Book Review: "Seduction Theory" by Emily Adrian

“‘A virtue with which every writer should acquaint herself,’ Simone went on, ‘is humility.’ She did not smile. My mortification at her hands was ecstasy.”⁣

⁣ Simone and Ethan are the it couple of Edwards University’s creative writing department. Glamorous Simone is the star—the daughter of a famed figure in the literary world, her grief memoir was a huge success. She is a tenured professor; Ethan, less handsome and the author of a less successful novel, is a lecturer who only got the job because of his wife.⁣

⁣ The two have been together for years, having met in college. They have long conversations (both intellectual and not) and lots of great sex; their seemingly perfect marriage is the envy of many at Edwards. And then, for seemingly no reason, Ethan starts an affair with Abigail, the department’s administrative assistant. He’s wracked with guilt but can’t seem to stop until he has to confess before Simone finds out.⁣

⁣ Simone is definitely floored by her husband’s infidelity, but the truth is, she hasn’t been entirely innocent. While Ethan was away for the summer (when the affair began), Simone drew very close with Robbie, a graduate student and Simone’s advisee. The two women trained for a marathon, spent nearly every day and night together, and shared secrets, but their relationship, while never getting physical, gets emotionally intense, and Robbie, who is a lesbian, falls in love.⁣

But when Robbie feels rejected, she decides to write a fictionalized account of Ethan and Simone’s marriage—including all of the people involved—for her master’s thesis. How much is actual fiction and how much is truth? And how will Ethan and Simone react?⁣

⁣ This was an interesting story. I don’t know that I loved any of the characters but I found myself invested in the story. Because Robbie is the narrator, you see parts of the story through her eyes, so it’s shaped a bit by her bias. It was an interesting concept that was well-executed.

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: "The Float Test" by Lynn Steger Strong

“What is the feeling that tells any of us, even after we’re grown-up and know better—know it’s likely that they’ll hurt us, maim us, leave us flayed open—to check in with the people with whom we share DNA?”

I’ve said this before, but I cannot get enough books about family dynamics and dysfunction. Relationships that fray and knit themselves together—often multiple times—are fascinating to read about. (Much less fascinating to live through, of course.)

When the Kenner family matriarch dies unexpectedly, all four of their adult children convene at their parents’ home in Florida. Jenn, the oldest, is a wife and mother who is always there to take care of everyone—even if she resents it. Fred is adrift; she’s a writer who has lost the ability to write and is at odds with many of the people in her life.

The youngest, George, is sad about the end of his marriage but has other issues to deal with. And Jude, the narrator, has flown in from NYC, and must deal with the fact that she hasn’t spoken to Fred—once her favorite sister—in several years.

As with any family gathering, there are plenty of secrets everyone has kept hidden, hurts and resentments they’ve tried to forget, and at least a handful of fond memories to lean on. But there are also big questions to be answered, particularly what went wrong between Fred and Jude, and why did their mother keep a gun in her underwear drawer?

This book was really well-written; there were many quotes I noted. My issue was that I didn’t find the characters particularly sympathetic, particularly Fred, and she’s the character most of the book focuses on.

Book Review: "Food Person" by Adam D. Roberts

You won’t want to read this one on an empty stomach, that’s for sure! Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy.

Isabella loves food. She loves cooking it, talking about it, eating it, even writing about it. Cookbooks are her favorite thing to read, and she dreams of writing her own someday.

When she gets fired from her job at an online food magazine after a livestream demonstration goes horribly off track (she’s not good in front of a camera), she doesn’t know what her next step should be. But when she is offered the chance to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, a television actress with a robust online presence, she eventually realizes this could help raise her profile.

Of course, it’s not long before Isabella realizes that Molly barely eats anything, let alone cooks. She seems completely disinterested in any of Isabella’s attempts to set a vision for the cookbook, but she is very vocal about what she doesn’t want. Isabella’s publishers want her just to write a cookbook in Molly’s voice, but how can she do that if she doesn’t know what Molly’s voice is?

