Book Review: "See You Next Tuesday" by Kate Stayman-London

I loved this book for several reasons, but one of them is that it reminded me of what it was like to be excited by a political candidate and be hopeful for the future. Lord knows we could use a lot of that in the U.S. right now!!

Nothing gets Anya more energized than working on a political campaign. She loves helping candidates she believes in, candidates she thinks would make a difference. When she meets Gabe, she is awestruck by his handsomeness, but his ego and what she sees as his lack of principles irritate her to no end.

They keep running into each other, either working in different roles on a campaign, or being brought together by mutual friends. There’s no doubt that they’re attracted to one another, but they can’t be around each other for long before they’re arguing again. They try to at least be friends, but one always makes the other one mad fairly quickly.

The book follows them through more than a decade of working on campaigns—local, state, and national. When they work together for a charismatic woman running for the U.S. Senate, they become friends, and both want more, but they’re too afraid to admit their feelings. Yet the two stand by each other through difficult personal times, and then they finally fall in love.

But when Anya and Gabe both get jobs working for Democratic presidential candidates, suddenly they’re rivals. Anya feels strongly that her candidate is the right one for the country. While Gabe might not feel the exact same way, he knows his candidate is more electable. Can they be opponents at the same time as being lovers?

I really enjoyed the way the book not only portrayed the frenzy, the highs, and the lows of political campaigns, but also how challenging it can be to hold onto yourself. I loved how the book explored grief and moving on, and while Anya could get a little self-righteous at times, I thought she and Gabe had great chemistry.

Book Review: "Big Fan" by Alexandra Romanoff

This book was the first from 831 Stories, a modern romantic fiction company that prioritizes pleasure reading and the genre’s enthusiastic fans. I really enjoyed it and boy, it was steamy…

Maya is a political strategist whose career was on the rise. She was on the verge of guiding her candidate to victory when a personal scandal erupted: her husband cheated on her with a campaign intern. Her candidate won despite the fodder that her life gave the media.

Even though Maya was the victim, she’s the one still followed by gossipers and catty DC acquaintances. When she gets an opportunity to help a gubernatorial candidate, she hopes this will be her ticket back to the work she loves.

At the same time she is contacted by Charlie, who was the lead singer of Mischief, the boy band she was obsessed with as a teenager. In fact, she and her best friend launched a nationwide fan club for the band. Charlie read about her interest in his old band, and he asks for her help in guiding his comeback as a solo artist.

While she can’t take the job to help him, the two strike up a friendship. They both want more than that, but Maya has to be sure she doesn’t get caught in another scandal, or her career will be destroyed. But is a chance at love—especially with your teenage obsession—worth taking, or is it safer to just keep your head down and focus on work?

I really liked this storyline and the complexities of Maya’s world. The chemistry between Maya and Charlie is intense, and the steamy scenes seriously sizzle. I’m looking forward to the next book published by 831 Stories!!

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: "Small Boat" by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson

“Empathy,” I said to the police inspector, “is an idiotic luxury indulged in by people who do nothing, and who are moved by the spectacle of suffering. Good for them. But the truth is you can’t do both at once.”

This novel, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, was inspired by a real tragedy. But other than the incident itself, the book is a work of fiction.

In November 2021, 27 of 29 people died when the inflatable dinghy they were traveling in capsized in the English Channel. The dinghy’s passengers were all migrants, traveling from France to the United Kingdom in order to claim asylum.

Numerous passengers called the authorities for rescue. French authorities told the passengers they were in British waters and needed to be rescued by the British Coast Guard. But because the French authorities received so many calls for help, they mistakenly believed there were multiple boats in distress. By the time rescue vessels arrived on scene three hours later, all but two people were lost.

At the core of this story is the unnamed French naval officer who answered all of the calls for help. In addition to her completely botching the rescue, she was recorded commenting to her colleagues, “I didn’t ask you to leave. It was your idea, and if you didn’t want to get your feet wet, love, you shouldn’t have embarked.”

What was interesting about this book was its discussion of empathy, and its raising the question of what you would have done. The fact is, the officer was trained not to have opinions but to treat everyone equally deserving of help, although the migration issue was very controversial. I felt like the book repeated its arguments over and over, but it really did make me think.

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: "Town & Country" by Brian Schaefer

This book was a fascinating and dramatic exploration of a number of issues. While at its core, the book focuses on a local Congressional election and its effects on a small rural town, there are a lot of interpersonal dynamics and relationships caught in the middle.

