Book Review: "Summer Husband" by Amy Lorowitz

Thanks so much to She Writes Press for an advance copy of this book—it was lots of fun.

As I’ve mentioned (lots of times) before, I spent 10 years of my life at summer camp. I definitely have fantastic memories and still keep in touch with friends I made more than 40 years ago. I love reading books about camp, especially from the perspective of an adult.

Lori really wanted to send her two daughters to summer camp, in the hopes they’d become more independent and learn to take responsibility for things. Her husband thinks it’s unnecessary, and believes Lori is only doing this to have the summer “off.” When he isn’t interested in going on a romantic vacation with her, she decides to take a job at camp, too.

Having never been to camp, Lori has no idea what to expect. As a division leader, she oversees 48 campers and 12 counselors—the work is nonstop. There are so many rules and requirements, and she doesn’t know whom to trust, but she quickly befriends her coworkers.

She continually seems to run afoul of the camp’s owner, who becomes increasingly unhinged as the summer goes on. But luckily she met Teddy, the camp’s English soccer coach, and they become illicit smoking buddies at night. After a while, their friendship turns to attraction, and Lori can’t resist him. And that’s just one of the things that will surprise her this summer.

Amy Lorowitz did a terrific job capturing the feelings of being both a camper and a counselor. I definitely felt nostalgic for my camp days. This is a really good debut novel!!

Book Review: "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore

Yep, this one sure did live up to the hype. I waited a few weeks to read The God of the Woods to let all of the praise die down a little bit, so perhaps I wouldn’t be let down. And I definitely wasn’t!

In the summer of 1975, Barbara Van Laar goes missing from her summer camp in upstate New York. Barbara’s parents own the camp, but have nothing to do with it; they leave the camp’s operations to a family they’ve known for generations.

While the disappearance of the camp owners’ daughter is a big deal, what makes things worse is that Barbara’s older brother Bear disappeared 14 years ago in the same woods, and his body was never found. Could tragedy have struck twice?

We get a front seat for the investigation of Barbara’s disappearance through the eyes of a young female investigator. We also learn about the history of the Van Laar family and all that transpired when Bear disappeared years before. The book is narrated by many people, and shifts back and forth in time between the 1950s and 1975.

Liz Moore is a storytelling genius. This book of nearly 500 pages takes a little bit to gain momentum, but there are so many secrets and connections that are revealed, little by little. I honestly was surprised by how some of the book wrapped up, but focused more on the rich character development than the mysteries themselves.

I’ve read all of Moore’s books, and this is definitely my favorite. It’s an emotional story of family, friendship, secrets, and loyalty, but it’s also a penetrating look at how the wealthy can get away with so much and not face consequences.

Book Review: "Until Next Summer" by Ali Brady

Summer camp is a part of my soul. For 10 summers I went to a sleepaway camp up in the Catskills Mountains, as a camper, counselor, and group leader. I’m still close with people I met all those years ago, still remember all of the camp songs, and have some pretty amazing memories.

With that background in mind, I am Jessie, the main character in Ali Brady’s newest book. Jessie first attended Camp Chickawah when she was young, and it was the best part of her life. (Some may call it "Chick-amazing.") She lived 10 months of the year for the 2 months she would get to go to camp.

Jessie and her best friend from camp, Hillary, planned on becoming counselors together, but when Hillary backed out to take an internship, their friendship ended. But Jessie kept on going and is now the director of the place she loves so much.

When the camp owners tell Jessie they plan to sell, she is devastated. This is her home, her life. So she decides that for the last summer, she’ll invite all past campers to experience the camp once again, yet as adults. Hillary is one who returns for the last summer. She hopes to rebuild her friendship with Jessie and in the process, learn about what’s been missing in her life.

I absolutely loved this book. It captured my heart from page 1 and never let go. It’s sweet and funny and pretty steamy in places, and just amazing!!

Thanks to the authors for the traveling ARC!! The book publishes 7/9. #greenteam

Book Review: "The Summer of Songbirds" by Kristy Woodson Harvey

I'm not emotional, you are. (Well, maybe it's me.)

