Book Review: "Hollywood, Ending" by John Green

As someone who stayed up until 2:00 am to finish The Fault in Our Stars the day it was released, I’ve been waiting for a new love story from John Green for a while. This is Green’s first foray into adult fiction, and it was so much more than I expected.

“I figured that in the night sky of my life, Kai Laramie would be one of those shooting stars that streaks across the sky but then burns up almost before you can even get excited.”

Kai and Juniper meet when both are cast in a new movie called Andy Warhol Never Gets Old. Juniper is a former child star who has exceptional talent but a bit of a reputation for being hard to direct. This is Kai’s first movie, and he cannot believe he’s gotten to this point.

Even though much of the moviegoing public doesn’t know who Andy Warhol is anymore, Kai and Juniper’s performances generate star-making buzz. The sky’s the limit for both of them, and they start falling in love. But then the moviemaking machine starts its manipulations, and threatens to destroy everything—including their burgeoning relationship.

“I do not want to want to be loved by strangers, but I do not want to want most of what I want.”

There are sentences, paragraphs in this book that took my breath away. This is an emotional book, with some possible triggers, but it’s an incredibly timely look at the price of fame and the way everyone feels like they own a piece of you. I really loved this.

Book Review: "Main, Middle & Gay: A Chef Finds His Place in the World Against All Odds" by Patrick O'Connell

Some of you may know that I’m a huge foodie and utterly fascinated by reading books about chefs, restaurants, and cooking. I also went to culinary school about 25 years ago, so the whole business intrigues me.

All this to say, when I think of the best meals I’ve ever had, Patrick O’Connell’s The Inn at Little Washington is near the top of the list. It’s the most expensive meal I’ve ever eaten but worth every penny. What O’Connell has created in such a small Virginia town is impressive—even more when you realize he never had any formal culinary training.

“Only because I’ve finally arrived at a place where I’m unafraid can buried secrets be exhumed and set free without danger.”

For the chef at the helm of the first U.S. restaurant to receive 3 Michelin stars, O’Connell followed an unusual path. Raised in Maryland, he had a difficult relationship with his father because he was unathletic and effeminate, unlike his brothers. He started working at a restaurant in his teens, and quickly fell in love with the atmosphere as well as the way flavors worked together in the foods he tried.

The book recounts the difficult journey in creating the Inn at Little Washington, as they faced opposition from the town. He touches on the milestones as they created this incredible empire of sorts. And he also touched on the often-rocky relationship with his longtime partner, which nearly destroyed everything they built.

I enjoyed this so much, both because I’ve been to the restaurant and seen interviews with O’Connell before, and because his path was so different than many others. If you’re a foodie, you’ll love reading about the many meals he created—and you’ll probably be hungry, too!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Indie Darling" by Lauren Nossett

Sometimes it’s all about timing. I’ve been meaning to read this book for a few months now, but I finally got around to picking it up this week. Little did I know that the main character was a huge Dolly Parton fan. It was almost like Dolly herself was sending me a sign.

Kelly is a private investigator in Nashville. She only works for women—those wondering about their husbands’ fidelity or honesty, those who believe they’re being stalked, even those in search of a missing family member or friend. She knows what it’s like not to be listened to, so she’s always there for her clients.

She gets hired by Sarah Owens, a musician known as Seraph, who is the lead singer of a band called The Garden Snakes. The band’s popularity is increasing, but they’re also quite controversial, since their music talks about women being victimized and their taking the power back.

Sarah tells Kelly that she and her other two bandmates are being harassed. They’ve been receiving threatening letters and emails, and even had a few break-ins. But when Sarah gets attacked, she knows that she needs someone to identify her assailant. However, she’s not willing to keep her band from performing.

One night, The Garden Snakes are performing at a big Nashville music festival. While on stage, Sarah gets shot. She is rushed into an ambulance, but it turns out the ambulance never made it to a hospital—it was waylaid by someone. Kelly is determined to find Sarah, if she’s still alive, and figure out who is responsible for the harassment, the shooting, and the kidnapping. But this investigation could prove harmful to Kelly, too.