Griffin used to be an economically depressed, rural town. But in recent years, it’s caught the eye of wealthy city-dwellers looking for country weekend homes. And with these new part-time residents comes new higher-end shops and services, causing a tug-of-war between long-time residents and the “carpetbaggers.”

Paul and his husband moved to Griffin with the intent of Paul running for the open Congressional seat in this swing district. His opponent is Chip, owner of the local bar and the town supervisor. Paul and his husband convinced many of their friends to purchase homes in Griffin, and townspeople aren’t sure how they feel about that.

Chip’s perfect nuclear family definitely has some cracks in it, which are exacerbated by the campaign. His wife Diane is the real estate agent selling many of these couples their homes, yet she still hasn’t come to terms with her college-aged son Will’s own sexuality. And their older son Joe’s battle with addiction has only gotten worse since his best friend died of an overdose.

The book takes place between Memorial Day and Election Day, and there’s so much more going on than just the campaign. This story has sooo many characters but I found many of them really fascinating. All in all, this was an impressive debut!

“That’s the trouble with second homes, Stan realizes: You just want to be in them, not look beyond them. He understands this without judgment. Empathy takes energy, and his friends draw their energy from the city. They come to Griffin to relax, but politics is not relaxing, and comfort doesn’t motivate, it placates. Just because they’ve bought the right to vote here doesn’t mean they must spend their empathy here.”

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: "It's Not the End of the World" by Jonathan Parks-Ramage

Can a book be off-the-wall crazy AND scarily prescient simultaneously? Asking for a friend.

Thanks so much to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy of this one!

America in 2044 has seen better days. Climate change has done severe damage, and in Los Angeles, wildfires and smog have gotten so bad you can barely see the skyline—unless you can pay for an artificially clear one. The country is under the thumb of a fascist authoritarian government, with right-wing militias and rampant anti-queer sentiment.

Mason and Yunho are a wealthy gay couple whose financial position keeps them blissfully unaware of just how badly the world is falling apart. They’re spending $100,000 on a 100-person baby shower for their soon-to-be-arriving newborn, and they (particularly Mason) don’t see anything wrong with that.

When disaster hits LA on the day of their shower, Mason should cancel, but it’s not the end of the world, after all. He figures that money can solve this problem too. Yet when he goes out to run a few last-minute errands, he finds himself enmeshed in the chaos that he thought he was insulated from, with threatening consequences.

This book has it all—wry social commentary, political satire (which seems far too on the nose right now), blood and gore, even pink smog that turns people into zombies. It’s definitely a wild ride, but the details of this world that Jonathan Parks-Ramage has created are truly remarkable. And frightening as hell.

I loved Parks-Ramage’s debut, Yes, Daddy, so I was excited to see what his follow-up would be like. This is different in a lot of ways but it proves just how wide-ranging his talent is.

Book Review: "Bitter Texas Honey" by Ashley Whitaker

It’s 2011. Joan dreams of being a writer. By day, she’s an intern for an ultra-conservative Republican state legislator in Texas. And while her friends and roommate are all fairly liberal, Joan’s beliefs skew conservative.

As Joan struggles with finding inspiration to write about, she decides to pursue a romantic relationship, which hopefully will give her material. And the man she dates, Vince, does just that—he’s an egotistical musician who believes he’s more talented and more intelligent than everyone else. At the same time, she’s drawn to Roberto, a barista at her favorite establishment, who is also a writer.

Growing up wealthy, Joan is fairly rudderless. She drinks a lot, is addicted to Adderall, smokes a lot of weed, and doesn’t want for money. She’s also part owner of her father’s chain of recording schools, but she doesn’t take much responsibility there.

The brightest spot in her life is her cousin Wyatt. He’s tremendously creative and her partner in crime, but he’s also really troubled and struggling to find direction. His family’s solution to Wyatt’s problems is to send him to a Christian treatment facility—which doesn’t prove successful.

Joan’s own family exhausts her. Her father is an entrepreneur with a penchant for getting married to unsuitable women, while her mother is a former addict who disapproves of the way Joan lives her life. She’s caught between her parents, who don’t help her deal with her own issues; instead, they exacerbate them.

You know I love a good dysfunctional family, and this book certainly had that. Joan’s character’s beliefs don’t jibe with mine, and sometimes her flakiness is irritating, but you can’t look away from her. However, this book was billed as Fleabag meets The Royal Tenenbaums, and I didn’t see that at all. But it’s still a well-written debut.

Book Review: "Don't Tell Me How to Die" by Marshall Karp

Believe the hype, y’all! This book was totally not what I was expecting but it was utterly fantastic. Now…to write a review that doesn’t give anything away!

