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: "The Black Orchid" by Loreth Anne White

This was my Amazon First Reads pick for August. One thing’s for sure: reading this definitely reinforced my determination never to go on a cruise! I mean, if you combine all of the things that have gone wrong with cruises recently along with the fictional mishaps, you’ll understand why I feel the way I do!

The Black Orchid, one of the most luxurious ships ever built, will embark on its maiden voyage through the Aegean Sea. A number of wealthy and notable people will have the opportunity to experience this luxury first-hand. But within three days, the ship will have sunk, and some of the passengers will die.

Retired FBI profiler Gideon Marsh is on the ship with his estranged daughter and her young son, who aspires to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. He’ll be giving talks about his most notorious cases, partially highlighting the impending release of his new book. But his real reason for traveling on the ship may prove more dangerous than he imagined.

Famed war photojournalist Lilith McGregor has survived some harrowing circumstances. As she enters the twilight of her life, nothing may be as challenging as facing her stepson’s money-hungry fiancé, who wants her intended back in his father’s will. And her personal assistant, Poppy, hopes to ingratiate herself to Lilith as well in order to change the course of her life.

The ship runs into a once-in-a-lifetime storm, which threatens the safety of passengers and the ship itself. During the course of the book, we follow a documentary crew as they try to recreate the disaster that befell the Black Orchid.

There was a lot going on in the book, ostensibly to divert our attention from the misery on the ship. But too much time was spent on the documentary, which seemed to go on too long. There were some surprises and lots of stuff that I expected. I was entertained but felt like they could have tightened up the story a bit.

Book Review: "Killer Vibes" by Jack Friday

Peter is a lazy stoner who makes money as a weed dealer, mostly selling to local athletes. He’s smarter than he appears but he definitely has bad judgment, which leaves him broke and homeless. But salvation arrives when he learns that his uncle—whom he last saw 10 years ago—has left him a house in Austin.

He never really knew his uncle but he’s not one to look a gift house in the mouth. Yet he quickly discovers that his uncle not only owed $40K in property taxes, but shortly before he died, he took out a $500,000 line of credit. The money is nowhere to be found and the bank is ready to foreclose.

Everyone is pressuring him to sell the house, which is in a very popular neighborhood in Austin. But Peter doesn’t like being told what to do. And when he finds the hidden money, he realizes that his uncle was in far more trouble than it appeared, and it probably led to his death.

Peter’s refusal to sell the house angers lots of people, and things start to get more precarious for him. He connects with a private eye who was hired to protect him, and in addition to investigating his uncle’s death, the man teaches Peter about being a private investigator—something it appears he’s quite good at.

What Peter doesn’t realize is that he’s gotten himself tangled in a very sticky web, and there are lots of secrets he never knew. But can this lazy stoner outsmart money- and violence-hungry killers without hurting his buzz?

I loved this book. It was funny, action-packed, sexy, and surprisingly emotional at times. Peter is such a terrific character and I hope this is the first in a series of books featuring him. I shouldn’t be surprised how much I enjoyed this, given that Jack Friday is a pen name for John Fram, whose books are crazy good!

Book Review: "Yes, Chef" by Grace Reilly

A grumpy/sunshine romance with a handsome, brooding, tattooed chef with abandonment issues? Plus lots of delicious-sounding food and ultra-steamy steam, too? I’m in!

Poppy’s family owns a major restaurant company, but her own job as a brand influencer is criticized for not being serious enough. She tries hard to please her family and make them respect her, but every effort seems to turn disastrous or, worse, publicly humiliating.

One night, at one of her family’s most renowned restaurants, she has a very public meltdown when her boyfriend breaks up with and denigrates her. At the same time, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Jack Hartman, causes an angry scene before quitting. Both Poppy and Jack commiserate in a bar and lick their wounds. They both need to run away.

Jack heads back to Diamond Bay, Florida, where he grew up. His recently deceased mentor left Jack his restaurant, where he worked as a teenager. He figures he can resurrect the restaurant, show off his prowess running his own place, and hopefully parlay that into a new job back in New York City. With nowhere else to go, Poppy follows Jack, hoping he can use her influencer skills to build a brand and buzz for this new restaurant.

Of course, despite their attraction to one another, they get along like oil and water until both realize they’re working toward the same goal. Plus, Jack has unresolved issues with his mentor’s memory as well as fearing failure, while Poppy just wants to prove herself to her parents once and for all.

