character, Lillian, makes in the entire book!

Lillian works for a marketing firm. Well, she does enough to get by, but she spends most of her days stalking her boyfriend Henry’s LinkedIn profile. She and Henry have been seeing each other for a few months now, and she’s been completely acquiescent to his every wish. But Henry hasn’t fully committed to her yet, although he’s certainly been signaling that he’s getting there.

Just when she’s expecting him to go from, “I have fun with you” to “I love you,” he tells her he wants to end things. She’s certainly not happy about that and demonstrates that in a few, umm, unique ways. Inspired by one of her clients, she decides to put a hex on Henry.

Imagine her surprise/horror when he is murdered the next day. Did she do that? She doesn’t think so, even if the more she learns about Henry the angrier with him she gets. And the more she starts to go off the rails, until even she’s not quite sure if she can pull herself together—if she doesn’t get arrested first.

Lillian is truly one of the most unhinged characters I’ve seen in a while. I couldn’t get enough of her, even as I cringed at some things she did. But she is 100 percent true to herself, despite her unpredictability. This was quite a ride!

Book Review: "The Summer Boy" by Philippe Besson

This was such a beautiful little book. Philippe Besson always writes books that evoke the complicated emotions of one’s teenage years, and they’re tinged with a sense of nostalgia and longing. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy!

“Again I find myself thinking about the things people tell us between their words that we don’t understand, about what they show us of themselves that we don’t see, because we’re busy doing something else or simply distracted, because another person’s life doesn’t interest us that much, or because the swimmer, far out to sea, who appears to be waving to us is actually drowning.”

It’s the summer of 1985. Philippe and his parents spend a few weeks on an island off the coast of France. This is a tradition for them: they stay with close family friends who have a son Philippe’s age. He and François are close even though they only see each other once a year, plus Philippe is gay, while François is not.

The two spend languorous summer days wandering around with their friend Christophe and a new friend, Nicolas. They spend time at the beach, they talk in the serious manner that 18 year-olds do, and at night they drink and go to bars and clubs. Philippe feels a connection with Nicolas very quickly; they seem to see each other more clearly.

They meet Alice, whom François is attracted to, and her older brother Marc, who takes an interest in Philippe. The six of them know this is their last summer before the obligations of adulthood take hold. They weather a bout of jealousy, but enjoy each other’s company. Until one night something happens that changes them all.

I know what it’s like to form a connection quickly, one that still lingers in the mind long after it ends. This book is a beautiful paean to simpler times that suddenly become complicated, and shows how one fleeting moment can move and shape us. What a lovely book!

It will publish 5/26.

Book Review: "Seven Points" by Amy James

I’m loving what seems to be an influx of M/M sports romances lately. Obviously, hockey romances are still the most popular, but recently I’ve read (and enjoyed) tennis, soccer, baseball, and now, F1 romances.

⁣ ⁣ Jacob has been a test driver for Crosswire Racing, the top Formula 1 team out there. Given that he survived a life-threatening crash, the fact that he’s driving at all is a pretty big deal, but he’d like a permanent seat on the team.⁣

⁣ At the same time that he’s working hard on his career, he’s also putting the work in on his relationship with Travis, who drives for Crosswire’s biggest rival, Harper Racing. Travis’ career has been on the rise, and while some people question whether he should date a rival, he’s fully on board with Jacob.⁣

Travis is racing at the Singapore Grand Prix, and Jacob will be a reserve driver for his company, so they can spend their free time together. But the night before qualifying begins, Jacob learns that Crosswire’s driver has gotten injured, so he’ll need to fill in for the race. This could be his ticket back!⁣

⁣ Jacob wants to give the race everything he has. Then he starts to worry whether his success could impact Travis’ chances of being the champion. Should Jacob let Travis win for the sake of their relationship?⁣

⁣ This is a bit of a follow-up to Crash Test, Amy James’ first book about Travis and Jacob. These two are a really appealing couple, more so than they were in the first book. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about F1 racing so I’ve really enjoyed learning about it. And if you read about sports, does it make you more athletic? (Asking for a friend.)⁣

Book Review: "A Violent Masterpiece" by Jordan Harper

This was definitely one of the darker and more disturbing crime novels I’ve read in a while. But the images that Jordan Harper’s prose evoked definitely were cinematic, which really amplified the book’s power. Thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

Like most big cities, Los Angeles is both playground and a hotbed of crime. Jake is a live-streaming nightcrawler, taking his audience on a no-holds-barred trip through the city each night, showing up at crimes in progress and the detritus of crime scenes. It’s all an adrenaline rush for him.

Kara works for a private concierge company that serves an exclusive clientele. Whatever their clients need—drugs, sex, even more nefarious things—the company provides. Yet Kara is haunted by the disappearance of her best friend Phoebe, and the scene she witnessed at Phoebe’s apartment after she went missing.