Maggie loves her husband tremendously, has two great kids, a sister who’s her best friend, and an incredibly fulfilling career. Not bad for a 43-year-old!

She’s spent her adult life waiting for a bombshell to drop. Then she finds out she’s dying, and has only a few months to live. It’s not really a surprise, as her mother died when Maggie was 17, and she and her sister knew it was possible that they could inherit the disease she had.

Before Maggie’s mother died, she asked her daughters to look out for their father. She knew the women in town would descend upon him, wanting to claim him, and he would be too grief-stricken to resist. That nearly happened, but Maggie got wise in the nick of time.

Now, facing her own impending death, Maggie would like to find the woman to take her place, to care for her husband and kids. She wants to be sure to protect her husband from anyone with ulterior motives. She knows if she tips her hand, she could leave her husband and kids open to manipulation. But time is running out.

You may think this book is primarily a family drama, and while there are some elements of that, be ready to be thrown some curves. I’ve never read any of Marshall Karl’s books, but given how quickly I devoured this, I certainly will be jumping into his backlist! This really was that good.

Book Review: "Woodworking" by Emily St. James

What an utterly fantastic, thought-provoking, and important book this is! At a time when trans people are treated as less than, this book needs to be read.

In 2016, Erica is a 35-year-old teacher in South Dakota. Her marriage has recently ended, and she’s come to the realization that she is transgender, despite living as a man. This realization answers many questions for her, but how can she live as her authentic self without losing everything in her life?

Abigail is a student at the high school where Erica teaches. She’s the only trans girl in the school, she’s estranged from her parents and a few of her siblings, and the last thing she’s expecting is for her English teacher to out herself as trans. Abigail isn’t much interested in being Erica’s trans mom and confidante, but she knows what it’s like to have no one.

As Erica tries to decide whom to confide in and whether or not she wants to fully transition, Abigail has to decide how to support Erica while taking care of her own journey. Their stories are told against the backdrop of a local election that features an anti-trans candidate as well as the impending presidential election.

“Erica had often imagined what she might say if she ever talked to another trans woman. She always assumed she would be personable, smooth. She would find a way to be, like, “Hey, we’re all trans here, right?!” then laugh blithely.”

There are parts of this book that need to unfold for you, so you can feel their power. I love how Emily St. James uses shaded gibberish in place of Erica and Abigail’s dead names, because they say they hear them through a fog. All in all, this is an unforgettable book. What a debut.

Book Review: "How to Sleep at Night" by Elizabeth Harris

At a time where the tiniest thought of politics is enough to make me cringe, I chose to read a book that had a political campaign at its core. And I really enjoyed it, so, yay me!

Ethan and Gabe have been together for years, since Gabe was a senior in college and Ethan was a few years older. They’re happily married, raising a young daughter named Chloe. Politically, Ethan has becoming more conservative, while Gabe has remained progressive all these years.

One night, Ethan tells Gabe he’d like to run for Congress—as a Republican. He believes that being gay, married, a former Democrat, makes him an even more appealing candidate. But he’ll only run if Gabe agrees, so of course, Gabe supports his husband’s ambitions.

Meanwhile, Ethan’s sister Kate—a political reporter for a newspaper—longs to regain the passion for, and fulfillment with, her job. But two things—her brother’s nascent political campaign and the return of Nicole, a woman she loved in college—threaten to upend her. And Nicole, bored with her suburban life and her passionless marriage, tempts Kate with a second chance at romance.

As Ethan’s campaign gains momentum, Gabe starts feeling more and more out of sync with his husband’s ideas. He hates the fact that everyone seems to assume he feels the same way as Ethan about the issues of the day. This cognitive dissonance causes more tension in their marriage and the campaign.

This was tremendously compelling from the very start. I’ll admit I didn’t find any of the characters all that sympathetic, but I was completely invested in their lives, and wondered just how Elizabeth Harris would tie everything up. What a great debut novel!!

Book Review: "Johnny Careless" by Kevin Wade

Many thanks to Celadon Books for the advance copy of this terrific crime novel! It definitely has a cinematic flair, which isn’t surprising, since the author is a screenwriter as well as showrunner for the television show Blue Bloods.

Gerald “Jeep” Mullane is the chief of police for several towns on Long Island’s North Shore. He’s living in his childhood home and still dealing with the class divide that exists between the mostly wealthy residents of the area and the “have-nots” like him.