As some of you may know, I spent 10 summers at a sleepaway camp in New York's Catskills Mountains. It was such an incredible experience, being a camper and eventually a counselor, and some of the friendships I made all those years ago still remain. That's one of the reasons that I couldn't wait to read Kristy Woodson Harvey's newest novel, The Summer of Songbirds.

When she was six years old, Daphne met her two best friends, Lanier and Mary Stuart, at Camp Holly Springs, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. The camp is owned by Daphne's aunt June, who is excited that her niece will get to experience the joys of a summer getaway given the difficulties she has faced in her childhood.

The three women remain the best of friends even in their 30s, and have helped each other through some challenging times. But Daphne faces two difficult dilemmas—one personal and one professional. Both require her to keep secrets from one of her best friends, and have the potential to ruin her future. Does she choose happiness or friendship?

As plans for Lanier's wedding progress, she starts having suspicions about her fiancé, which dampens some of her happiness, and makes her nostalgic for her first love. And when she discovers two things being kept from her, she doesn't know where to turn, and wonders if she should end a friendship that has lasted most of her life.

Meanwhile, June has a secret of her own: this very well may be the last summer of Camp Holly Springs, because she can no longer keep the camp afloat financially. She's owned the camp for 30 years, and it's really been the only thing in her life, as she's sacrificed nearly everything else. But when Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart find out that the camp might close, the three women spring into action to do all they can to save this place that means so much to them.

What I love so much about Kristy Woodson Harvey's books is that she creates likable yet flawed characters that you truly care about. Like many books, there aren't a lot of surprises, but I found myself hooked on this story. I thought about how I'd react if the camp I spent so much of childhood at faced closure (I doubt that's possible because the camp owner now owns 4 or 5 camps, but still). Harvey is a definite auto-buy author for me, and I will eagerly await her next book! (Many thanks to my friend Heather for hosting a giveaway with Gallery Books that I was lucky to win!

Book Review: "The Matzah Ball" by Jean Meltzer

Here's another rom-com for your holiday season, but this time it’s a Hanukkah one!

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate! I don’t know about you, but for me, growing up Jewish was always a little tough on the holidays, because not a tremendous amount of attention was paid to Hanukkah. People don’t go Hanukkah caroling, and Charlie Brown and his gang didn’t mark the Festival of Lights. But I always loved the Christmas spirit and all that came with it.

Rachel loves Christmas, too, but since her father is a prominent rabbi, she has to keep that hidden. She also has to hide the fact that she’s actually a best-selling Christmas romance author. But when her editor says that their readers are tiring of the same-old holiday stuff and want something different—maybe a Hanukkah romance—Rachel is at a loss. Where will she find inspiration for that?

Inspiration enters in the form of Jacob Greenberg, the handsome festival organizer and mastermind behind the exclusive Matzah Ball. Jacob also happens to be Rachel’s first love—and heartbreak—back from their preteen summer camp days. And even though she still holds a bit of a grudge, she’s determined to get a ticket to the Matzah Ball.

I loved the representation in this book. Not only were there Jewish MCs and Shabbat candles, but Rachel also had chronic fatigue syndrome, and the book dealt with the mistreatment and prejudice and pity many with invisible illnesses face.

The thing that worked the least for me was the romance, believe it or not. I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between Rachel and Jacob, and the pranks he played on her would’ve knocked him off my list, lol.

Still, I hope that The Matzah Ball signifies the start of more Hanukkah rom-coms. It was great to buddy read this with my friend Louis, too—he’s the best to discuss books with!!

Book Review: "Yearbook" by Seth Rogen

Yearbook, the new book from Seth Rogen, is a funny collection of vignettes/recollections from the comic actor.

What’s your feeling on Seth Rogen? Do you think he’s funny? Are you a fan of him and his movies? I think he’s talented and I’ve enjoyed some of his stuff, but my general feelings toward him definitely depend on my mood. (Then again, I feel that way about everyone, lol.)