Doug is a defense lawyer for the downtrodden. But when he is hired to defend a Hollywood pedophile, it launches him into the public spotlight—and into a web more tangled and dangerous than he can ever imagine.

These three characters become intertwined with each other as the city is reeling from an apparent serial killer and the pedophile’s vow to seek revenge. The scandal, the fear, the danger all run very deep—can they find the answers they’re seeking before their enemies attack? And who are they anyway?

This is a really gritty book which pulsates with violence, rich and powerful people behaving badly, and those who try to keep their heads above water. It would make one hell of a movie, but it’s a pretty terrific read.

The book publishes 4/28.

Book Review: "Everybody's Favorite Guy" by Katherine Center

Lily and Walker’s families were best friends, so they grew up together. When Lily’s father died, Walker and his parents did everything to help her and her mother deal with their grief.

That was back in high school. Walker was tall, handsome, athletic, popular—everything that Lily was not. But of course she had an enormous crush on him, and one night, it appeared that her feelings were reciprocated. The next morning, however, Walker humiliated Lily and preyed on her biggest insecurity.

Seven years later, the two families are traveling to a cabin in the Rockies where they used to vacation in order to spread the ashes of both Lily and Walker’s fathers. Thankfully, Walker won’t be able to join them. And then—surprise! He’s able to join them after all.

Expecting unseasonably warm weather, they’re surprised to find a snowstorm brewing, which delays their mothers’ arrival. So it’s just Walker and Lily in the cabin—and then the power goes out. Throw in a fire, rehashing old memories, and a bear wanting to join them, and it becomes a night to remember.

“I was just a delusional nerd standing in a freak spring snowstorm with the boy who’d never loved her.”

I love Katherine Center’s writing so much. This was sweet and emotional, and just so enjoyable. Honestly, my only criticism is that it was too short!

Book Review: "Boy from the North Country" by Sam Sussman

“…who you are will change, Evan. That’s what time does to all of us. You will face difficulty. You will need your own resilience. And you will need love. You’ve always been intelligent, but it’s your heart that makes you special. Just don’t forget that, all right? Don’t turn your back on that part of who you are.”

Evan longed to get away from his hometown in upstate New York. He went to college abroad and lived in several different countries. His mother summons him home rather urgently, telling him that she has cancer and needs to have surgery, so she’ll need his help.

Arriving home, he is awash in memories of growing up and spending time with his mother. For a good deal of his childhood and teenage years it was just the two of them, undertaking creative pursuits, enjoying the arts, and believing Evan could be anything he dreamed of. His mother had a few relationships during his childhood, but they always turned bad.

Growing up, people always commented on how much Evan resembled Bob Dylan. He found out that his mother knew Dylan in the 1970s, but she refused to divulge whether he was Evan’s biological father. As his mother undergoes chemotherapy, she shares with Evan the story of her life, her dreams and the challenges that haunted her. And she tells him the full story of her relationship with Dylan.

The book shifts between the present and moments in the past, both in Evan’s childhood and his mother’s life. It’s so beautifully written and it’s tinged with sadness, but the power of a mother’s love runs through the book. For those who have lost a parent or experienced a loved one dealing with terminal illness, the book may be triggering.

Book Review: "The Tuxedo Society" by Paul Rudnick

This was a fun romp of a book! Paul Rudnick definitely makes me laugh, and this book had some very funny (and some silly) moments. Thanks so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

Andrew is an aspiring actor in NYC, but he seems to do more aspiring than acting. To make ends meet, he works at a candle store, where no matter the season, the Christmas candles are always popular. But he dreams of something more.

His friend Brock invites him to a fancy dinner with an exclusive group he belongs to called the Tuxedo Society. It’s not just a group of attractive, gossipy people, as they appear to be. It’s actually a super-secret group which helps protect American democracy. And all of the members are queer.

The group’s leader, Reggie, is a former Navy SEAL who was dishonorably discharged for being gay. He trains Andrew to be a full member of the group, complete with James Bond-esque gadgets (bombs that look like protein bars, a yoga mat that doubles as an assault rifle), as they try to figure out who is behind the theft of some important artifacts.

Their mission finds Andrew in spots around the world, impersonating clergy, Olympic athletes, and a florist’s assistant. They come into contact with corrupt, closeted politicians, foreign criminal masterminds, and an evil televangelist.

There are lots of great banter and fun action scenes in the book. But honestly, what I loved the most was the appearance of a character who used to “author” a column for PREMIERE magazine, whom I absolutely loved. This would be a great movie!!

The book publishes 5/26.

Book Review: "Maybe It's Fate" by Heidi McLaughlin

Welcome to the emotional roller coaster. This was quite a ride! It’s one of those books that somehow can make you feel sad and happy, both separately and simultaneously.

“There wasn’t a time in my life when she hadn’t existed, and I wasn’t sure I could exist in a world where she didn’t.”

Miriam and Antonia have been friends since childhood. When Miriam got pregnant as a teenager and her parents cut her off, she moved in with Antonia’s family. They were ride or die like no one else.

