Book Review: "People Watching" by Hannah Bonam-Young

Prudence used to dream of leaving her small Canadian hometown to see the world. But when her mother is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Prue shelves her dreams in order to help her father. Regardless of what her father thinks, she’s perfectly content to care for her mother, work in her family’s gas station, and write poetry.

Milo comes to town in his ancient van. He and his younger sister have been asked to come help Nik, their older brother, get his brewery ready to open. Milo is a handsome adventurer who tends to go from place to place, leaving relationships as soon as his partners begin catching feelings. He hasn’t seen his siblings in a while, because memories of their traumatic childhood still haunt him.

As her mother’s condition worsens, Prue’s father wants her to consider leaving town and pursuing her future. When she meets Milo, his confidence and swagger, coupled with his sensitivity, disarms her. The chemistry between the two of them is intense, and while they develop a warm friendship, they also spend late nights with Milo tutoring Prue in casual sex lessons.

Milo’s relationship with his siblings and their shared trauma is really compelling, and Prue’s care for her mother and her father’s love is as well. But when the focus moves off of those storylines, the book loses its spark. And there are even storylines that get mentioned and never get brought up again.

This book is one of the spiciest I’ve read in a long while, and there’s also some poignant emotion. But I felt like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be—the sex storyline didn’t really mesh with everything else. I wanted to love this but it just didn’t work for me.

Book Review: "Every Sweet Thing is Bitter" by Samantha Crewson

Add this to the rapidly growing list of fantastic debuts in 2025! While bleak at times, this book was tremendously thought-provoking and powerful.

“No matter how many years separate me from that day, there is no new beginning. Nothing changes. Absolution is a myth. Some sins you must pay for again and again and again, as long as you live.”

Providence hasn’t been back to her hometown in 13 years, when she put her car in reverse and inadvertently ran over her mother. Her mother survived, but Providence was sent to jail, guilty of a felony. She was told never to come back to town, but now her mother has disappeared mysteriously, ostensibly on the way home from a Bible study class.

While the last thing Providence wants is to constantly be reminded of her transgressions, she hopes that her return might help bridge the gap between her and her sisters. But of course, it also means confronting Tom, her abusive father, who bullied everyone into turning a blind eye to his faults.

As the search for her mother continues, Providence discovers that in many ways, things have gotten worse since she left town. Her sisters resent her for what she did to their mother, but at the same time, they want her to make their father pay for his abuse. Should she sacrifice herself for the chance to save her sisters?

I love books when there are secrets and resentments uncovered at every turn. This was an emotional exploration of guilt, forgiveness, love, loyalty, and the cycle of violence that preys on us. I couldn’t put this down!

Book Review: "The Bright Years" by Sarah Damoff

I cannot believe this was a debut! This will definitely be one of my absolute favorite books of the year, I know that much.

“Maybe what children do is straighten time out. Like clock hands, they keep us ticking forward even as we try to apprehend the lines and circles of it.”

When Ryan and Lillian meet one weekend day in the library, they both feel a pull toward the other. Their love buoys them, and they build a life together, one that expands with the birth of a daughter, Georgette, whom they call Jet.

But there are secrets they’ve not shared with each other. Lillian had a son 12 years ago and gave him up for adoption. Ryan’s father, whom his mother left when Ryan was young, was an abusive alcoholic. And Ryan feels himself following in his father’s footsteps, so he leaves before he can hurt Lillian or Jet. Of course, abuse is only one way to hurt someone.

As the years pass, Ryan makes attempts to sober up and be present for his daughter, but often fails. And then he realizes what he is missing, and hopes for a second chance.

This book was so beautifully written, so powerful and emotional. It’s narrated by Lillian, Ryan, and Jet, and it’s an exploration of the myriad ways people we love impact our lives. This book really struck a chord with me.

Book Review: "The Business Trip" by Jessie Garcia

Ugh. I really was excited about this book, although I had seen mixed reviews. It just didn’t work for me at all.

Jasmine is finally ready to escape her abusive relationship. She’s saved her money and plans to sneak away in the middle of the night. Her first destination is Denver, but she’s eager for a fresh start.

Stephanie is the news director for a television station. She’s heading to San Diego (through Denver) for a conference.

Even though they’re from the same town and wind up on the same flight to Denver, Jasmine and Stephanie have never met. Yet it’s not long before both women text their friends about meeting a man—the same man—and each says they’re falling in love. Soon after, their texts become less frequent and then stop altogether.