Sometimes the wildly or mildly outrageous stoner comedy appeals to my juvenile sense of humor and sometimes I simply chuckle. I do love how self-deprecating and awkward he can be. (Plus he gives hope to chubby Jews everywhere, so thank you very much!)

That’s kind of how I felt about Yearbook, Rogen’s collection of reflections, memories, rants, etc. Some of the chapters made me laugh out loud (luckily it was in the privacy of my own home), some made me chuckle, and some I thought, “Ok...” But overall, I really enjoyed myself.

Rogen tackles everything from the joy he’s found in stand-up comedy since he was 12 (and his grandparents were his first subjects), taking karate, having a Bar Mitzvah, and going to summer camp, to his experience making

The Green Hornet, and ranting a bit about Twitter and Donald Trump. (It’s not a political book by any means but he makes his feelings known, which could be a trigger for some.)

Funny books, particularly those written by comedians, are often hit-or-miss for me, so I’m glad to say this was mostly a hit. It’s silly but fun, and I certainly can use more of that in my life lately. And I'd bet this would be a fun one to listen to!

Book Review: "The Last Time I Lied" by Riley Sager

Riley Sager's twisty mystery had me HOOKED! Can’t believe I waited so long to read The Last Time I Lied!

“What happened to Vivian, Natalie, and Allison wasn’t an accident. I know because I’m the one who caused it. Although their eventual fate remains a mystery, I’m certain that what happened to those girls is all my fault.”

Fifteen years ago, Emma attended Camp Nightingale. She was assigned to a bunk with three older girls, and found herself drawn to the self-proclaimed leader, Vivian. Cocky and cruel, yet vulnerable, Vivian took Emma under her wing, although no one was ever free from her sudden cruelty.

One night Emma awoke to find Vivian, Allison, and Natalie sneaking out of the cabin. Vivian told Emma she was too young to tag along. That was the last time anyone saw the three girls.

The mystery of their disappearance has haunted Emma since that night. She became an artist, and every painting includes the three girls, hidden beneath the elements Emma creates. Fifteen years later, Emma’s work catches the attention of Franny, the wealthy owner of the camp, and she makes Emma an offer: she’s reopening Camp Nightingale and wants Emma to work there for the summer.

For someone haunted by that one night, this could either be the move that brings closure or destroys her completely. Because there are secrets about that night that Emma has kept bottled up all these years. And she’s not the only one who’s kept secrets. Whose secrets might prove dangerous to a new group of campers or counselors?

It’s funny—summer camp is such a popular setting for horror movies and thrillers, but I went to camp for 10 summers and no one was murdered or attacked or disappeared. Did I miss out? Lol.

As many of you know, I have a tough time with thrillers more often than not because I usually figure everything out before the conclusion. I must say, even though I predicted one thing (although not quite the way it happened), this book kept me guessing, and I had to stay up and finish it. In my mind, you can't beat that!

I've now read three of Sager's books and The Last Time I Lied is definitely my favorite.

Book Review: "You Have a Match" by Emma Lord

Emma Lord's upcoming book, You Have a Match, is a cute story about family, identity, friendship, and love.

Abby only agreed to do the DNA test as a show of support for her best friend (and serious crush) Leo, who was adopted. Things between her and Leo have been weird since the BEI (Big Embarrassing Incident) occurred between them.

The last thing Abby is expecting to discover from the DNA test is that she has an older sister. Wait, what? And it turns out her sister is Savvy—Savannah Tully, Instagram influencer and all-around perfectionist, and she’s only 18 months older than Abby.

Neither know what would have led to her parents putting Savvy up for adoption. But instead of asking their parents outright, they decide to go to summer camp together (Savvy was already planning to be a counselor there) and figure out a scheme to uncover the truth. Of course, agreeing to go to camp with someone you barely know isn’t the smartest idea, especially when that person turns out to be a rule-follower and a narc.

To complicate matters further, this is the same camp Leo goes to. (The camp changed its name, so Abby had no idea it was the same camp.) Suddenly Abby has to decide whether to confront her feelings for him head-on, or just let them remain a secret. But secrets have a way of making everything else complicated, too...

