Book Review: "The Ghostwriter" by Julie Clark

It’s another winner from Julie Clark! I’ve loved her two previous books, and this one was so good, too. Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Olivia was a tremendously successful ghostwriter until her (valid) outspokenness puts her career and her finances in jeopardy. She gets offered a job she desperately wishes she could refuse, but she can’t: ghostwrite the latest book for famed horror writer Vincent Taylor.

No one knows that Vincent is Olivia’s father. She left home in high school and hasn’t seen her father in years. But when she returns to her childhood home in Ojai, California, she learns he doesn’t want her to write a novel for him. He wants her help with a memoir about a family tragedy that occurred 50 years ago.

In 1975, Vincent’s older brother and younger sister were murdered in their home. As the only surviving child, many believed he was the killer—suspicion that he’s never quite been able to shake. But now he’s ready to talk about what happened.

Vincent’s memories don’t quite jibe with written recollections and other memorabilia Olivia finds from 1975. Is he purposely trying to evade the truth, or is he telling what he believes happened back then? There’s a lot of pressure for Olivia to complete the book quickly, but she’s determined to find the real truth.

This is a slow-paced yet tremendously twisty mystery, shifting between 1975 and the present, and narrated by Olivia, Vincent, and his sister, Poppy. It’s one of those books where you don’t know what or whom to believe, but I couldn’t put this down. So good!

The book will publish 6/3/2025.

Book Review: "What Happened to the McCrays?" by Tracey Lange

Thanks so much to Celadon Books for the advance copy of Tracey Lange’s latest book!!

When Kyle’s father suffers a stroke, he has to make his way across the country to his hometown of Potsdam in upstate New York. He’s upset about his father’s condition but also is dreading returning to Potsdam, since he left unexpectedly nearly three years ago. He’ll have to face those he left behind—friends, coworkers, family, and his ex-wife, Casey, whom he’s loved since he was 18.

While Casey isn’t surprised that Kyle has returned, his presence leaves her on edge. She really can’t be near him, but their lives intersect in so many ways. He is asked to coach the middle school hockey team for as long as he’s in town, and it finally gives him a sense of purpose.

The longer Kyle remains in Potsdam, the more he learns about the emotions his departure—and his return—stirred up. As he considers staying in town for good, he knows he can only do so if he and Casey are in a good place. But in order for that to be possible, there are many issues between them that need to be addressed, things that can no longer remain unsaid.

“You know, I think that’s how grief works. You have to feel it so you can heal it, not bury yourself in it. You get through it, and each time it’s a little less.”

I have enjoyed all of Lange’s books, and this one is definitely a favorite. There are so many beautiful moments, so much grief, emotion, and hope, and I felt like the characters were so well drawn.

The book will publish 1/14/2025.⁣

Book Review: "Once Upon a Boyband" by Jenny Proctor

“The only thing better than tall, dark, and handsome is tall, dark, and handsome…with puppies.” (I’d agree!)

Laney is a small-town vet working with her father. Her personal life is quite boring, but she does have a bit of a crush on one of her clients, Adam, who runs a dog rescue in town. (Luckily there are a lot of dogs that come in and out of the rescue, so he’s at the vet a lot.) He’s always been rather shy, but on one visit, they start talking and apart from their shared love of music, the chemistry between them is pretty intense.

Adam has been interested in Laney for some time, but he finally gets the courage to strike up a conversation. And then he discovers that her favorite band is Midnight Rush, a boy band that was huge about 8-10 years ago.

Adam knows Midnight Rush too—because he was a member. As Deke, he was a teenage heartthrob, but he walked away eight years ago and never made another appearance. Now bearded and muscly, no one knows his secret. But Janine was obsessed with the band—and still might be.

When the band’s old label wants to do a reunion concert, there’s nothing Adam wants to do less. But when he finds out they’ll be donating the proceeds to a charity he cares about, he capitulates. Of course, his secret won’t be secret anymore, and what would Laney think knowing that the guy she’s dating used to be her ultimate crush? (Spoiler: she cannot believe it. But it’s amazing!)

Yet the more Adam reunites with his old friends and bandmates, the more he remembers why he walked away. And as demands start to increase so does the pressure. Can he deal with his issues before he destroys his friends again, and can he avoid ruining any chance at a potential relationship with Laney?

This was so much fun, full of drama, humor, and romance. I wished Adam was more communicative and didn’t keep pushing everyone away, but I understood his issues. I really enjoyed this!!

Book Review: "The Night We Lost Him" by Laura Dave

“And when you are grieving, guilt lives inside your sadness, doesn’t it? The guilt lives there like an unfortunate side effect of what you haven’t done. You haven’t saved who matters most.”

Liam Noone was the force behind some of the world’s most iconic hotels and resorts. But this success came at a high price—three ex-wives, three children from two of the women, and a sense that as much as people liked him, they never really knew him.

His retreat was Windbreak, a cliffside cottage off the California coast. And one night, it’s where his life ended, as he fell to his death.

Nora was Liam’s daughter from his first marriage. He always made time for her through the years, and in adulthood, brainstormed with her about different architectural projects she was working on. In the last few months of her father’s life she felt like he had changed, but she had put some distance between them.

When her half-brother Sam, whom she rarely saw, came to Nora insisting that Liam was pushed and did not fall, at first she just wants to walk away. But the more they start to look into the circumstances around his death and talk to those who knew him best, they become more convinced his death wasn’t accidental.

As they try to dig deeper, both Nora and Sam have their own set of issues to deal with. The narrative shifts between the present and the story of a relationship Liam had for nearly his entire life.

This was one of my highly anticipated books of the year, since I’m a big fan of Laura Dave. Although it’s marketed as a thriller, it’s definitely more of a slow-burn family drama with a bit of mystery mixed in. If you go in knowing that, you may love this as much as I did.

Book Review: "Veridian Sterling Fakes It" by Jennifer Gooch Hummer

In her upcoming book (which is an Amazon First Reads pick this month), Jennifer Gooch Hummer takes us on a fun romp through the art world, where it’s often hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t.

Veridian Sterling is a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a talented artist. She’s ready for a show in a prestigious New York gallery (or even a not-so-prestigious one), but no one is interested in her work. It’s hard watching others you feel are less talented getting the breaks you think you deserve.

She is able to land a job as assistant to a high-maintenance gallery owner, who doesn’t seem to be the most ethical of people. And when Veri overhears that there is a lost Van Gogh painting for which another art dealer will pay a hefty finder’s fee, she figures she can get into the game.

Yet in her secret schemes with the dealer—who believes she has real artistic talent—she gets in way over her head. It doesn’t help that the dealer’s chauffeur is immensely handsome and seems to like her. Before she knows it, she’s being pushed into a scheme where the payoff can be high, but so are the risks. Can she keep faking until she gets what she wants?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read and yet I was fascinated by the supporting characters, many of whom are much more complex than you think. I definitely would like to see more of Myra, Major Cohen, Charles, Tate, and Veri’s mom—I know there are some fascinating stories there!!

I’ve been a fan of Jennifer’s since loving her first book, Girl Unmoored. I’m grateful to her and Lake Union for the advance copy of this; it really was an enjoyable ride!! The book publishes 7/1.