Stephanie’s friends and colleagues start to dig into her texts and suspect that something isn’t right. Jasmine’s friend wonders what might’ve happened to her, too. All signs point to the man they both say they met. But what happened?

I thought this started out really strong, alternating between Stephanie and Jasmine’s stories. But then the story is taken over by a bunch of peripheral characters, those connected to the two women, and then the final section lays out exactly what happened. (So much telling, not much showing.) There are some twists that I saw coming, some I didn’t which required complete suspension of disbelief, but overall, I was really let down.

Book Review: "Pictures of You" by Emma Grey

I had hoped to get this one in before the end of 2024, but better late than never! I had heard that you’re better off going into the book without knowing too much about it, so I did that. And what an incredibly powerful, emotional book this was!!

“Life twists and turns and things you never imagined possible strike in an instant. Suddenly you’re on a totally different path.”

Evie wakes up in a hospital bed. She cannot figure out how she got there. When she is told that she had been in a car accident which killed her husband, she is baffled; in her mind, she’s 16 years old. She doesn’t even recognize pictures of her husband, let alone being married.

When she runs into Drew, her best friend from high school, she thinks he’s an Uber driver. But he agrees to help her try to figure out what happened to the people she remembers—and little by little, he helps her recall certain things about her life and her marriage.

“What makes things true? I can imagine a whole world of experience missing from my memory, but if I don’t remember it, did it ever happen? Aren’t we meant to be the sum of our experiences?”

I’m a fan of Emma Grey, having loved her last book, The Last Love Note. This book definitely could be triggering for some, so do check the warnings before reading. Some of the twists I saw coming, some I was surprised by, but this really moved me.

Book Review: "PS: I Hate You" by Lauren Connolly

“Arguably, hiding myself in a closet is in everyone’s best interest. These strangers want to watch me cry prettily. (But is that even physically possible? Who can have saltwater leaking out of their eyes and not look like a flushed, snotty mess?)”

Maddie’s older brother Josh died of cancer before he turned 30. He was the adventurous one, always trying to get Maddie to try new things and have fun. And this didn’t stop with his death: in his will he requested that she spread a portion of his ashes in each of the 8 states he never visited.

But Josh had one more trick up his sleeve, in that he assigned her a partner for her trips—Dom, his best friend. Maddie was in love with him for as long as she can remember, until one thing sent her running across the country to get away from him. Dom has always been a stickler for rules, so he’s not letting Maddie handle the ash-spreading herself, no matter how much vitriol she sends his way.

As they make each trip, there are awkward moments and emotional ones, as well as times when all Maddie wants is to be as far from Dom as possible. Along the way, they discover things about one another and each of their relationships with Josh, and Maddie realizes she must come to terms with her other fears and issues. She also must realize that her feelings for Dom have never dissipated; they’ve just grown stronger.

I’m a sucker for the found family trope, and I loved Maddie’s relationship with Dom’s family. Her mother and grandmother were written as one-dimensional monsters, and it broke my heart to see the way they treated her.

I wanted to love this book but it felt so schizophrenic to me. At times it was so moving and powerful; other times, Maddie was difficult to sympathize with and the miscommunication between her and Dom drove me crazy. It also got sooo steamy and it felt odd to me. But even with all that, I still cried, so…

Book Review: "A Very Bad Thing" by J.T. Ellison

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, but I can certainly say this was well worth the wait!!

Columbia Jones isn’t just a bestselling author: she’s a phenomenon. And her latest book—which is being adapted into a Spielberg film while she’s still writing it—is sure to catapult her career even further. Her book tour stops are so in demand they have to hold them in theaters and other concert venues.

In Denver, on the last stop of her tour, she sees a face in the audience and it causes her to faint. She may have a minor concussion and an issue with the altitude, but she’s released from the hospital that evening. And then the next morning, she’s found dead in her hotel bed, covered in blood.

Who would’ve wanted Columbia dead? Why? These are questions being asked by many people, including Columbia’s daughter and manager, Darian; a detective specifically assigned to the case; and Riley, a talented young journalist Columbia hired to chronicle the tour and her career. The author’s death shocks the public and devastates her fans.

As the investigation into Columbia’s death (was it murder?) gets going, secrets about her are revealed that show how little anyone really knew her. It appears that the uncovering of these secrets definitely ruffle some feathers—and people are dying as a result. What is Columbia’s real story, and who else is in harm’s way?

This was absolutely fantastic. The book is nearly 450 pages yet I flew through it, and couldn’t get enough. There were lots of twists, some I saw coming and some that surprised me, and I didn’t want to stop reading at all. Now, onto J.T. Ellison’s backlist!!

