Book Review: "I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai

She’s not the girl she was back in high school. But can you truly shed your younger self?

When Bodie attended the Granby School in New Hampshire, she already had experienced more tragedy and trauma than most people her age. Being a scholarship student among the rich, privileged, and beautiful was difficult enough, but trying to find your identity and confidence when you’re at your most vulnerable definitely took its toll. Her former roommate was found murdered in the spring of her senior year, and although the killer was quickly convicted, the case remains one that intrigues and fascinates the public.

Years later, Bodie is now a successful film producer and podcaster. She is invited back to Granby to teach two short courses, and she’s pleased to be returning feeling and looking so much better than she did back in high school. But it’s not long before she starts to get drawn into the details of her former roommate’s case. Was it as easily solved as it appeared back in 1995, or did the police quickly rush to convict an outsider without considering other suspects?

As Bodie’s life starts to unravel, she finds herself growing more and more obsessed with the case, ostensibly in helping her students research it for a podcast. But she starts to realize that maybe she played more of a role in the rush to judgment than she ever thought. Can she help make a difference the second time around?

This was a really fascinating story, part mystery and part coming to terms with your past. The narration alternates between past and present and follows Bodie’s obsession with the murder and her confronting her own tragedies and hurts. It’s not a fast-moving book, and there’s a lot going on here, but I really loved it.

Book Review: "Unforgettable" by Robin Covington

What would you do if you got a second chance with the one that got away? This is the question at the core of Robin Covington's Unforgettable.

This book contains two M/M second-chance romance novellas, “Ghost” and “Sacred Son.” Both are super-steamy (although the first one has more encounters than the second) and powerful—each has well-drawn characters struggling with some aspect of their lives, which affects their ability to truly let their guard down.

In “Ghost,” Oliver had a one-night stand with an amazing artist, Gareth, and while he wanted to stay forever, he snuck out in the early hours of the morning. A few years later, he’s at the top of the comic publishing world and determined to sign the mysterious artist “G,” whose graphic novel series has taken the world by storm. Imagine his surprise when he discovers that “G” is Gareth, the one he should never have left in the first place.

“Native Son” follows Judah Nighthorse, a man who made some mistakes when he was younger but has rebuilt his life. He’s determined to regain custody of his son, who has been placed with a non-Native foster family. So Judah asks Adam, a lawyer who fights for Native Americans in court, for help. Adam doesn’t shy away from a fight, but this means helping the man who broke his heart when he was younger.

Covington is a Native American author of color. I loved that she brought that background to her characters in these novellas and addressed some issues that disproportionately affect the Native community. These are hot romances with some emotional heft.

The thing is, I’ve known Robin since middle school and I’m awed by her talent, but do you have any idea what it’s like to read sex scenes written by someone who’s known you since you were even more awkward than you are now? (She’s always been a badass.)

This was awesome!!

Book Review: "The Damage" by Caitlin Wahrer

Caitlin Wahrer's debut novel, The Damage, is a powerful, emotional look at how far we will go to protect those we love.⁣

⁣ Nick, a college student, enjoys a night at a bar with a close friend. After some drinking and dancing, he’s approached by a handsome older man. They flirt, talk, and ultimately decide to go to the man’s motel room. The next thing he knows, Nick wakes up bruised and bloody—and he has been raped.⁣

⁣ As Nick helps the police try to identify his rapist, he must confront a jumble of intense emotions. Meanwhile, his older brother Tony, who had always been a surrogate father to Nick, feels powerless in the face of Nick’s pain and wants to solve his problems and protect him.⁣

⁣ When Nick’s rapist is identified and he publicly contradicts Nick's story, shifting the blame to him and raising ideas about Nick's proclivities, Tony’s wife Julia, a former defense attorney, worries that Nick may be harmed by the scrutiny of a trial. She becomes increasingly worried Tony might take matters into his own hands to try and fight his brother's battles.⁣

⁣ This is a story that packs a punch on so many levels. It’s narrated by Nick, Tony, Julia, and the detective mounting the case. There is so much rich character development in this book it’s so hard to believe it’s a debut novel.⁣

⁣ I’ll admit I hesitated to read The Damage because as a survivor I worried this would be too painful of an experience for me. But I commend Caitlin Wahrer for doing right by survivors of sexual assault and presenting their struggles and challenges in an accurate, not overly dramatic way. ⁣

⁣ NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Doubleday Canada provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available! Really a great and thought-provoking read. ⁣

Book Review: "A Bad Day for Sunshine" by Darynda Jones

A Bad Day for Sunshine is a fun, slightly wacky mystery with a great set of characters I can’t wait to see again!

Although it’s the last thing she really wanted to do, Sunshine Vicram returns to her crazy hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico with her teenage daughter, Auri, in tow. She didn’t have much of a choice, really, because her parents somehow got her elected sheriff, which doesn’t sit too well with the mayor or the incumbent she defeated, since Sunshine never actually expressed interest in being sheriff in the first place).

She figures the sheriff gig can’t be all that bad, so she’ll stick around long enough to find those responsible for the reason she left town years ago. And apart from two neighbors fighting over a rooster named Puff Daddy, all is calm—for a few minutes. Then a friend of her mother's sends over a basket of her famous muffins and all hell breaks loose. (This apparently happens every time Ruby sends muffins.)

The next thing Sun knows, a teenage girl has been abducted, a fugitive is on the loose, a boy with autism is lost in the snowy mountains, and Auri is getting seriously bullied at her new high school.

Sun is going to have to confront some painful memories, some truths will need to be revealed, and she’ll come face to face with the boy who broke her heart who turned into a man who is as sexy as hell, whose family can't stand Sun, to put it mildly. She's never quite been able to get him out of her system, family hatred or not. (Oh, and she has a bunch of crimes to solve.)

I really enjoyed this book. These characters were so much fun and there’s still so much history between them that Darynda Jones hasn’t even touched on, so I can’t wait for what she'll put in a second book.

At times the book got a tiny bit too silly for me—there’s humor and then there’s farce. One recurring joke, while it all revealed itself in the end to be for a purpose, annoyed me a bit. But in the end, this is a fun book with a badass female character I loved and one I'll eagerly await the chance to see again.

Book Review: "The Night Swim" by Megan Goldin

Megan Goldin's new novel, The Night Swim, is part courtroom drama, part mystery, part thought-provoking exploration of how horrible society and the criminal justice system treat those who have been raped.

Rachel has gained notoriety as the creator and host of a true crime podcast. While the first two seasons focused on past crimes—and helped a man go free—this time she’s focusing on a rape trial, covering it from the small town where it happened.

The son of the town’s wealthiest family and a prospective Olympic swimmer is accused of brutally raping a teenage girl, the granddaughter of the former police chief. The town is torn apart by the case, with some thinking the girl “deserved” it and is lying, while others think he needs to be punished.

Meanwhile, Rachel, who is known more for her voice than her face, is being followed around town by a woman who says her sister was murdered in the same town 25 years ago, but the police refused to investigate, calling it an accidental drowning. This woman, Hannah, wants Rachel to tell the true story of what happened to her sister, even if it riles up old ghosts.

What will be the outcome of the rape trial? What was the truth behind Hannah’s sister’s death? Rachel will find herself in the middle of both cases, with their similarities and overlaps.

This is a very slow burn of a book and it’s definitely not the thriller Goldin’s first novel, The Escape Room, was. That being said, it’s a compelling and emotional story about rape and reputations in a small town, and the scars we bear.

NetGalley and St. Martin's Press provided me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The book publishes 8/4.