Book Review: "Country People" by Daniel Mason

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Main Characters" by Bobby Palmer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Love You More" by Emily Giffin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Seek Immediate Shelter" by Vincent Yu

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "The Au Pair" by Teddy Wayne

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "The Shampoo Effect" by Jenny Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Consequences of Normal" by Elle Baade

What a powerful read this was. This book was eye-opening and thought-provoking, and it hit me square in the feels. I definitely could see this being a great book to discuss with a book club or others.

Matt and Jane are leaving Texas to move back to Matt’s hometown of Atwood, Wisconsin. He has taken a job as headmaster of a prep school, and they’ve moved into an infamous old mansion in town. Jane hopes the move will be good for all of them.

Their six-year-old son Charles insists he’s a girl. He likes wearing his older sister’s hand-me-downs and watching Julia Child videos. Jane and Matt have indulged Charles’ desires and let him dress as he wants. But once Matt has settled into his new job, he wants his family to fit in.

Jane starts to realize that Charles isn’t going through a phase; he might be transgender or intersex. But Matt insists that Charles dress like a boy and cut his hair, which only makes him sad and withdrawn. When tragedy strikes, Jane knows her priority is to fight for her child to live the life she wants—before it is too late.

Many people in their lives—family, friends, teachers, doctors—weigh in with their opinions. And the more Jane stands up for her child, the angrier Matt becomes, until he realizes Jane will choose their children over their marriage.

I liked the realism in the book, that everyone didn’t suddenly do a 180 about Charles being transgender. Matt is very hard to like and it was good when Jane stopped being a doormat for everyone. But this is one of those books that definitely makes you think while it makes you feel.

Book Review: "The Delivery" by Gregg Hurwitz

“What if you could have something that knows everything about you, everything you want, and could get it for you? While staying totally under your control?”

File this under “careful what you wish for, you just might get it!” This was a bit creepy and compelling, one of Amazon’s First Reads for June.

Rebecca and Mark have been trying to get out from under the grief following a miscarriage. But with pressure mounting from Mark’s boss and the needs of Maddy, their neurodivergent daughter, neither feels like they have a handle on their lives. So when they’re offered an opportunity to purchase a solution developed by a technology company, they take the leap.

Several months later, they take delivery of “Mr. Man,” an AI companion who looks surprisingly human. Mr. Man was grown from their family’s DNA, and he can anticipate their every need. At first, it’s a complete pleasure: laundry is done, dishes are washed, meals are prepared…

But then, as tragedies start occurring, they realize that Mr. Man not only fulfills requests, but he also takes care of things they’ve only talked about in passing. In some cases, they haven’t even clearly said anything, but it appears Mr. Man’s job is to protect them. No matter what.

Gregg Hurwitz is one of my favorite thriller writers, but I realized that I’ve only read his Orphan X series. So to experience his writing in a different genre was definitely a pleasure. I know sometimes I wish I had some help, but I’m good without an AI companion! (Trigger warning: animal cruelty but you can skim over it.)

This will publish 7/1/2026.

Book Review: "Dolly All the Time" by Annabel Monaghan

Annabel Monaghan is an absolute auto-buy author for me. Her characters are always so well-drawn, and her books have such an emotional richness to them. I’ve loved every one of her books, but Dolly All The Time may be my new favorite.

When a small fire occurs one night in her childhood home, Dolly and her teenage son Gus leave their lives in Boston and head back to her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island. Ever since her mother left their family when Dolly was 12, she’s been the one who has taken care of everything—for her father and her two younger siblings.

Dolly loves being back in Whitfield and quickly assumes the caretaking role once again. One day after working at the family’s fish house, she comes across Stewart Whitfield, the handsome heir to the Whitfield fortune. (Their hometown is named for his family.) Stewart’s car has a flat tire and he has no idea how to fix it. Dolly shows him how, and the press takes an impromptu picture of them, as Stewart’s engagement has just ended in a scandal.

Stewart is desperate to close the deal on his becoming the company’s new. The one drawback is that his parents think he’s too much of a workaholic to succeed. So Stewart asks Dolly to be his fake girlfriend, a challenge she accepts. Suddenly she is attending benefits and client dinners, and bringing out a whole different side of Stewart.