Book Review: "The Broposal" by Sonora Reyes

Thanks so much to Forever and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!!

Kenny and Han (short for Alejandro) have been best friends since the second grade, and both would do anything for the other. As roommates, they support each other, with Kenny’s executive dysfunction disorder and Han’s autism.

The biggest stress for Han is that he is undocumented, and he’s always worried that a situation might occur that will end with him being deported. When he gets a job at the restaurant where Kenny is assistant manager, his fears intensify, because the manager is always angry and threatening to fire people.

After Kenny and his on-again, off-again girlfriend break up, he gets an idea: he and Han should get married, and this way Han can get a green card. All of their friends and Kenny’s family think they’re in love with one another anyway.

Even if the marriage is just for show, Kenny loves the idea of being with Han, who has always struggled with relationships. But as they work to convince immigration officials that their marriage is real, their feelings start to blur. They’ll need to be worried about Kenny’s ex-girlfriend, though, as well as the government.

Kenny and Han really make a good couple, although Kenny is definitely wishy-washy. I wanted to love this book, but Jackie’s character is just awful—a person who works at a domestic violence shelter yet is abusive herself. She really made me consider DNFing the book a few times. But I loved Kenny and Han too much.

The book publishes 1/21/2025.

Book Review: "A Reason to See You Again" by Jami Attenberg

Post-Thanksgiving and pre-holidays, here’s a healthy dollop of family dysfunction in book form!

Rudy was a Holocaust survivor who traveled the country speaking to groups about what life was like in the camps. His traveling secretary, Frieda, becomes his wife, and together they raise two daughters, Nancy and Shelly. Rudy is the peacemaker, the one who smooths Frieda’s rough edges, as she becomes increasingly critical of her daughters. (It intensifies more when she drinks, which is becoming a nightly activity.)

When Rudy dies, the three women are adrift without a buffer. Frieda’s drinking becomes more of a problem, Nancy leaves for college, and Shelly throws herself into her schoolwork in the hopes she can get as far away as possible. But Frieda’s abuse takes its toll on the self-esteem of both her daughters.

As the years pass, Nancy marries young and has a daughter, but isn’t really sure that this is the life she wants. Shelly moves to the West Coast and becomes a driving force in the rapidly growing field of mobile phone technology. The sisters don’t see other much, and when they do, their interactions are affected by uncertainty, envy, and resentment.

Meanwhile, Frieda has moved to Miami, and continues her self-destructive ways. She also has some guilt about how she treated her daughters when they were growing up, and she mourns the life she had before her husband died. But at some point, all three women realize that you can only blame others for your misery for so long before you need to take responsibility for your own life.

The story spans four decades, beginning in the early 1970s, and is narrated by all three women and Rudy. I felt the story had promise early but lost its way; there’s only so long you can read about people unhappy and not interested in changing things.

Book Review: "Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout

What does anyone’s life mean?

Elizabeth Strout’s latest book is another masterpiece of storytelling, and it’s tremendously thought-provoking at the same time. We return to Crosby, Maine, and some of her favorite characters from other novels: Bob Burgess, Lucy Barton, and the irascible Olive Kitteridge.

“People did not care, except for maybe one minute. It was not their fault, most just could not really care past their own experiences.”

Lucy and Bob have become close friends; they go on long walks almost every day, and talk about everything from the superficial to the super-serious. Their feelings for each other intensify the more time they spend together, and each acts as a sounding board, a shoulder to lean on. But Bob is married and Lucy lives with her ex-husband, William. Are either of them the type to blow everything up?

Meanwhile, when a crime occurs in town, Bob swiftly moves to help the accused. The case is far more complicated than meets the eye, full of emotional issues and past trauma. But Bob believes it’s his responsibility to protect his client, which impacts him profoundly.

Olive, now 91, has stories to tell, so she tells them to Lucy. And after a while Lucy shares her own stories with Olive. A friendship blossoms, built around shared untold stories ripe with lessons to be learned.

These characters are flawed, big-hearted, and so memorable. Strout can make you love the prickliest people and be fully invested in their stories. I’ve been a fan of most of her books which explore Amgash and Crosby, and hope we’ll get another chance to visit!

Book Review: "Madwoman" by Chelsea Bieker

Wow, this was so powerful!! I was really blown away by Chelsea Bieker’s new book. It reminded me a little of The Push by Ashley Audrain, but unique all the same.