When Miriam calls Antonia and says she needs help, Antonia drops everything to head to New Hampshire, where Miri lives with her children. Miri is dying, and while the thought of living without her best friend devastates Antonia, she knows she must be there to support Miri’s children—Cutter, her teenage son, and Nova, her eight-year-old daughter.

As Antonia and the kids try to process their grief, they have help from Weston, Cutter’s high school coach and a former professional baseball player. West is not only a father figure for Cutter, but he’s definitely a rock for Antonia as well. And he’s interested in much more than that.

The book is narrated by Antonia, Weston, and Cutter. It’s not quite as sad as I expected but it definitely might be triggering for some. There were several places where the plot could have gone into complete soap opera territory, and kudos to Heidi McLaughlin for steering clear of that.

The book will publish 4/1.

Book Review: "Celestial Lights" by Cecile Pin

“I was born the day Challenger fell out of the sky, and I was born blue. At least, that is what I was told.”

Oliver was a smart, quiet, English child. His life began at a tragic moment for the world, but he was a dreamer, inspired by the things we didn’t yet know. His intellectual curiosity led him to study engineering, then to a Royal Navy submarine, and finally to a career as an astronaut.

Throughout his life, Oliver had trouble expressing his feelings, and many people found him cold. But he did fiercely love his parents, his wife, and his young son, even if his actions didn’t always convey that fact.

He is tapped to command a mission to the moon Europa, to see if the conditions there could ultimately sustain human life. It would require 10 years’ time, and during most of it, there would be no communication with Earth. Oliver cannot turn down the opportunity, even though it means he won’t be present to watch his son grow up, and the decision could end his marriage.

During the mission, Oliver thinks about the life-changing importance of what they’re doing. But as he looks back on his life and his family, he can’t help but wonder if the sacrifices will be worth it.

This was a beautifully written and profoundly thought-provoking book. Oliver is a complex character and I’m not sure I had him figured out by the end of the book, but I know that this will live in my brain for a long while.

Book Review: "The Anniversary" by Alex Finlay

Given that Alex Finlay is one of my favorite thriller writers, I definitely was looking forward to reading his upcoming book, The Anniversary. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy!

In the early 1990s, the Midwest was on edge because of the May Day Killer, a serial killer who abducts a woman on May 1 of each year. Sometimes the women are murdered and sometimes the killer lets them go, telling them they’re the lucky ones. He has eluded capture and doesn’t leave any clues behind.

May 1, 1992 seems like just another day. Beautiful and popular Jules is planning to go to a concert with her friends. Her shy classmate, Quinn, is usually the butt of people’s jokes, but something about him intrigues her. That night, Jules is attacked by the May Day Killer but her life is spared. Quinn breaks up a fight and winds up injuring someone, so he gets sent to juvenile detention.

The next year, Quinn is released from juvenile detention on May 1, only to find that his mother was brutally murdered. Meanwhile, Jules is wracked with fear that the killer will come back for her, and also feels guilty that she survived.

Each year on May 1, Jules and Quinn interact with one another. Both are traumatized by events in their lives, and nothing seems to get easier. Neither will rest until the May Day Killer is caught and Quinn’s mother’s murder is solved. But they’ll have to shoulder many burdens if those things will happen.

Don’t go into this book expecting a straightforward thriller. It’s definitely thrilling in places, but at the same time, the book is an exploration of how we bear trauma, pain, guilt, and loss, and how little we know about those around us. I thought this was great!!

The book will publish 5/12.

Book Review: "I Love You Don't Die" by Jade Song

“It’s a privilege to love. To love is to build a life.”

Of course, it was the title of this book that drew me in. I found the book really thought-provoking (and a bit sad), so I’m glad I’m so impressionable!

Vicky is obsessed with death. She has been since she was young. Part of this obsession manifests itself as nightmares about those close to her meeting a tragic end. But she also lives in a 6th-floor walk up above a Chinese funeral parlor, and she decorates her apartment with zhizha, paper creations which are meant to be burned for the dead.

To top it off, she works for Onwards, a celebrity-founded startup which produces bespoke urns and tries to make death less difficult and mysterious for the living. Even though working for Onwards was her dream, she never feels particularly motivated to work, or do much of anything, really. Other than periodic trips to the office, the only person who can get her out of bed and into the world is her best friend, Jen.

Vicky is also desperate to be loved. She matches with a couple seeking a third, and Angela and Kevin provide comfort and love. But she forgets that the course of love—or friendship, for that matter—never runs smoothly. At the first sign of conflict or being driven to question her own motives, she’s quick to destroy rather than communicate. This leads to disastrous consequences and she wonders whether life is worth it.

This book may be a bit triggering for some. It’s part social commentary, part a story about searching for the things and people who make life worth living. Vicky isn’t the most sympathetic or likable character, but her feelings and questions are definitely familiar and powerful.