One night, a body is found in the water near Bayville. It turns out it’s the body of Johnny Chambliss, Jeep’s best friend since childhood and the son of a prominent family. Johnny has always been one step away from trouble, so while his death might not be surprising, it hits Jeep hard and stirs up many forgotten memories.

Given his relationship to the deceased, Jeep can’t investigate Johnny’s death—at least directly. But he definitely gets the sense that Johnny’s death wasn’t the accident that everyone wants to label it. And as he deals with Johnny’s enigmatic and powerful parents, as well as his ex-wife, whom Jeep has known for years, he finds himself being simultaneously warned about and welcomed to keep digging into the truth.

While dealing peripherally with this investigation, Jeep is under political pressure to stop a massive auto theft ring targeting the wealthy residents of the cities he serves. As the two cases intertwine, he finds himself caught between anger, grief, and fear.

The narrative shifts between present and past, tracing Jeep and Johnny’s relationship and the changes it went through, as well as Jeep’s efforts to uncover the truth. This is gritty and emotional, and I hope we’ll see another book with Jeep in it.

The book will publish 1/28/2025.

Book Review: "The Answer is No" by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. The Beartown series just blew me away and I’ve loved so many of his books where the curmudgeon just needs to be loved and appreciated.

That being said, I tend to like Backman’s books when they’re more emotional and dramatic. The one book of his I struggled with was Normal People, because it felt very silly to me, almost farcical.

I had the same challenges with The Answer is No, Backman’s upcoming story. I appreciate the message he was trying to convey, but it just got too wacky for me.

Lucas is one of those people who keeps to himself. He would much rather spend time alone than have to deal with others. He doesn’t seek out relationships because they would force him to compromise or not get what he wants.

And then one day, his peace is shattered when three board members come to his door. Apparently someone in his building has left a frying pan next to the recycling room. That’s against the rules. But Lucas innocuously suggests how to solve the problem—and he doesn’t realize the wheels he has set in motion.

The story quickly slides into satire. It’s cute and I’m sure it may be a home run for others, but it wasn’t my thing. It will publish 12/1.

Book Review: "The Unlikely Heir" by Jax Calder

Callum can’t seem to figure out what he wants out of life. He changed majors in college five times, abandoned a master’s degree, and now works in an insurance company call center.

He is utterly unprepared when a date is interrupted by a man claiming to be from Scotland Yard, who says Callum is now the heir to the British throne. Apparently a number of his relatives got embroiled in a scandal and are being removed from succession, so Callum—the son of a deceased prince and an American actress—needs to go to England right away.

“When you find yourself on a private royal jet in midair over the Atlantic, it’s a good sign your life has taken a slightly surreal twist.”

News of Callum’s ascension to the Prince of Wales isn’t met with a great deal of enthusiasm in England. The last thing they want is an American to be the future king. And when Callum’s lack of coordination and penchant for putting his foot in his mouth is on full display, a movement to abolish the monarchy starts picking up steam.

One person who is charmed by the new prince is Oliver, England’s prime minister. While he feels empathy for the way Callum is being treated by the press and political leaders, it quickly becomes apparent that he feels a lot more than empathy for the prince. And Callum definitely reciprocates those feelings. But a relationship between the future king and the prime minister could never work.

I thought this was so sweet, romantic, and enjoyable. The chemistry between Callum and Oliver was intense, and their characters, as well as the banter and the situations Callum kept finding himself in, were funny and endearing. I’m excited that there’s a sequel, too!

Book Review: "Behind Every Good Man" by Sara Goodman Confino

Three years ago, I read Sara Goodman Confino’s first book, For the Love of Friends. I immediately fell for her ability to tell a story with immense humor and heart. Now, having just read her fourth book, which publishes 8/6, I can honestly say that she’s one of my favorite writers.

It’s 1962, and Beverly is the perfect wife, taking care of the house and her two young children, while making life easier for her husband, Larry. She even makes cookies for Larry’s office once a week. And when she drops by with the cookies on a different day than usual, she finds Larry, umm, entangled with his secretary.

Men have needs, you know. That’s Larry’s excuse (and he blames Beverly), but he figures she’ll forgive him and move on. Nope. She throws him out of the house and decides to get even. Since Larry is the campaign manager for one of Maryland’s senators, she decides to work for Michael Landau, the earnest young candidate running against the incumbent. Of course, Michael’s campaign manager doesn’t like that she’s after his job…

Larry tries to intimidate Beverly into letting him move back home, but she knows what his obligations are to her and the kids. And despite the friction between her and the campaign manager, she does help transform Michael into more than a long-shot candidate, encouraging him to reach out to female and Black voters at a time when both were taken for granted.