“I’ll carry the burden of you and my father and everything that happened on the island for the rest of my life. But I vowed to carry it in silence. So many lies I’ve told to ensure it would be my secret forever. Mine to death. I really had things figured out.”

After her tumultuous childhood, Clove was determined she’d do everything differently. She found the right man—a safe husband who gave her the life she wanted. She loves her two young children, Nova and Lark, and if spending every moment with the kids may stress her out, she has places—and strategies—to help calm things down.

Clove (which may or may not be her real name) has some secrets about her life that she has kept hidden from nearly everyone. But when she receives a letter from a woman’s prison in California, her carefully built façade starts to crack. What will she do if her secrets are revealed? What will that mean for her marriage, her children, and their future?

Madwoman shifts between the present, as Clove’s anxiety about discovery mounts, and the moments from her childhood that lead to one crucial moment. She desperately wants to control the narrative but she’s having a hard enough time controlling her emotions.

Domestic violence is such an epidemic in our world and breaking the cycle of violence requires far more strength and support than many have. The book may be triggering for some, but Bieker does a fantastic job depicting the struggles and choices that those affected must make. Yes, I figured out the twists, but that didn’t really affect my love of the book.

Book Review: "Sleeping Giants" by Rene Denfeld

Whenever I read a book by Rene Denfeld, I know that it will be both emotional and thought-provoking. Denfeld’s books often look at the most vulnerable or marginalized in society, and I’ve been a huge fan since her incredible debut, The Enchanted.

Amanda was adopted as a baby, but she had no idea that she had an older brother Dennis, who died years ago. In need of connection to her past, she travels to the remote Oregon town where he drowned when he was nine.

Seeing the memorial the community put up after he was lost to the ocean prompts Amanda to find out what happened to him. She meets Larry, a retired, widowed police officer, who wants to help Amanda find answers.

They find out that Dennis was living in a home for disturbed boys from the time he was four. While the home had at one point been well-regarded, the boys were subjected to a controversial and dangerous form of treatment, and several boys disappeared. The home is now in ruins, and those still around to remember things are fairly reluctant to share any details. And someone will stop at nothing to make sure secrets stay secret.

“They say inchoate memory, formed before language, is the worst of all, because it flies like bats in your bones: you cannot heal from what you cannot voice.”

The book shifts between past and present, following Dennis’ time in the home and Amanda and Larry’s search for information. This book made me cry—definitely check trigger warnings because it packs a powerful punch. But out of the sadness comes hope.

Book Review: "The Champions" by Kara Thomas

Hadley is new to Sunnybrook, as her mother took a job as the superintendent of schools there. She is biding her time, hoping her senior year will result in her being named editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and getting accepted to Columbia so she can study journalism.

She’s not particularly thrilled that her first assignment is to write an article about the Tigers, Sunnybrook’s football team. They’ve won two consecutive state championships and are hoping to make history by winning a third. Everything in school—and in the town—revolves around the Tigers.

She receives an anonymous email warning her to stay away from the football team, and another telling her not to go to a party being thrown by one of the star players. But Hadley goes to the party, and one of the players that she interviewed collapses and falls into a coma. The players wouldn't let Hadley call an ambulance, and everyone was acting strangely. It turns out he was poisoned.

Eleven years ago, five of Sunnybrook’s cheerleaders were murdered. When another football player winds up dead after causing trouble at a game, Hadley is determined to figure out what’s behind the tragedies. Her investigative methods make her an outcast, but she’s able to track down some people who remember what happened 11 years ago.

What secrets are being hidden? Who is responsible for what is happening? Could Hadley be a target? And most importantly, can the truth be uncovered before someone else dies?

This was a great story, full of drama and twists and turns. It’s a follow-up to Kara Thomas’ book The Cheerleaders, but this can be read as a standalone. Reading this made me glad I didn’t go to high school when social media existed!

Book Review: "Liars" by Sarah Manguso

“Agreeing to be someone’s wife should be done only if you can’t help yourself, I thought, but of course no one can help herself.”

When Jane meets John, she is an aspiring writer and he is a filmmaker. Jane loves the fact that they’re both artists, that they’re both committed to their craft, and want to achieve success. She definitely is in love with John, but she isn’t entirely sure if she should marry him—there are signs that he is irresponsible with money, not good at following through on his commitments, and is fairly lazy.

But eventually they do marry, and Jane quickly sees that John prioritizes his career and his happiness over hers. There are wonderful moments, however, so she believes that successful marriage is about compromise and occasional sacrifice. She loves John and is tremendously attracted to him.