Book Review: "Served Him Right" by Lisa Unger

I do love it when a thriller or mystery keeps me guessing until the end! I’ve been seeing this one all over the place and I finally had to see what the buzz was about.

Ana is through with her ex, Paul. So through, in fact, that she and her friends are going to gather for an “ex-orcism,” where they all delete him off all of their social media and every other form of communication. In the middle of their girls’ brunch, the police show up. It seems that Paul has been found dead.

It’s not long before the police find out that Ana definitely had motive to murder Paul. But she swears she is innocent, and it appears that Paul had a long list of people who might’ve wished him harm. Yet when Ana’s best friend Iggy, who was also at the brunch, becomes seriously ill as a result of poison, everyone—including Ana’s older sister Vera—starts to suspect Ana.

It turns out, however, that lots of people are hiding secrets. As the police start closing in on Ana, she and Vera are both working on trying to clear her name. But their investigations put them both at risk, and stirs up tensions with a secret group of people with their own axes to grind.

There are a lot of characters who narrate the book, and the story shifts between Vera and Ana’s childhood and the present. I liked learning about natural methods of healing and enjoyed the book’s message about how much harder women have to work and how “perfect” they must be in order to succeed.

Book Review: "Nothing Serious" by Emily J. Smith

“We like to chalk things up to chance. But most things, if you dig deep enough, aren’t chance. Not really.”

Peter and Edie have been best friends since college, when Peter rescued her from a situation beyond her control. In the years since then, Peter has become an ultra-confident, handsome multimillionaire, while Edie feels like her life is stagnating.

Even though Peter has been dating his girlfriend for a number of years, Edie is still a big part of his life. He spends more time texting with Edie than talking to his girlfriend. Edie hopes that maybe he’ll come to his senses and realize he’s been in love with her all along.

When Peter breaks up with his girlfriend, Edie is ready to swoop in. But instead of wallowing in loneliness like she does, he quickly gets on the apps. He meets Anaya, a feminist professor and writer who definitely can hold her own with Peter. He invites Edie to meet Anaya—on their first date—and she realizes that Anaya is an amazing catch. She feels a connection with Anaya and they start to become friends.

And then Anaya is found dead in her apartment, the morning after a date with Peter. It’s all too easy for Edie to get obsessed with things, and she starts becoming more and more suspicious of Peter. She decides to do her own digging to find out whether Anaya’s death really was a suicide or if it was murder.

Edie is a wild character, just a little bit unhinged. But it’s easy to understand one’s obsessions when you feel you don’t have much in your life. I liked the concept of this book more than the execution, and found the pacing uneven.

Book Review: "Thirty Love" by Tom Vellner

You may not know, but I’m a huge sports fan. I’m in heaven now that March Madness is underway and the Masters tournament is in a month or so. But my favorite sport is tennis. I’ve been a fan since I was young, and I religiously watch all of the Grand Slams as well as lots of other tournaments along the way.

Needless to say, I was excited to read Tom Vellner’s debut novel. He captured the intensity of watching tennis matches, especially the Grand Slams, so well.

Leo was at the U.S. Open in 2003, the last time an American man won the tournament. His dad, Johnny, had been a finalist years before. At that moment he knew he wanted to make tennis his life—and he definitely wanted to win the U.S. Open.

Now, nearing 30 years old, Leo has had some success winning tournaments but not a Grand Slam, although he made the semifinals the year before. And while he’s the top-ranked American man, that’s a lot of pressure, not to mention the fact that his father (who is also his coach) has MS, which is starting to affect him more.

The other obstacle Leo has to deal with is Gabe, a rival American player. He seems to have Leo’s number and knows just what to say—and what shot to hit—to get under his skin. Leo has feelings for Gabe he won’t admit, feelings that magnify when Gabe comes out of the closet. Leo admires Gabe for that but doesn’t feel he’s ready to share his truth, until it all bubbles over one game night. Can Leo have Gabe and make his tennis dreams come true?

I enjoyed this so much. Damned if I didn’t get choked up a few times, too! I’ve often wondered why there are no out male tennis players, and this book made me long for the day when it’s not that big of an issue. Chalk this up to my first M/M tennis romance!

Book Review: "Life: A Love Story" by Elizabeth Berg

I would give this book 500 stars if I could! If I were to describe the kind of book that fills my heart, it would be this absolutely beautiful one.

“‘I think it means you can never really get to the bottom of knowing a person,’ Teresa says. ‘There’s so much inside each of us. But you can get a strong sense of certain fundamental qualities. You can come to a point of knowing enough.’”

Flo is 92 years old and she doesn’t have much longer to live. She plans to leave her house and all of its contents to her friend Ruthie. Flo and her late husband lived next door to Ruthie and her family when she was a child, and they doted on her like she was their own. When Ruthie became an adult, she and Flo became close friends.