Give me a book that takes place in a restaurant and you know I’ll be happy. The chemistry and banter between Poppy and Jack is top-notch, as are all of the supporting characters. I loved that the book dwelled on emotional issues and featured two love interests with ADHD. Such a great 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: "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 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: "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: "Conflict of Interest" by C.G. Macington

I read and loved the first book in this series so I had to get to the second book quickly. While you could read this as a standalone, I definitely recommend starting with Bedside Manner.

Preston York is the younger son in the family, known as “the Spare.” His brother Max is Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the hospital his family owns; Preston is just expected to be a smiling host at parties and look good in a tuxedo. Which he does, but he’s bored.

When Max mocks Preston’s dilettante life, saying he wouldn’t last a week in the hospital trenches, Preston rises to the occasion. He goes to medical school and then starts his residency at the hospital. He’s ready to prove his brother wrong—he’s just not ready to give up his Gucci loafers.

To the surprise of everyone, Preston is impressive as a resident, taking everything thrown at him and succeeding. No one is more surprised than his boss, Chief Resident Lucas Silva. Luke works his ass off, with a huge chip on his shoulder due to his modest upbringing and his mother’s sacrifices. The last thing Luke wants to do is to tend to someone playing doctor, someone who will be gone once he’s had his fun.

But while he tries to show disdain, he’s actually impressed with Preston. When Preston works with him to save a patient, his respect turns to attraction. But when the hospital director wants to make an example of Preston and Luke, will Preston stand by his man or will he return to the board room instead of the ER?

I really love these characters that C.G. Macington has created. While Max and Jax have my heart a bit more, I enjoyed this book’s banter, steam, romance, and humor just as much. Book 3 will be read soon, that's for sure!!

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: "Salt, Sweat & Steam: The Fiery Education of an Accidental Chef" by Brigid Washington

I am absolutely obsessed with books about cooking, chefs, food, the restaurant business, etc. Every one is so different and I love feeling totally starved while reading. So when I saw Brigid Washington’s new memoir in an ad on social media, I dove right into the flames.

Trinidad-born Brigid was an aspiring journalist living in Raleigh, NC, after graduation from college. But when her relationship ends, she doesn’t know what to do with herself, so she applies to the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York. (She had been inspired by a stint working in the kitchen of a fancy restaurant.)

While she expected culinary school to be difficult, she had no idea what a challenge it would be—intellectually, physically, and emotionally. The different cooking instructors she had were all over the map in terms of their passion for teaching and their tolerance for mistakes. Brigid talked about all of the courses she took, the instructors she had, what she learned, and where she screwed up.

She also takes a job as the editor of the school’s newspaper for a year, which exposes her to public events with famed chefs, and the opportunity to reflect upon the things she learned. At the same time, she has a strange relationship with a fellow student and she misses the boyfriend she had back in Raleigh.

I found this book so fascinating. Brigid wasn’t only studying cooking—she was trying to build a future amidst the chaos of culinary school. She needed to decide how to use this education and figure out what she needed in her life. There is so much this book taught me, and all of the food they talk about made me ravenous. This really hit the spot for me!

Book Review: "Bedside Manner" by C.G. Macington

I was completely blown away by this book. I had never heard of it but the cover intrigued me, and when I saw it was the first book in a series, I had to give it a try. It really touched my heart.

Dr. Maxwell York is the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Jude’s Medical Centre, the hospital his family owns. Max thrives on order, silence, routine, and everything in its place. He is mostly unflappable, so much that his colleagues call him the “Ice King.”

But when the hospital begins renovations to the floor where his obsessively neat and sterile office is, he’s forced out of his comfort zone. He’s told he needs to share an office on the Trauma Floor, which is on the lowest level. For Max, it’s like getting sentenced to hell, because the Trauma Floor is messy, loud, chaotic, and essentially a Petri dish for bacteria.

To make matters even worse, Max has to share an office with the Chief of Trauma, Dr. Jax O’Connell. Jax is the complete opposite of Max (despite their rhyming names). He’s a former combat medic and an adrenaline junkie who thrives on chaos as much as Max craves order. But there’s no denying he’s an absolutely excellent doctor.

Jax wants to see how quickly he can get his new office mate to crack. Each definitely lights a fire under the other, and they bump heads more than a few times. Little by little, Max realizes that Jax is a rarity—a doctor who thinks of his patients rather than the bottom line. As they start to work together, the ice between them thaws. But Jax sparks rebellion in Max, which won’t do for those running the hospital—especially his control-hungry mother.