I thought You Have a Match was cute, but honestly, nearly the entire story was people avoiding discussing the things that bothered, worried, or frustrated them, and not asking the questions that would solve everything. I get that it happens in real life but it dragged on in every aspect of the story and it just didn’t work for me. There’s so much running away, holding grudges, lying...I’m all for drama and angst but okay.

I loved Lord’s first book, Tweet Cute, so maybe I was just cranky?

NetGalley and Wednesday Books provided an advance copy of You Have a Match in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The book publishes 1/12/2021.

Book Review: "Camp" by L.C. Rosen

Should you go changing to try and please someone else? That question is at the core of Camp, a new YA novel from L.C. Rosen (aka Lev Rosen).

This is an adorable yet thought-provoking look at gender and sexual identity and the prejudices and misconceptions that exist even among LBGTQ+ people at times. It’s also a powerful statement about loving yourself for who you are.

Ever since he was 12, Randy has loved to go to Camp Outland each summer. A camp for queer teens, it gives him and his friends the opportunity to be their authentic selves—whether that’s competing for a role in the summer musical or playing sports, painting their nails and wearing whatever they’d like, and even hooking up with their crushes.

Randy has had a serious crush on Hudson, the dreamiest camper, for years. But Hudson only likes masculine-acting bros, and drama- and nail polish-loving Randy doesn’t fit the bill. Plus Hudson usually hooks up with guys and leaves them quickly thereafter, but Randy is determined to have an LTR with him.

So this summer, now that’s he’s 16, Randy has decided to change things up. He’s shaved his head, bulked up, and is calling himself “Del.” He’s giving up drama, nail polish, and all of the things he’s loved about camp, but he believes that if he can get Hudson to fall for him, it will all be worth it. His friends go along even if they don't agree with his plan.

But as they grow closer, Randy wonders just how much he needs to change for love. Is their relationship even as solid as he hopes it is if he has to lie about who he is? And why is Hudson so insistent only on "masc4masc"?

This was an adorable book that raised some weighty issues. Boy, do I wish that a camp like this existed when I was a teenager! I thought the story dragged a little bit, but I really enjoyed it and it made me think.

Another enjoyable book for my month of Pride Reads!

Book Review: "Reputation" by Sara Shepard

Did you ever see the recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live where they spoofed soap operas and telenovelas? They make every single incident overly melodramatic, with pauses, emotional outbursts, and campy looks.

As it roared toward its conclusion, I felt like Reputation was very similar to that sketch. Every single character had one, if not multiple secrets, and as each one was revealed I felt like dramatic music should be turned up as the other characters reacted.

Aldrich University is a small school in Pittsburgh on par with the better-known Ivy League schools. One day hackers break into the university's email system and expose countless faculty, students, staff, even those who work in the university hospital, by dumping their emails into a searchable database. The same thing happened with Harvard, Yale, and other schools, but that's no consolation to those affected by the email dump.

Among those exposed was Dr. Greg Strasser, a handsome, successful surgeon who is married to Kit Manning-Strasser, the daughter of the university president and a development officer at the school. Apparently Greg's emails contained multiple communications with someone called "Lolita," and they get pretty sexually explicit. Even though Kit and Greg's marriage was on shaky ground, the public discovery of her husband's betrayal embarrasses and upsets her, and is one of the things which throws her off balance at the school's fundraising gala. Yet when she awakens at home from a strange stupor after the gala, she finds Greg suffering from a serious stab wound, and he dies from his injuries shortly thereafter.

Who killed Greg? Was it Kit, in the midst of a jealous, drunken rage that she doesn't remember? Or was it one of the myriad others in town who had issues with him? Kit's sister Willa, an investigative journalist, returns home to help Kit, but also can't resist doing some digging into the hack as well as Greg's murder. But it turns out Willa has her own secrets, too, including why she fled town so long ago and rarely returns.