I’ve read tons of romances and rom-coms that have fake dating at their core. Even though the approach is familiar, the way the relationship between Dolly and Stewart unfolds is just lovely.

I absolutely loved this book. Not only were the main characters totally appealing, but the supporting characters rocked also. There was banter, steam, self-discovery, happiness, sadness, and humor. It was exactly what I needed!

Book Review: "Enormous Wings" by Laurie Frankel

Every time I read a book by Laurie Frankel I’m tremendously moved but I’m also changed. Her books make me think beyond my worldview and they challenge me both intellectually and emotionally. Her newest book is no exception.

“People like their old ladies polite and demure, but as one ages, things get more fucked-up, not less, and it seems important to say so.”

Pepper is a feisty, independent 77-year-old whose children force her to move to an independent living community in Austin, Texas. She’s not happy about it but she quickly finds a group of friends and, much to her surprise, starts up a relationship with her next door neighbor, Moth.

Not long after they sleep together, Pepper starts feeling sick—woozy, nauseous, tired, and sometimes disoriented. She starts to worry that there’s something seriously wrong with her. But the doctor reveals an even more surprising diagnosis: Pepper is pregnant.

She cannot believe that some 40-plus years after her last child was born that she’s pregnant again. The doctors don’t expect the pregnancy to be viable for long, but as the months go on, Pepper is faced with some serious decisions. But living in Texas, abortion is illegal, and once the press gets ahold of her news, she is approached by groups on both sides of the issue. Her life is turned inside out, and the facility where she lives is overrun with media.

I loved this book because while it focuses on the issue of bodily autonomy and women’s rights, it’s also a very human story. I love how Frankel focused on the emotions everyone felt over Pepper’s pregnancy more than the morality and politics, even though that needed to be addressed as well.

Book Review: "Invasive Species" by Ellery Adams

Whoa, this was so freaking creepy! I’m definitely not going into any water that isn’t clear, that’s for certain. I’ve been such a fan of Ellery Adams’ cozy mystery series, but nothing prepared me for how unsettled I’d feel after reading this!

Cold Harbor, NY, 1982. Natalie has just taken a job as a real estate agent, and is immediately saddled with a difficult listing. Not only does the house need a lot of work, but its backyard looks out on the creepy woods surrounding an old mansion that looks like something out of a horror movie. The owner, Mrs. Smith, has never been seen but she is definitely feared.

As curiosity around Mrs. Smith grows, the town is traumatized when some sailors disappear in a storm, and then when students in a sailing regatta meet the same fate. But two kids—including Natalie’s daughter Jill—believe they saw a bunch of eels with really sharp teeth going after the students.

And then, unexpectedly, Mrs. Smith makes her first public appearances. No one expects her to be beautiful and seductive, but all of the men in town definitely notice her. This is Mrs. Smith’s human form; she needs to devour nine teenagers in order to continue surviving for another century.

People know that something is off about Mrs. Smith, and lots of weird and inexplicable things happen to the residents of Cold Harbor. But it’s up to Jill and her Icelandic housekeeper Una to try and figure out how to destroy this creature before they all get devoured.

Adams did such a great job with this book, weaving horror and 1980s-era problems. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Book Review: "Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block" by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Oh, what a fun and thought-provoking book this was! If there’s any justice, this will be adapted for television, because Ms. Mebel is a character who needs an audience!

Growing up in Indonesia, Mebel was raised to be the perfect trophy wife. She always looks impeccable, anticipates her husband’s every need, and knows how to be the ultimate hostess and guest. Imagine her surprise when at age 63, her husband Henk says he’s leaving her for Wendy, their much younger private chef.

Mebel is angry and devastated, and worried about how a divorce will affect her social standing. She is determined to win him back, but how? Her solution: go to culinary school and learn to make a fancy dish which will dazzle him.

She enrolls in culinary school in Paris (just down the street from the flagship Hermès store), but due to a clerical error, she finds she’s been accepted to the school’s branch in England. But not London—a small town outside of Oxford. She quickly realizes that culinary school isn’t something you decide to do on a whim, or half-heartedly, and she’s three times as old as many of her fellow students.

Little by little, Mebel’s outspokenness endears her to her classmates. But when her friend Gemma drops out of school without warning, Mebel is determined to find out why. In the process, she realizes she doesn’t have to let things happen to her or those she cares about—she has the power to change things.

Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books are always filled with memorable characters, and Mebel was no exception. Watching her growth, her vulnerability, and her empathy was really enjoyable. And boy, did the descriptions of food make me hungry!!

Book Review: "Top of the World" by Ethan Joella

Five years ago, I received a surprise piece of bookmail: Ethan Joella’s debut novel, A Little Hope. I loved that book fiercely, and each subsequent book cemented him on my list of favorite authors. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy of his upcoming book, which was utterly beautiful!

“My dear, you’ve got to focus on the pieces. We will never forget what we’ve lost, we will never be the same because of it, but we can build something new. That’s the key. That’s what your brother taught me. Remember what’s lost, but try to build something else.”

In the summer of 1975, Maggie is reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. She’s just graduated from high school and the thought of being home, dealing with her grief and her grieving parents, is totally unappealing. She needs something, but can’t figure out what that is.

A year earlier, after Chip graduated from high school and received bleak news about his health, he needed to get away. He left home and headed to the Poconos, to find a job at the luxurious Red Maple Lodge. He was gone for the summer but when he came back, he didn’t tell his family where he was or what he did, only that it was his experience.

Maggie decides to follow in her brother’s footsteps. She heads to the Red Maple Lodge, in the hope that she can find people who knew Chip, and could tell her about his last summer. She finds that in a few short months, Chip left an indelible mark on those he worked with and for. Maggie is able to start healing and planning for her future, thanks to the memories that people shared.

Ethan Joella’s writing weaves a spell with its simple beauty, through evocative imagery and rich emotions. His books always touch my heart and make it soar, and this one was simply amazing.

It will publish 6/30.

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: "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: "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: "Pinky Swear" by Danielle Girard

Another highly anticipated book exceeds my expectations! I really loved this thriller, both for the suspense and emotionally rich story. I love thrillers but it’s always a nice surprise when there’s emotional complexity as well.

They were inseparable best friends while growing up. Lexi, Mara, and Cate were always together, sharing gossip, secrets, and fierce loyalty. But a few weeks before graduation, tragedy struck, and the resulting guilt, anger, and hurt destroyed the friendships.

After no contact for 16 years, Mara shows up at Lexi’s door. She is hurt and frightened, on the run from an abusive, vindictive husband. Lexi is more than happy to provide Mara with a safe haven, and after a little time, it’s like there was no interruption of their friendship.

When Lexi confides in Mara about her fertility issues and the fact that her husband isn’t interested in having a baby, Mara steps in. She offers to be Lexi’s surrogate, and as Mara’s pregnancy continues, Lexi is full of joy and appreciation for her friend’s sacrifice.

Four days before Mara is due to give birth, she disappears. Lexi cannot believe what is happening. She is (fairly) sure Mara wouldn’t leave at this point in her pregnancy. Was she taken or did she flee? As Lexi tries to track her friend’s whereabouts, she realizes that there are lots of things about Mara that don’t add up. And some of these secrets date back to high school…

I’ve enjoyed Danielle Girard’s books before, but I was completely swept into this one. The suspense of figuring out whom to trust, along with the nostalgia of old friendships and the pull of motherhood, really made this an unputdownable read.

Book Review: "More Than Enough" by Anna Quindlen

“We never know what’s living inside the people around us. We only guess.”

Anna Quindlen’s books always fill me with emotion. Sometimes she makes me cry, sometimes she provokes anger, sometimes she leaves me smiling, and sometimes it’s a combination of one or more of these. But she always makes me feel something.

Polly is an English teacher at an all-girls private school. Having struggled with fertility issues, Polly has so much empathy and admiration for her students, and teaching is truly a labor of love.

Her closest friends are the three women in her book club (where they never read the books). These women have been there for each other through so much. As a joke, they buy Polly a DNA test kit, but they don’t expect her to actually do it. And then the test matches her with a secondary relative, but she can’t figure out the actual connection. So she begins a journey of self-discovery which leads to some revelations and some sorrows.

This book is all about relationships—parental, sibling, marital, friendship, and a desperation for motherhood. There are moments of beautiful loyalty, love, and anguish. And alpacas.

I really loved the characters Quindlen created here. I love the way she kept the book from veering into melodramatic territory and I loved the quiet moments as well. I thought this was beautiful.