Eventually, Jane gets pregnant and gives birth to a son. For the most part, John abdicates almost all responsibility for taking care of the baby, and has very little sympathy that Jane is exhausted and unable to write. And at the same time, John’s constant trouble keeping jobs results in their moving back and forth across the country, leaving Jane to do all the work and find child care.

Little by little, John’s constant gaslighting, neglect, and refusal to help Jane leaves her continually angry and at times makes her physically sick. She’d like to leave but doesn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with her son. And then one day, John tells her he wants a divorce, and she learns the extent of his deceit and manipulation.

This was a heavy read, frank and graphic, and written in a stream-of-consciousness style. I wanted to shake Jane to make her see what a monster John was, and at times, this is an emotional journey for Jane. But it’s a very powerful look at a woman’s struggle to survive a bad marriage and motherhood.

Book Review: "Things Don't Break On Their Own" by Sarah Easter Collins

“I think about all the small things that build and destroy us, all those little things we choose to hide and reveal, forget and forgive. How we all carry hidden histories that we continually circle back to, the things that make us soar, or slowly unwind.”

Twenty-five years ago, Willa’s sister Laika disappeared without a trace. Willa left for school without Laika, and Laika left shortly thereafter, but she never made it to school. There were never any clues as to what could have happened to her.

Willa’s life has been defined by Laika’s disappearance. For years she has thought she saw Laika everywhere—in school, on a street in Paris—but it never has been her. But she feels like if her sister died, she’d know it, feel it.

One night Willa attends a dinner party at the home of her best friend Robyn and Robyn’s wife Cat. Robyn’s brother attends with his girlfriend, Cat’s brother does the same. During dinner they talk about how memories can be real or derived from things we were told, pictures, or a series of occurrences. But the dinner party also lays bare a secret.

While this is being marketed as a thriller, it is not. There are elements of mystery here, but at the same time this is a character-driven story, told from several different perspectives, shifting between past and present. The pacing is a little slow at first, but that’s okay, because it gives you time to get drawn into the exquisite way Sarah Easter Collins writes.

This made me think, about memory, love, loss, the things we do out of love and fear, and the things we regret not doing. While it’s a different book than I expected, I thought it was fantastic.

Book Review: "Bad Tourists" by Caro Carver

I was in the mood for a twisty thriller, and Caro Carver delivered! An exotic setting, multiple perspectives, and more than a few red herrings hooked me completely and kept me guessing.

Darcy, Camilla, and Kate are close friends who were brought together by a shared tragedy. But the three are headed to a posh resort in the Maldives to celebrate Darcy’s divorce, and there will be lots of pampering, relaxing, drinking, and having fun. Camilla hopes to generate lots of content for followers of her exercise Instagram account, while Kate, a ghostwriter, is hoping to get some good work in on her own book.

Despite the beauty and luxury of the resort, all is not perfect. The women befriend a young honeymooner they believe is being abused by her husband, and then a guest is found murdered.

It turns out that there are lots of secrets that the women have kept hidden from each other. But should they take matters into their own hands or alert the police? And in the end, what do they want to happen?

“I’m saying that sometimes a lesson can be learned by having your mettle tested. It’s not easy to confront the shadowy parts of your character, or to learn that your moral fiber is full of holes.”

I really enjoyed the way Carver spun her story. I had one or two unanswered questions, but in the end, I couldn’t get enough. (This is the second book I’ve read this year which was set at a resort with overwater villas. I need a vacation!)

Book Review: "The Lost Story" by Meg Shaffer

Sometimes books make me tear up or cause me to get emotional. Sometimes they make me sob, and at times it’s happy sobbing. Meg Shaffer’s newest book had me happy sobbing really hard. I am in love with this book.

Jeremy and Rafe were best friends. They were pretty much inseparable. One day while on a class trip to Red Crow State Forest in West Virginia, the two boys go missing. Search parties comb every inch of the forest but the boys were never found. And then six months later, hikers find the boys, who have no memory of where they were.

Fifteen years later, Jeremy makes a living finding and rescuing missing girls and women. Rafe is more of a recluse, a talented artist, who bears physical and emotional scars from his time in the Forest. They haven’t seen each other since the days following their rescue.

One day, a young woman named Emilie finds Jeremy and asks for his help to find her older sister, who went missing from the same forest years before. Jeremy believes that Emilie’s sister is still alive, but they’ll need to return to the forest—and they’ll need Rafe to join them.