I really thought this was a great read. Kelly is a terrific character—feisty yet dealing with her own demons. But she refuses to let her investigation drop, no matter what comes her way. I hope this is the start of a series!!

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: "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: "Under the Falls" by Richard Russo

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

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

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

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

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

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

The book will publish on 8/11.

Book Review: "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: "All's Fair in Love and Pizza" by Lane Hayes

Y’all, this book had me at PIZZA BAGELS. I enjoyed a lot about the story—the chemistry between the characters, the competition, the banter—but it was all about the pizza bagels for me.

Mateo has been working at his family’s pizzeria for as long as he can remember. Since his father and his uncle died, Mateo and his cousin run Boardwalk Pizza. It’s an institution in the college town of Haverton.

When Mateo and his crew learn that the empty space next door is going to be taken over by a bagel shop, they’re somewhat excited. The shop will be run by Rob Vilmer, Mateo’s football teammate in college who had a great pro career.

Rob remembers having a huge crush on Mateo back in college, but since Rob was closeted nothing ever happened. He’s excited to see Mateo again—until the two of them butt heads when Rob reveals his plan to make pizza bagels. How can this guy just come into town and start selling pizza bagels next to a pizzeria?

Mateo gets angrier and Rob loves egging him on. Rob’s business partner suggests the two stores have a bake-off that will last through football season. And when the heat of competition bubbles over to the bedroom, both have to decide whether to trust their heart to their rival.

This was fun, steamy, romantic, and hunger-inducing. It’s been a while since I read a rom-com by Lane Hayes, and I’ll be back for more!!

Book Review: "The Lowe Job" by Grace Alexander

I thought this was absolutely great. Such gossipy, soapy fun, but with some serious themes thrown in. Grace Alexander hit her debut novel out of the park!⁣

⁣ “It started with a blow job. They had aspirations for it to become the most notorious blow job of all time. It was a lofty aim. They knew that realistically they were never going to beat that blow job—you know the one—but the least they could do is try.”⁣

⁣ Lili Lowe is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who wants a career in politics. Her intelligence is often discounted because of her looks, and she is valued by her boss, who is a member of Parliament. One day she is caught by the paparazzi giving her boss a blow job in his car. A scandal erupts that threatens to ruin her life, while her boss seems to escape reasonably unscathed.⁣

⁣ But Lili has a hidden asset: her mother, Lydia. Once a ruthless talent agent, Lydia has a plan to milk the scandal for all it’s worth. Her machinations lead to media opportunities, endorsement deals, and a reality show called The Lowe Job. Lili, Lydia, and her three other daughters become household names—whether they want to or not.⁣

The book follows the Lowe women through the ups and downs of post-scandal life, and also traces the past of each of them. Lili’s three sisters—ambitious Stevie, ethereal Iris, and distraught teenage Katie—each have their own reactions to their newfound fame, and each has their own issues to deal with.⁣

⁣ I really couldn’t get enough of this book. It definitely had some very pointed commentary about the double standard that exists between men and women when a sex scandal erupts. These are not totally likable characters, but I was hooked on their stories.

The book will publish 6/16.⁣

Book Review: "The Midnight Show" by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

I stumbled on this book the other night and while I hadn’t heard of it before, several other books the authors have written are on my TBR. I was completely hooked within a few pages.

Lillian Martin was a trailblazer for women in comedy in the 1980s. Yet she never set out to follow that path—she left a sheltered, lonely childhood in rural Canada for college at Boston University. It was there she met three friends—Kent, Sam, and Stevie—who had an improv comedy group, The Townies. Although Lillian seemed an unlikely comedian, her talent gave the group a much-needed boost.

The members of the Townies get invited to New York City to audition for a new sketch comedy show called The Midnight Show, which will air live every Friday night. The show—and the cast members—will ultimately change the face of comedy and television.

At first, no one is sure what to make of the show. But Lillian quickly becomes a breakout star and her writing talent both impresses her fellow cast mates and the writing team. And while the cast revels in the notoriety the show’s success brings, Lillian is often uncomfortable with being in the public eye.