Flo writes Ruthie a letter explaining the meaning of various possessions—why she keeps a rubber band in a box tied with a ribbon, where a single coffee mug came from and what it meant, etc. In the letter, she shares simple and extraordinary moments in her life and her marriage. She also gives Ruthie advice about love, loss, friendship, and generosity.

I found Flo to be an utterly unforgettable character, and I’m taking some of her advice to heart. This book was profoundly thought-provoking and immensely moving. Elizabeth Berg’s prose is gorgeous and paints indelible pictures in my mind.

“Terrence told her once about a language where there is no word for ‘hello.’ Rather, people greet each other by saying, ‘You are here.’ And the response is ‘Yes, I am.’”

Book Review: "The Best Little Motel in Texas" by Lyla Lane

This cozy mystery featuring the unlikeliest band of amateur detectives was such fun! I hope this is the start of a series.

Cordelia is completely shocked to receive a call from her old hometown of Sarsaparilla Falls, Texas. She and her mother fled the judgmental small town and rebuilt their lives in Dallas, and Cordelia hasn’t thought of the place—or of her childhood, getting her mother home from bars—in years.

It turns out her great-aunt Penelope (whom Cordelia didn’t know existed) passed away, and named her as the owner of the Chickadee Motel. Cordelia can’t imagine working at a motel, but apparently she can’t sell it unless the residents agree. So she reluctantly heads back to Sarsaparilla Falls to see what she’s been stuck with.

Much to her surprise, she finds out that the Chickadee isn’t a motel: it’s a brothel. The “residents” are Daisy, Belinda Sue, and Arline, three women who have been, umm, working with, the men in town for 40 or so years. (Mostly with their wives’ approval.) So Cordelia is the new madam.

The first thing she wants to do is get out of town and away from the motel. But when the town’s pastor dies in Daisy’s bed, and it appears he has been poisoned, Cordelia knows she needs to help her “chicks.” They begin their investigation in order to clear Daisy’s name, but they don’t realize what a tangled web they’ve stepped into.

I could only imagine what a film or television adaptation of this book would look like. Picturing the “chicks” in their outfits made me smile, and Cordelia was a fun character to watch develop. This really was a fun one!

Book Review: "The Night We Met" by Abby Jimenez

“Maybe that’s how you learn truths about yourself, when you’re withered down to nothing so it’s easy to see what’s left."

Abby Jimenez has done it again! Ever since I read her first book back in 2019, each year I eagerly anticipate her next one. I always know she’ll make my heart swoon and she’ll definitely get me choked up, at the very least. Thanks so much to Forever and Abby for the complimentary advance copy!

Larissa and Chris didn’t quite have a meet-cute. They met at the end of a concert, she needed a ride home. She felt like Chris seemed a little grumpy, so she chose to ride home with Mike, Chris’ best friend. Larissa and Mike start dating shortly thereafter.

But as Larissa and Chris get to know each other better, they quickly discover how perfect for each other they are. They both love to eat (especially bread), they love to read, and soon Larissa is co-parenting Woofarine, the overly active dog Chris rescued.

While Chris definitely has feelings for Larissa, she’s his best friend’s girlfriend. He knows he can’t cross a line or he’ll destroy a long-standing friendship. And while Larissa is attracted to Chris, she’s happy with the way Mike treats her. But the truth is, anything that makes her happy, Chris actually does for Mike—and not always with his knowledge. How can Chris stand idly by and let the woman he’s falling for be with someone else who doesn’t have the capacity to take care of her the way she wants and needs?

There are a few issues in the book that could be triggering; check out the author’s note at the beginning to be sure. I found this really emotional yet also hopeful in places, and as always, the dog is adorable but completely manic! I loved this.

The book publishes 3/24.

Book Review: "Bloom" by Robbie Couch

Robbie Couch has been one of my auto-buy authors since I fell in love with his debut, The Sky Blues, several years ago. His previous books have all been YA, so I was excited to read his first adult novel. And it was full of as much heart as his earlier books.

Morris is grieving the sudden death of his husband, Fred. He and his cat mostly stay in the house, as Fred was always the social butterfly of the couple. Morris has lost his passion for everything, and doesn’t want to get together with his former teacher colleagues or anyone.

Fred had had a green thumb, and cares for numerous plants both inside and outside the house. But Morris can’t care for them, and gave most of them away to a science teacher friend. The three remaining plants are dying, much to their chagrin. One plant, Jade, knows her end is nearing but wants to find a way to save herself and her plant friends.

Meanwhile, Morris’ stepdaughter (and former student), Sloan, has been struggling with her father’s death. She’s excited to marry her boyfriend but can’t stand how her mother keeps forcing them to make choices they don’t want. And she’s tired of her mother’s anger toward her father and Morris.

Sloan decides to get to know Morris better, a decision that could rattle her family, as Morris is considered “the enemy.” But Sloan likes seeing her father through Morris’ eyes, and the more she thinks about it, the more she wants him in her life. How will this sit with her mother?