This book was full of fantastic banter between many of the characters, and it definitely was steamy from time to time. It was the romance, however, that stole my heart, and I just loved how each brought out the best in the other. You’ll bet I’ll be reading Books 2 and 3 soon!!

Book Review: "Five" by Ilona Bannister

“Someone will die here this morning, at this suburban train station. It will happen in the next five minutes when the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives.”

So begins Ilona Bannister’s new thriller, which was utterly fascinating. We get a first-hand look at a chaotic morning at a train station, which will end in someone’s death. We don’t know who will die but we assume we know how it will happen.

The book introduces us to five people. There’s Emma, a woman whose life has totally been upended by her sociopathic young son, Gideon. He throws a temper tantrum while waiting for the train and Emma is unable to control him, which makes her an object of judgment by others in the train station.

There’s Sonny, a handsome and impeccably dressed young man, who is seriously addicted to gambling. Matilda is a cantankerous old woman whose anger masks the difficult life she has had. And then there’s Liam, a business manager who appears to know Emma and Gideon but seems to incur their wrath.

While we wait for the train to come into the station and end one of the five people’s lives, the book gives us each of their stories. We don’t have to rest on generalization; we know what each person is struggling with and what brought them to the train station today.

This was so compelling. The narrator invites you to think about who will die, but also who you think deserves to die. We see how flawed each person is, what made them tick, and what are their redeeming qualities. While some of the backstories dragged a bit, I really thought this was a fascinating read.

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: "Perfection" by Vincenzo Latronico

Hmm. I’m honestly not too sure what I think about this book. I’ll admit I considered DNFing it a few times, but I kept waiting for something significant to happen. I will say that the book definitely made me feel old and uncool, lol.

Tom and Anna are freelance creatives and millennial expats living in Berlin. Like most of their peers, they are energized by taking advantage of all the city has to offer them, and of course, documenting their activities on social media.

The book follows them as they drift through life, friends, jobs, sex, political activism, and ambition. At times they want more than they have; other times they’re overwhelmed by it all. Should they consider polyamory? Should they move somewhere other than Berlin?

As they grow older and their friends follow different paths, they start to wonder about what their futures hold. And they realize that the things they are starting to dislike about Berlin and their lives are partially the fault of their generation.

“They realized they had contributed to the problem that was starting to affect them, but they knew it in an unacknowledged, almost imperceptible way, like smokers when they think about cancer…Gentrification, as they understood it, was something other people did.

This was on the shortlist for the Booker Prize last year. Vincenzo Latronico’s prose is beautiful, but often the story has paragraph after paragraph of description, to echo the characters’ obsession with conspicuous consumption. It definitely made me think, even as I didn’t really warm to it.

Book Review: "This Is Not About Us" by Allegra Goodman

I’ve said it lots of times before, but I love family dysfunction in books. And Jewish family dysfunction? Yes, please. (Not that my family was dysfunctional…)

Helen and Sylvia are devastated by the impending death of their youngest sister, Jeanne. Even though they’re in their late 70s and early 80s, this loss will hurt. But both women have very definite opinions on everything, particularly Jeanne’s final wishes regarding burial versus cremation.

When Jeanne finally dies, Helen and Sylvia argue and say horrible things to each other. But the crushing blow involves their mother’s apple cake. This causes a rift that neither sister wants to repair.

“Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.”

This is more a collection of linked stories than a cohesive novel, although each story follows another member of the family—the children of the three sisters, an ex-wife, even a grandchild or two. The stories all happen within a set timeframe.

Honestly, much of this book struck a real chord for me. I’ve been a fan of Allegra Goodman’s since the mid- to late 1990s, and she’s so good at creating the quiet and the loud moments. I would’ve liked a little more about Helen and Sylvia, but they were a part of many of the stories in one way or another.

Book Review: "Two Women Living Together" by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo

True confession: I seemed to have missed the words “The Bestselling Korean Memoir” in this book’s subtitle. I totally thought this was a novel until I realized this was an actual account of two women’s lives.

That being said, while the book definitely landed more on the practical side for me, I found it to be an interesting read. Each chapter felt like it centered on a valuable lesson or piece of advice.

Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo were two women living in Korea. Each had a career and friends they enjoyed. They also both lived alone, and loved it that way: the solitude, the independence, having their own space to do what they wanted.

Hana and Sunwoo became friends and realized they shared not only common interests and passions, but also philosophies about life and living. Plus, each had two cats. Yet as they approached their 40s, both women realized that there was something to be said for human companionship. Neither was in a romantic relationship and didn’t see that as a real possibility, so they made the decision to buy a house together.