Reputation is a soapy, campy look at the secrets and lies of a small town and those who inhabit it. It's a story of infidelity, betrayal, jealousy, attempted blackmail, questions about paternity, sexual assault, and so much more. No one is safe from prying eyes, and no one is wholly innocent, so you really don't know whom you should suspect.

Sara Shepard, who created the Pretty Little Liars series, is no stranger to gossip and scandal, and she demonstrates her skills with great aplomb here. I was hooked on the book from the start, but somewhere around the middle I felt like there were just so many crazy secrets and scandals that it got a bit ridiculous, and I really didn't care about the characters. Talk about a bunch of seriously screwed-up people!

"Maybe the best reputation is no reputation. Maybe it's best not to care whatsoever how people see you. Maybe the only thing that really matters is how you see yourself."

If you're a fan of soap opera or melodrama, you'll definitely find something to sink your teeth into with Reputation.

Book Review: "Say You Still Love Me" by K.A. Tucker

How many of us would jump at a second chance with a lost love, or wish we had that opportunity at some point in our lives? What would we be willing to risk to see that second chance through?

Piper Calloway is being groomed to take over her father's multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, if he's ever willing to retire. She definitely knows her stuff and can go toe-to-toe with any man in the business, but many believe she's only risen through the ranks of the company because she's the boss's daughter. Since she's beautiful and 29, and a woman, many aren't willing to take her seriously—at their own peril.

As if battling for respect from one of her father's right-hand men isn't hard enough to deal with on a daily basis, she also needs to work closely with David, her ex-fiancé, who is a fellow VP at the firm. He's handsome and intelligent—and he knows it—but Piper's father still hasn't gotten over their ending their engagement, since David is both surrogate son and sidekick. David is just biding his time until Piper realizes the error of her ways.

One day, in the midst of all her daily chaos, she sees a face she hasn't seen since the summer she was 16 years old. Kyle Miller, the handsome, cocky boy who stole her heart when they were summer camp counselors 13 years ago—and then broke her heart when the summer ended and they went their separate ways—has grown into an immensely handsome man. She's never been able to find him on social media, never heard from him again—what is he doing in her building?

"Because, even after all these years, with college and boyfriends, and my career and my engagement to David, Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering 'what if' that I have never been able to truly shake."

It turns out Kyle is now a security guard in her building, and at first, he didn't seem to even know her name. But when he admits that was an act, he also admits he'd like to keep their relationship formal. Too many years have passed, she's nearly the CEO of the company that owns the building in which he works, and he's just a security guard. Once again, they're on either side of the financial divide, and Kyle would like to keep it that way.

Piper can't seem to shake the feelings that Kyle has reignited. Was this just a summer relationship between two high school kids, not destined to go anywhere, or did it have the potential to be so much more? Why did Kyle cut her off completely, change his name, and disappear, leaving her wondering whether the feelings he told her he had were genuine or just a way to get what he wanted that summer? Can a relationship succeed between two people who are so different that forces will try to keep them apart?

K.A. Tucker's new book, Say You Still Love Me, explores the idea of a second chance years later, when so much has changed, but the people are still the same at their core. Can a teenage relationship from summer camp blossom into something serious, all these years later? Can a relationship in which the participants are so far apart financially ever work? Are there secrets which can keep them apart even now?

The narration shifts between when Piper and Kyle first meet at camp 13 years ago and present day. It also shifts between Piper's attempts to understand Kyle's disappearance and his distance since then and her struggles to succeed outside her father's shadow. It's an exploration of friendship, first love, family, and the secrets that threaten to destroy it all, or which incite us to want to throw it all away.

I read Tucker's last book, The Simple Wild, earlier this year and fell completely in love with it. I was really excited to get the opportunity to read Say You Still Love Me before it was published. I really enjoy the way Tucker writes, and her combination of emotion, humor, and sex is really appealing.

I definitely enjoyed this book, and loved the concept (especially having gone to summer camp for 10 seasons and seen many couples from that time married now), but I honestly could have done without the narration from camp. I felt that part of the story dragged and took far too long to tell. I understood Tucker was setting the scene but it seemed to just be the same things over and over again.