Beverly wants Michael to win, but her interest in him is more than political, and the feeling is mutual. Despite their mutual attraction they do all they can to focus on the campaign, not each other.

The characters in this book are flawed, funny, and fantastic. I devoured this book, and thank Sara for the gifted copy. (She signed the book and apologized to me for making the character named Larry a bad guy.)

If you’ve never read her books, you should!

Book Review: "Friends with Secrets" by Christine Gunderson

There’s that old adage that you never really know what a person is going through until you hear it from them. This book is certainly an example of that!

Nikki used to be a news anchor for a major network in DC. She misses the thrill of a breaking story, of having a purpose—not to mention the paycheck. Now a stay-at-home mother for four kids 5 and under, she always feels one step behind and completely a mess. It doesn’t help that with an infant, she barely sleeps.

Ainsley has the picture-perfect life. She’s married to the handsome heir to a candy bar company, she is always perfectly put together and volunteers for everything, and her husband is running for governor. But few know the life Ainsley fought her way out of, and what she had to do.

When the prestigious private school they send their kids to hires a new basketball coach, it seems like a huge win. He’s a former star athlete and philanthropist, and he will push the kids to reach their full potential. But when Ainsley meets him, she realizes she knows him from her former life—and he could be dangerous.

With nowhere else to turn, Ainsley confides in Nikki, who could use a hot story to try and get another news job. They’re both willing to do whatever it takes to expose the coach and protect their kids, no matter what it takes. But it may prove hazardous, because some will fight to protect themselves at any cost.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it would be more about rich women behaving badly, and while there are elements of that, this is more a celebration of female friendship and resilience. It illustrates that “having it all” means different things to different people. This was funny, poignant, and even a bit suspenseful.

Book Review: "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" by Justinian Huang

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?”

Justinian Huang’s debut novel was my pick for our book club this month. A romantasy—which isn’t a genre I’ve read much of—that dealt with the idea of soulmates through time, it definitely provoked some interesting conversation.

The book alternates among three different narratives.

Dong Xian is a court clerk in the Endless Palace in the year 4 BCE. He wants to make something of himself, so when he is offered the chance to befriend and seduce the young emperor, he agrees. He does not count on the intrigue that surrounds him, or the one who wants to stop him.

In 1740, He Shican is an innkeeper who welcomes a handsome guest and his grandmother, who is very ill. Summoning his friend and former lover, a doctor, to help the guests, He doesn’t know what forces he is awakening.

In current-day Los Angeles, River, recently out of the closet, goes to a circuit party with a friend of his. There he meets Joey, a handsome man, whom he is immediately drawn to. Yet both have a feeling they know each other from somewhere, and River’s determination to find Joey again brings him up against a corrupt businessman.

This is a beautifully written book, although the few sex scenes were very odd for me, distracting me from the rest of the story. The ending was a bit abrupt and I don’t know if I made every connection between the three stories, but I was drawn in to the story.

Book Review: "Stars in an Italian Sky" by Jill Santopolo

I’ve been wanting to travel to Italy for a long while now, so needless to say, each time I read a book that is set there, I get the urge to plan a trip. And after reading Stars in an Italian Sky, I want to go pronto, pronto.

In 1946, Giovanna, her father, and her sister return to Genoa after fleeing during WWII. They reopen her father’s tailoring shop, where Giovanna not only helps with the customers, but dreams of her own designs as well. One day, Vincenzo, the handsome son of a count, comes into the store to have some clothes altered. At that moment it’s as if lightning struck Giovanna in the form of Vincenzo.

The two spend a great deal of time together, much of it in secret. Vincenzo knows his father would never approve of him marrying a tailor’s daughter, but he knows that his heart wants nothing but Giovanna. Yet when the country votes to become a republic, abolishing the monarchy and nobility, it creates a rift that changes everything for both.

In 2017, Cass and her boyfriend Luca, an artist, are ready to get married. But when they bring their families together to celebrate their engagement, and Cass’ grandmother meets Luca’s grandfather, it reveals past history that neither Cass’ family or Luca’s was aware of.

The dual-timeline story was romantic, emotional, and fascinating to see the parallels between both couples. The actions of Vincenzo’s family—and Luca’s, for that matter—were infuriating at times, but love endures. This was such a beautiful story of following your own path, no matter the consequences, and no matter how long it takes.

I’m a big fan of Jill Santopolo and love all of the emotion she brings to her books. I’ll be waiting for her next one!