I found this book to be all kinds of adorable and a bit emotional, too. It’s a beautiful reflection on how grief impacts each of us differently, and how harmful it can be not to tell someone when they’re hurting you, or you’re afraid of hurting them. I found myself smiling so many times while reading this!

Book Review: "I Came Back for You" by Kate White

One of the best things about reading a new-to-you author is when you enjoy their work, they often have a backlist to dive into. I really enjoyed Kate White’s newest book and can’t wait to read some of her previous ones!

Ten years have passed since Bree’s daughter Melanie was brutally murdered while at college. Since then she’s moved on with her life in many ways—she relocated to Uruguay with her new partner and she’s become a freelance editor. It’s a peaceful, idyllic life, a welcome respite from the grief that had nearly crushed her.

She is shocked by an unexpected visit from her ex-husband, Logan. Apparently the man convicted of Melanie’s murder confessed to his attorney about two additional murders, and confirmed details of the two young women killed before Melanie. But he did not confirm that he killed Melanie. He died shortly thereafter.

Bree and Logan can’t believe that the killer was telling the truth. But as the police start looking further into Melanie’s case, inconsistencies emerge. Could her real murderer still be out there? Will the police really do their due diligence?

Left with no other choice, Bree returns to Cartersville, the upstate New York town where Melanie was killed. She begins to do a little investigating of her own to try and find who might have actually killed her daughter. As new information emerges, Bree has to decide how far she wants to go with finding the truth. And can she live with the truth if she finds it?

This was a really compelling mystery, with believable twists and turns. White really gave space to Bree and Logan’s unresolved grief as well as Bree’s uncertainty about what she wants next. I loved the combination of suspense and emotion.

Book Review: "Once and Again" by Rebecca Serle

In the Acknowledgements of her powerfully thought-provoking new book, Rebecca Serle said, “[This] is the first book that does not ask the question ‘How will it turn out?’ but instead ponders: ‘How do I sit with what has happened?’” I feel like that really sums up the core of this story.

The women of the Novak family have been given an extraordinary gift. Each has the opportunity to turn back time, once, to erase or redo something. When Lauren was 15, she learned about this gift, as her mother Marcella used hers to save Lauren’s father, who died in a car accident.

Once Marcella chose her moment to redo, although she felt relief, she also felt a great weight placed on her. Now she had no chance for a do-over, which made her more cautious and nervous about everything, particularly her husband’s actions. This definitely strains her relationship with Lauren.

Lauren and her husband Leo have been struggling with fertility issues. When Leo gets a job in NYC for the summer, he moves there, while Lauren returns to her childhood home on the Malibu shores. She misses Leo, although not the constant stress of IVF, and she enjoys surfing with her father and spending time with her grandmother, Sylvia. And Lauren still doesn’t understand why she and her mother can’t get along.

To her surprise, Lauren’s first love, Stone, returns home to care for his dying stepmother. As she watches his grief and reconnects with him for the first time in 10 years, Lauren’s feelings become jumbled. To rediscover her happiness, is there an opportunity to redo something?

Rebecca Serle always knows how to touch my emotions and get me thinking. I definitely cried a bit as I pondered what I would change if I had the chance—or would I? This really would be an excellent book club book, and it’ll certainly be on my mind for a long time!

Book Review: "Toe to Toe" by Falon Ballard

Ballet has been the core of Allegra’s life since she was a young girl. Although pushed by her mother, a former dancer who gave up her career for marriage and a family, Allegra loves ballet more than anything. And she desperately wants to become a principal ballerina.

When her ballet company announces it will produce a new ballet, Allegra desperately wants the lead role. But her director told her that he doesn’t think she has the sex appeal to land the part. She is determined to prove him wrong.

After attending her sister’s bachelorette party at an all-male dance club, Allegra is mesmerized by the show’s star, and the owner of the club, Cord. In addition to his obvious physical attributes, she’s impressed by his dancing ability and his overall sex appeal.

Allegra comes up with an interesting proposition for Cord. She’d like him to teach her to be sexier when she dances. Although he’s reluctant at first, he doesn’t want to let her walk away. And being the one to help her realize her own sex appeal is a powerful motivator.

The more they dance together, the stronger their attraction grows. Allegra knows she’s fallen for Cord, but she can’t let a relationship derail her career. Cord knows that Allegra will be pressured to choose between her career and a relationship. What happens if she chooses ballet? Where does that leave him?

While there weren’t too many surprises in the book, I really enjoyed Allegra and Cord’s banter and chemistry. I’m a sucker for stories about dancers and other performers, and juxtaposing ballet with male strippers was really an interesting twist. Once again, Falon Ballard utterly charms me!

Book Review: "This Story Might Save Your Life" by Tiffany Crum

We may be only one-quarter of the way into 2026, but I feel pretty confident saying that this is going to be another year of fantastic debut novels! Tiffany Crum’s book, a hybrid mystery/romance, definitely was a great read.