More and more, I'm becoming a fan of rom-coms, and Tucker is definitely an author I'll turn to again and again. Say You Still Love Me was an enjoyable, emotional read that brought a tear to my eye.

NetGalley and Atria Books provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book publishes August 6, 2019.

Book Review: "Perennials" by Mandy Berman

I attended a sleep-away summer camp in the Catskills Mountains for 10 years, from the summer I was 10 until the summer I was 19. It's crazy to think that I started there nearly 40(!) years ago, and made some incredible friendships which have sustained through all this time, thanks in some part to social media.

Over the years I realized that only those people who had similar experiences truly "got" what camp meant—how spending every day for eight weeks with people created more intense relationships than with those people you saw 10 months a year back home; how you'd spend so much time during the fall and winter wishing you could be back in camp, thinking of all of the things you couldn't wait to do when summer rolled around again, and how it felt like you could just pick right back up where you left off the year before. Many of those years were some of the best times of my life, and it's crazy how vivid the memories of those days still are given there are days I can't remember where I put my wallet.

Needless to say, when I saw that Mandy Berman's debut novel, Perennials, touched on the camp experience, I jumped on it.

Rachel Rivkin and Fiona Larkin met as campers at Camp Marigold, the same camp where Fiona's parents met as children and fell in love. Even though Rachel and Fiona don't see each other much during the winter months, their friendship is as solid as ever, and they've already planned to stay in the same tent and be as inseparable as always. Yet the summer they turn 13 is a pivotal one, as they teeter on the brink between adolescence and self-proclaimed maturity, innocence and bravado, and their differences threaten to harm their friendship.

Rachel, the daughter of a single mother, knows she is fortunate to go to camp every summer, since they lack the financial resources Fiona's family has. Yet Rachel has something Fiona lacks—self-confidence in her looks and a willingness to test the limits of her budding sexuality, while Fiona has no interest in doing the same and resents Rachel both for moving forward without her and keeping secrets when she does. Even so, they know that their friendship is more important than anything else.

Six years later, Rachel and Fiona return to Camp Marigold as counselors. While they've maintained their friendship even though they attend separate colleges, they're looking forward to one last summer together before they need to become "adults" and pursue internships, jobs, etc. Yet it's not long after that they fall into the same behavior patterns—Rachel is rebellious, flirtatious, confident, and willing to take risks, while Fiona, caught in a cycle of low self-esteem, begins feeling the distance between her and Rachel growing.

During that last summer, things change for both of them, things that rock their lives and Camp Marigold. The book follows not only Rachel and Fiona, but Fiona's younger sister, Helen, now a camper, as well as some of the other counselors and camp staff. This is a book about the power and the burden of friendship, how sometimes our differences make us stronger friends while at other times they just ultimately tear us apart. It's also a book about how fast we want to become adults until we find ourselves in adult situations, and then we wish we could have our innocence back again.

I thought this was an interesting book, and there were definitely instances which I could so vividly picture in my head, as they reminded me of my own experience at camp. Berman is a very talented writer and she knows how to make you care about her characters, even when they may annoy you more than a little bit. (But chances are you know people just like them.)

I liked the first section of the book, which followed Rachel and Fiona as campers, but once the story moved six years later, I feel as if Berman got a little too ambitious and lost the focus and heart of her story. The book suddenly shifted to characters we had never met before, characters who seemed reasonably peripheral to the actual plot, and yet there was a great deal of time dedicated to them. They were interesting but it distracted from the real story (or at least what I wanted the real story to be). I also felt as if Rachel went a little too far, even though I could understand her motivations, and that made her a little less interesting.

I'll admit I was hoping this would provoke a little more nostalgia and generate a little less drama, but perhaps that was my fault. Still, this is a solid story about adolescent friendships and how they sometimes struggle as they move into adulthood, and I'd imagine that given the main characters are both female, it may resonate a bit more for women than it did me.

NetGalley and Random House provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!