Behind the scenes, the show is a hotbed of jealousy, rivalry, drugs, sex, and emotions. As the trials of fame and an intense relationship with a costar take their toll on Lillian, one night after a show, she disappears. No one can figure out what happened. Did she kill herself, was she a victim of violence—and was a costar responsible? Even 40 years later, a journalist doing a feature story on Lillian still can’t get all the answers.

The book is presented as transcripts from interviews the journalist does, intertwined with her notes, and some news articles from the 1980s. It may be frustrating for some, but it really worked for me. I think it would make a great movie or television adaptation.

Book Review: "The Open Era" by Edward Schmit

I love that I’m still in my sports romance era. But while hockey romance started the fire, I’ve become super-athletic over the last year or two. (I’ve read baseball, soccer, sailing, and tennis romances, among others.) Thanks so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance copy of this one!!

Austin has worked so hard to fulfill his dream of being a professional tennis player. He’s played challenger tournaments all over the world. And now, he’s made it to the main draw of the U.S. Open.

But while the realization of this dream is exciting, there’s an extra level of history being made. Austin is the first openly gay male tennis player to compete in a Grand Slam tournament. While he’s been out since high school, this is a big deal for the tennis world, and it imbues Austin’s matches with an extra something.

He’d like to just focus on his tennis, but the media wants to talk more about his sexuality. It’s not helping his anxiety—while practicing before his first big match he has a panic attack, which sends him tumbling on the court. His team says Austin’s collapse was due to the heat, so no one asks questions. No one except Diego Cruz, the second-ranked player in the world, who helped him back up. Handsome Diego, with the 8-pack.

Much to Austin’s surprise, Diego wants to become friends. Austin believes Diego is straight, but their flirty banter and deep conversations confuse him a bit. While the two may meet in the fourth round of the Open, Austin’s anxiety starts to intensify the more he falls for Diego. Can he put those feelings aside to go after his tennis dreams?

While there are definitely romantic elements and some steam in the book, I loved the way Edward Schmit focused on Austin’s anxiety and other issues. There’s lots of tennis action but nothing too technical, just some great play-by-play to get your adrenaline pumping. I really enjoyed this debut novel.

The book publishes 6/2.

Book Review: "Charming Puckboy" by Eden Finley and Saxon James

I may be in a tiny bit of denial over the fact that this series came to its end after 10 books. I’ve been reading these books long before Shane and Ilya went to the cottage or were drafted (IYKYK). They’ve always hit the perfect balance of attraction, romance, banter, super-steamy steam, and an ever-growing chosen family of queer hockey players and others.

When Lachie (short for Lachlan) was younger, he always seemed to attract stray animals or those in need of help. He’d always bring them to the local animal shelter, where Sam, a handsome employee (and Lachie’s crush) worked. Sam used to tease him, calling him a Disney princess.

Now, Lachie is on the cusp of becoming an enormous star in the NHL, and he’s back at home in Colorado for the summer. And when he finds a pregnant cat about to give birth, he brings it to the animal shelter and—surprise—Sam is now the director. Cue the Disney princess nickname again!

Sam can’t believe how hot Lachie has gotten. And while he never had the confidence to make his feelings known before, Lachie’s confidence has also grown. Now he’s perfectly clear about what he wants—Sam.

There’s no denying the intense attraction and chemistry between them. But Lachie is only home for the summer; is a casual fling all the two of them can handle? Or is there a chance for something more, no matter how much trouble it could cause?

This was the perfect ending to the series. Each character from the previous books got their due, and Sam and Lachie were an excellent couple to end on. I’m hoping another book will pop up down the road, but both Eden Finley and Saxon James have so many great backlist books—on their own, together, and in collaboration with others.

Book Review: "Into the Blue" by Emma Brodie

It’s been a long while since I felt truly bereft after finishing a book. But Into the Blue captured my mind and my heart so thoroughly, that I actually feel a loss now that I’m done reading it. There was an undercurrent that reminded me a bit of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but this is a story all its own.

It’s the summer before her senior year in high school when AJ gets a job at the local video store. Her plan is to watch her favorite show, a cult comedy from the 1960s called “Astronauticals,” and write fan fiction about the show. She’s surprised to find she’s getting a coworker, Noah, whose family is an acting dynasty, including his aunt Eudora, who starred in Astronauticals.