Benny and Joy are best friends and cohosts of a satirical survival podcast. Each episode envisions a somewhat improbable scenario, but inspired by real life—what happens if you get swallowed by a whale, for instance—and they have to brainstorm ways to survive.

The podcast is an enormous hit, thanks to the charm and humor of the hosts and the business strategy of Xander, Joy’s husband. Things are about to get even bigger, as they’re about to sign a lucrative distribution contract and publish a co-written memoir.

But one morning when Benny goes to Joy’s house to finish recording, it appears Joy, Xander, and their dog have disappeared. No one can figure out what happened, and as the police begin to investigate, it appears there are a lot of secrets that were hidden. And soon their attention turns to Benny.

The book shifts between the present and the chapters of the memoir that Joy wrote. Both narratives introduce just as many questions as they do answers.

Although the pacing ebbs and flows, I found this tremendously compelling. I don’t know if I was completely enamored of Joy as a character, but the banter between her and Benny was terrific. (Extra points for the Happy Days angle.) On the whole, I couldn’t put this down and can’t wait to see what Crum does next!

Book Review: "No Matter What" by Cara Bastone

“‘Don’t waste your energy over how you think things should be,’ Deb booms. ‘See things for how they actually are.’”

It has been a rough year for Roz and Vin. They were involved in a serious accident that upended their lives, causing injuries to both of them and Vin’s brother Raff. But even though their physical recovery has gone well, Roz and Vin haven’t slept in the same bed in nearly a year, and can barely stand to be in the same room.

As tough as it gets, Roz still hopes that they’ll be able to work things out. Although the fact that neither will come out and say what they’re thinking or feeling certainly complicates matters. But when Roz finds that Vin has signed a lease for an apartment of his own, she is devastated.

The two are moving in separate orbits and living in separate rooms. To help absorb some of her time alone, Roz signs up for a figure drawing class. She finds herself inspired by this exploration of her creative side.

As the date for Vin to move out draws closer, they’re still drawn to each other, physically and emotionally. Vin agrees to serve as Roz’s model for her to sharpen her skills. And it is through the time they spend together, with Roz focused on every aspect of her husband’s body, that they start to see each other more clearly again. Is there a chance they’ll make it back to one another before it’s too late?

I wanted to love this book but for some reason it never quite clicked with me. I found their struggles very emotional and I wanted them to rebuild, but neither of them communicated clearly, which always drives me crazy in books. Still, the story was a powerful one.

Book Review: "Wait for Me" by Amy Jo Burns

Amy Jo Burns’ last book, Mercury, was one of my favorite books of 2024. Needless to say, I was looking forward to this and I’m grateful to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work as well for me as Mercury did, but it was an intriguing story. Marijohn is 18 years old in 1991, spending the summer working at her father’s gas station and writing songs she plays on her broken mandolin. Her best friend Lazarus is her cowriter, duet partner, and overall sidekick.

Marijohn’s father swears that he was the last person to see country music phenomenon Elle Harlow before she disappeared in 1973. He’s obsessed with keeping Elle’s legacy alive, and there’s a distinct possibility she could be Marijohn’s mother. She longs to know the truth.

The last night before Lazarus leaves for college, Marijohn is determined to tell him she loves him. But when a meteor strikes their town that night, it changes the course of everything, and brings secrets long hidden to the surface.

The book shifts to Elle’s story for a bit. We see her apprenticing to a healer, craving a musical career, and feeling unloved and unsupported. Her story shows that talent can flourish anywhere.

I felt like a lot of the dialogue in the book, particularly where Marijohn and Elle were concerned, was almost stream of consciousness. There’s a lot of miscommunication here, which is my least favorite trope to read about. But the central themes of loss, longing, and love really resonated with me.

Book Review: "Dear Monica Lewinsky" by Julia Langbein

Thanks so much to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book I was eagerly anticipating!

Sigh. I’m guessing this is more “it’s not the book, it’s me,” because I’m starting to realize that sometimes satirical books just don’t work for me. This may be why I struggled with the author’s last book, although like this one, I loved the concept.

When Jean receives an invitation to attend a former professor’s retirement ceremony in France, she is completely undone. She hasn’t communicated with this man since she studied abroad in 1998, and they had an inappropriate relationship. Jean believes this is what derailed her life all those years ago.

As she looks at her diaries and photos from that time, she realizes that her affair with her professor happened at the same time as the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Her life seems to be unraveling, so she decides to pray to Monica for guidance, as you would a saint. And Saint Monica answers.

I was living in the DC area during the whole Clinton/Lewinsky affair, and I always felt she got a raw deal. I really wanted to love the book, but it just didn’t work for me.

The book will publish 4/14.

Book Review: "Her Last Breath" by Taylor Adams

I stayed up until 2:00 am because I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. This was the same feeling I had when I read Taylor Adams’ debut thriller, No Exit.