This wasn’t a romantic or sexual partnership, nor was it two acquaintances living together until something better came along. This was creating a chosen family, integrating each other into their lives but maintaining their own identities as well.

The book recounts their decision, how they put it into action, and the things they learned. What it’s like to suddenly depend on someone else yet retain your own independence and individuality. How to reconcile chores and other household responsibilities. And perhaps most importantly, how to acclimate four cats into one household. This was funny, insightful, a bit moving at times, and really unique.

Book Review: "In His Wake" by Chad Zunker

This compulsively readable political thriller was one of the Amazon First Reads selections for this month. Thanks so much to Thomas & Mercer for the complimentary advance copy; this would make a great movie!

“Power makes you do foolish things. It clouds your head like a dangerous drug and warps your mind. Like a cancer, it changes you from the inside out. And it can quickly bring you to your knees.”

When a presidential candidate is assassinated in Austin, Texas two weeks before the election, it throws the country into turmoil. Dean Dawson is an investigative reporter covering the incident, although his older brother Eric, who is the FBI special agent in charge, keeps him in line.

Amidst all of the chaos, Dean gets contacted by his ex-girlfriend April. She saw a text thread on her boss’ phone that not only mentions the assassination, but also raises the possibility that Dean’s father—a former partner at April’s firm—might not have drowned a few months ago. Could his father still be alive? And could he have been involved in the candidate’s assassination?

The more that Dean and April try to uncover, the more leads that Eric and the FBI chase, the more people start ending up dead. They have no idea how tangled this web of lies and corruption is, and how much they might all be in danger.

From the minute I started reading, I was hooked. The sad thing is, thrillers like these seem much less far-fetched given what’s happening in the country. Chad Zunker kept the pacing going and the tension rising.

The book publishes 2/1.

Book Review: "Detour" by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

John Ward is a billionaire who is running as a third-party candidate for president. He’s funding a mission to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. The mission will lay the foundation for future settlements as the effects of climate change destroy Earth.

The crew of the mission is composed of three astronauts and three civilians. The astronauts are legendary and the hope is they will train the three civilians: Padma, the scientist whose research convinced Ward to form the mission; Stitch, a graffiti artist who won his seat in a lottery; and Ryan, a Washington, DC cop who helped foil an assassination attempt on Ward.

The mission will last two years. Ryan doesn’t want to leave his wife and kids for that long, but Ward promises him a $15 million paycheck which could change their lives. And although all six of the crew members are nervous about the mission, they move forward with it.

But when the ship starts circling Titan, things go wrong. The ship is rocked by multiple explosions which threaten their return home. Yet working together, they’re able to make it back to Earth and are hailed as heroes.

Upon their return, each person notices that their life isn’t quite what it was before the mission. They returned home to find things—and their loved ones—are strangely different, like they’re in the wrong multiverse. Ward has ordered that the crew members can’t talk to each other or the press. What happened on their mission? They’re not quite prepared for what comes next.

Science fiction isn’t my usual genre, but this sci-fi thriller was excellent. It’s the start of a series and I hope I don’t have to wait long for the next book!

Book Review: "Anatomy of An Alibi" by Ashley Elston

“It’s not just the anatomy of an alibi—having someone vouch that you were somewhere else when the crime was committed—but it’s the psychology of it: that that someone is believable.”

I love when a book I’ve been eagerly anticipating by an author whose work I love knocks it completely out of the park. This book has been everywhere on Bookstagram but I finally sat down and read it, and it proved that Ashley Elston’s success writing adult novels was not a one-time thing!

Camille is the daughter of a powerful Louisiana family. Her husband Ben is a handsome lawyer whose representation is sought after by the most powerful people. Not too bad for someone just barely 30!

But Camille is not happy in her marriage. Ben has been spying on her every move, and she’s fairly certain he’s corrupt. Once she has proof, she can divorce him. When she meets Aubrey, who believes Ben is tied to a tragedy in her life, Camille might have found the way to put her plan in motion. She and Aubrey will trade identities for 12 hours, so Ben will think he’s tracking Camille, but she’ll actually be spying on him.

Both women believe they have a foolproof alibi, but that isn’t the case. And they have no idea what they’ve stepped in the middle of.

Every time I thought I had a handle on what was happening, Elston flipped the script. There are a lot of narrators and lots of time shifts (pay attention to the chapter headers) but it all contributes to a crazy puzzle of a book! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.