The two become friends and confide in each other about things no one else knows. As they become acting partners taught by Eudora, they forge a connection—almost an intuition—that deepens their bond. And then one day, Noah leaves town without a word, and leaves AJ to wonder what happened.

Seven years later, AJ is working in production on an HGTV reality show; Noah has become a megastar. Somehow she gets cast in a sci-fi show that will be totally improvised—and Noah is one of her costars. Acting opposite each other reawakens feelings between the two. But every time they try to move beyond their past, they can’t. They go their separate ways, only to reunite again and again, as their career paths intertwine.

“Empathy was not predictive. Being able to feel or even influence a person’s emotions was not the same as being able to influence their actions. Noah’s love for AJ was absolute, his desire to leave her nonexistent, but their future didn’t hinge on Noah’s heart so much as his capacity for uncertainty. For that was the true cost of happiness: never knowing when it might be lost.”

Emma Brodie’s debut, Songs in Ursa Major, blew me away, so I’m not surprised how much I loved this. She is an incredible storyteller, weaving humor, romance, serious steam, and complex emotions. This will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Review: "Dear Monica Lewinsky" by Julia Langbein

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

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

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

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

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

The book will publish 4/14.

Book Review: "Saoirse" by Charleen Hurtubise

This was a piece of surprise bookmail I’m so grateful for. Thanks so much to Celadon Books for the complimentary advance copy!

Saoirse is an Irish painter in the late 1990s, whose career is really taking off. She lives in Donegal with her partner and their two young daughters. But when she wins a major prize for her work, instead of excitement, she is worried. Because the more her name is out there, the more risk there is that the secrets she carries will be revealed.

In 1990, Sarah was a teenager growing up in Michigan. Her stepfather got her enmeshed in a world of danger, abuse, and crime, and she knew her life was at risk. With no other choice, she escaped to Ireland under someone else’s name.

With nowhere to turn, she meets a man named Paul on her flight to Ireland. He is returning home and invites her to stay with him and his family until she can get on her feet. But it’s not long before she realizes that Paul wants to control her, and when she falls in love with another man, she must find a way to disentangle herself from him.

During her time in Ireland she takes the name Saoirse, which means freedom. And as her art starts to gain recognition, it provides her both freedom and danger.

This is a powerful book that shifts back and forth between Sarah’s life in the U.S. and Sarah/Saoirse’s life in Ireland. The traumas she confronts may be triggering for some, but she’s really a character you want to root for.

Book Review:"Robin" by Dave Itzkoff

The news that Robin Williams died back in 2014 was one of those events where you always remember where you were when you heard about it. I was in the middle of a personal training session at the gym when I looked up at one of the TVs and saw his picture, then heard the anchor announce that he had taken his life.

Williams was an enormous part of my adolescence—Mork and Mindy was one of my favorite shows growing up. (I even had a pair of suspenders like the ones he wore on the show.) I was excited that his movie career started taking off, and one of my greatest memories was seeing him perform in Las Vegas in 2009.

Dave Itzkoff wrote an amazingly thorough and detailed biography of Williams that I have had on my shelf for years. It’s nearly 550 pages and includes insights he gained from interviews with more than 100 of Williams’ friends, family, and colleagues.

The book traces the rise of Williams’ career in television, and then his work in film. It also spends a lot of time dealing with his struggles with addiction and depression, as well as the problems in his marriages. One of the reasons Williams’ was so good in dramatic roles was all of the pain he drew from in his real life. And if all you knew was the man you saw onscreen, you had no idea how troubled he was.

“But who was he? Except for that one stray moment when he had spoken a few tentative words in his surprisingly stately voice and then metamorphosed into a French undersea explorer, Robin had never let the audience see his true self.”

At times the book got a little too dense and detailed (and I hate footnotes), but this is such a comprehensive look at Robin Williams’ career as well as his life away from the cameras and the crowds. There really hasn’t been anyone quite like him since.

“And when he was gone, we all wished we’d had him just a little bit longer.”