Tess and her best friend Allie grew up together. In fact, when Tess finally got the courage to speak up about her mom’s abuse, she moved in with Allie and her family through high school. They took different paths—Tess went to law school and Allie became a popular travel influencer—but they’ve found their way back to each other.

After much persuading, Tess finally agrees to go caving with Allie. Yet as they start to make their descent down an immensely claustrophobic path, they realize they are not alone. An earlier confrontation with a fellow caver leaves them vulnerable.

Before she realizes it, Tess is stranded in a narrow passage with no way of getting back up safely—and her oxygen is getting depleted. She has to use every ounce of strength she has to fight for survival, against a killer determined to thwart her every move.

From her hospital bed, Tess recounts every painful and frightening moment of this horrible day. But the detective who is investigating her ordeal tells Tess that there are secrets that Allie was keeping, secrets which might mean this seemingly random attack might not have been so random.

I’ve never gone caving before and have no desire to, ever. But Adams’ imagery made me feel like I was stuck right there with Tess. This was an absolutely heart-pounding book, and it took a while for my adrenaline to level off after reading!

Book Review: "We Burned So Bright" by TJ Klune

TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors of all time. Three of his books have been #1 on three year-end lists. His books leave me sobbing, smiling, and thinking, usually all at once. Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of this book!

“‘Do we live to be remembered?,’ Don asked. ‘Or do we live to live?’”

Don and Rodney have been together for more than 40 years, and even got legally married in 2015. They’re both a little grumpy and stubborn at times, but the love they have for each other is fierce and beautiful. They’ve seen good times and bad, but they’ve faced everything together.

And while they take their vows seriously—even “‘til death do us part”—they’re not expecting the news that a black hole is headed for earth and the planet is going to be destroyed in a month. But they’re not going to wallow. They’re going to leave their home in Maine and drive to Washington State, to complete one final task they promised to do.

Along their drive across the country they encounter many different people. Some demonstrate great empathy and love despite their fears, but others definitely threaten the men’s sense of security. But as they reach their final destination, they realize how lucky they are to have shared each other’s lives.

This was absolutely beautiful. Of course it made me cry, but I also thought about what I would do in this situation. I highlighted so many sentences in this book; Klune’s prose always leaves me awestruck!

The book will publish 4/28.

Book Review: "Lake Effect" by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

It’s 1977 in suburban Rochester, NY. A woman who has scandalized her neighborhood by getting divorced decides to buy her friends a copy of The Joy of Sex. What she views as a bit of a prank sets off some serious ripples.

Nina is married to Sam and they have two teenage daughters, Clara and Bridie. When Nina gets a copy of the book and hears her friends sharing details about their sex lives, she realizes how empty her own is. At that moment she decides she wants to have an affair, and when she lands on her neighbor, Finn, he’s all too willing to partake.

But the ramifications of an affair in their claustrophobic neighborhood quickly cause Nina to put the brakes on. Yet Finn, who is deeply dissatisfied in his own marriage, can’t imagine a life without Nina. To the surprise of everyone, Nina and Finn leave their families, get quickie divorces and marry each other, and head back to town.

The family members left behind each feel a different sense of betrayal. But her mother’s actions hit Clara in a different way: she was just falling in love with Finn’s son Dune, who now wants nothing to do with her.

The book spans from the 1970s to the 1990s, and traces the many ways the actions of Finn and Nina continue to cause issues for their families years later. There is a lot that occurs in this book and there’s definitely some weighty content, but it never felt forced or false.

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney has a real knack for capturing the dynamics and dysfunctions of families. I was swept into the story of the Larkins and the Finnegans, and was amused, moved, and affected by them.

Book Review: "The Shards" by Bret Easton Ellis

“We were teenagers distracted by sex and pop music, movies and celebrity, lust and ephemera and our own neutral innocence.”

In high school and college, Bret Easton Ellis was an auto-buy author for me. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, and American Psycho definitely cemented his talent for me. I read another one or two of his books in the late 1990s and that was it, until in 2023 his first book in 13 years, The Shards was released. I was excited but 600 pages?

Anyway, the book has been glaring at me from my shelves so I finally picked it up. We find ourselves in 1981, at the prestigious Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, CA. Bret is a senior, and he and his friends have a singular plan: get as drunk, as high, as stoned as possible.

Surprisingly, a new student, Robert Mallory, joins the senior class. His effortless charms win over many of Bret’s friends, but not Bret himself. He’s suspicious of Robert and why anyone would go to a different school in their senior year.

As Bret’s resentments grow, so does his obsession with The Trawler, a serial killer who is going after young women. Bret gets totally engrossed in the search for the killer, and then he decides to make a timeline of the murders. He makes a shocking discovery: the murders seem to correlate with Robert’s arrival in California.

This is definitely a work of fiction, despite its connections to reality. It treads some of the same territory of Ellis’ early books—the rich, affected, drug-addicted students—but it also has its gruesome moments in describing the murders. The core of the story was really compelling but the plot meandered and the book didn’t need to be this long. I’m glad I finally read it though!