Jeremy knows where Emilie’s sister is because when he and Rafe were lost 15 years ago, they actually found themselves in a magical kingdom, where Rafe was a prince and Jeremy was a knight. But only Jeremy remembers those days, while Rafe thinks those memories are just dreams. It’s time for the truth to be revealed, for the once-lost boys to come to terms with memories and feelings they’ve kept secret.

I honestly cannot say enough about how much I loved this story. It’s a bit of a fantasy, but it’s also a beautiful story about love, friendship, blood and chosen family, and coming to terms with things we’ve kept hidden. I will read anything that Meg Shaffer writes!!

Book Review: "A Good Life" by Virginie Grimaldi (translated by Hildegard Serle)

Emma and Agathe are sisters who haven’t seen each other in five years. Growing up, Emma, as the older sister, was always Agathe’s protector and defender. Five years younger, Agathe was prone to tantrums and panic attacks, and yet always looked to her sister for comfort and security.

Their childhood was tumultuous and marked by tragedy, but they spent every summer with their grandparents in the Basque Country. Following the death of their beloved grandmother, the sisters agree to spend a week together at her home, the site of so many memories. While their estrangement and the pent-up hurts and resentments make the reunion challenging, they still are full of love for one another.

The book alternates narration between the sisters, and shifts through time, from their earliest memories to the present, with many stops in between. This is how we understand the sisters’ relationship and what led to their estrangement, as well as if there’s any chance to find their way back to each other.

This is a very slow-burn, character-driven novel. There are some lovely and poignant moments, but I struggled with the book’s pacing. At times there were so many different things happening it was difficult to keep track, but I don’t know if that's because it was translated or just the way it was written.

Book Review: "The Rest of the Story" by Tal Bauer

I need my monthly hockey romance fix, what can I say?

But The Rest of the Story is truly different than the other hockey romances I’ve read. It’s an incredible love story and although it takes a long while to get to the steam it is HOTTTT! Beyond that, however, this book hit me square in the feels, and it’s a much heavier, emotional book than I expected—but so amazing!!

“He was as close to perfect as I’d ever seen, so close that it burned to be around him. He was like staring at the sun.”

Morgan has been playing hockey for a while. He’s a good player, and has won a Stanley Cup, but now that he’s almost 30, he’s fodder for a trade. Even though he knows this, the last thing he’s expecting is to be traded to the Rocky Mountain Outlaws, a team so awful it makes bad teams look like stars. Morgan vows to spend one year there and then get the hell out of town.

When he arrives, he quickly realizes just how toxic things are, and no one can do anything about it. But Morgan does, and his acts of rebellion help the broken players heal and ignite a turnaround. Morgan isn’t interested in being the leader, but his teammates give him no choice.

Shea catches Morgan’s eye the second he arrives. But Morgan doesn’t do relationships or commitment, so despite their mutual attraction, he can’t give Shea what he wants: true love. (Well, he can, and he wants to, but he doesn’t think he’s worthy of Shea.)

There’s lots of hockey in this hockey romance, as Morgan and Shea work together to rebuild the team. But there’s lots of trauma here too, trauma that manifests itself in many ways. (There are more than a few trigger warnings here.) Can Morgan and Shea find happy ever after…and maybe a championship?

Tal Bauer slays me again.

Book Review: "Darling Girls" by Sally Hepworth

When I’m looking for a book to grab me from the start and keep me turning pages until I’m finished (no matter how late it gets), Sally Hepworth is definitely an author I can count on. Her books are always filled with tension, mystery, and domestic drama.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were raised together in a foster home, and now, as adults, they remain as close as ever. But while they were lucky to have each other while growing up, that was the only fortunate thing about their childhood.

The girls were raised on an estate called Wild Meadows by their foster mother, Miss Fairchild. While she opened her home to the girls one by one, it wasn’t done out of the goodness of her heart, but rather out of selfishness and a need for control. Miss Fairchild had strict rules and an unpredictable temper that manifested itself in many cruel and damaging ways.

The girls were able to get away from Miss Fairchild, but years later, each still bears the scars of growing up. And when a skeleton is found under the remains of Wild Meadows, the investigation summons them back to the town where their nightmares occurred. Whose body was found, and how did it get under the house? Could Jessica, Norah, or Alicia have been responsible?

This is definitely one of Hepworth’s darkest books, and the scenes of physical and emotional abuse may be triggering. And while I think this book is being marketed as a thriller, it’s definitely more of a combination of mystery and domestic drama.

I really loved Jessica, Norah, and Alicia’s characters, as well as the intense bond they shared. It definitely helped lighten the heaviness of the book’s subject matter.