She begins to see glimpses of Molly’s personality when she’s not “on,” trying to recapture her once-promising career. But will that be enough? Can Isabella loosen up and be open to embracing Molly’s vision, whatever it is?

It really felt as if this book would be right up my alley given how much I love food/cooking-related books. And while the food descriptions and industry gossip was on point, the plot itself wasn’t as strong as I had hoped, and neither main character was particularly likable. But it still was fun.

The book will publish 5/20/2025.

Book Review: "Kate & Frida" by Kim Fay

“…books aren’t anchored in one place like a building which means you can read a book that holds your memories anywhere. And food. If you can get your hands on the right ingredients, you can eat a dish that holds your memories anywhere too. If memories are inherent to our sense of identity, does that mean it’s possible to reassemble parts of your identity no matter where you are in the world?”

This was such a heartwarming and thought-provoking epistolary novel. I found myself smiling and tearing up while reading it.

In 1991, Frida is an aspiring war correspondent living in Paris. She is ready to take on the conflicts of the world and share the stories people don’t see. One day she writes to a bookstore in Seattle to request a book. Her letter is received by Kate, one of the store’s booksellers, who is also an aspiring writer.

Kate is immediately drawn to Frida’s letter, and loves having the opportunity to help a customer. Her reply to Frida sets off a correspondence that builds into one of the most important relationships either young woman has ever had. They recount their days, share their dreams and fears, and talk about books, food, family, and their romantic relationships.

Frida goes to Bosnia to cover the war there and is shaken by all she sees. She searches within herself to find her story. Kate is a highly emotional person who loves her job as a bookseller and loves her family, but so desperately wants to leave her mark on the world.

Epistolary novels are such a terrific change of pace, and I felt the difference between both characters. Kim Fay said in her Author’s Note that this book was inspired by the advice she wanted to give her younger self. This really was a beautiful and memorable book.

Book Review: "We All Live Here" by Jojo Moyes

Okay, I’m ready to be blown away by a Jojo Moyes book again. I’ve not loved the last few, including this one, so maybe I just need her to write another tearjerker.

Lila’s in a bit of a crisis. Her marriage has ended and her husband’s new girlfriend is everywhere, her daughters are both rebelling, and her widowed stepfather has moved into her house without actually discussing it with her first. Into this maelstrom comes her biological father, who left to pursue an acting career when she was young, and wasn’t particularly good about keeping in touch.

Perhaps Lila’s biggest problem is that her editor is pressuring her for her next book. But given that she writes about relationships—and an article she wrote about her husband was published about two weeks before their divorce was announced—coming up with something new is difficult. Who is she to give advice on successful relationships?

Trying to find the strength to move on, to accept that her marriage has ended and she needs to figure out what’s next is exhausting. How can she keep it together both professionally and emotionally when all she wants to do is fall apart?

The possibility of a new romance illuminates her. As she attempts to play peacemaker between her father and stepfather, she realizes that nearly everyone has some wisdom to share, even those with a bad track record.

I felt like this book was soooo slow and it took a while to become fond of Lila’s character. But I liked what Moyes had to say about forgiveness, and how often forgiving ourselves is the first step to healing.

Book Review: "Here Beside the Rising Tide" by Emily Jane

Happy Pub Week to this whimsical, wacky book! Thanks so much to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the advance copy.

“Life was a losing battle, really. Everything else out there in the vast beyond was so lifeless and empty. Mostly, a person had to look away. But there came a moment, or many moments, when a person had to extract their proverbial head from the sand and set aside their screens and remove their headphones and stand witness.”

When she was 10, Jenni and her new best friend Timmy were having an incredible summer on Pearl Island. They spent countless hours on the beach and in the water, setting off fireworks, and simply enjoying the freedom of not having any responsibility. They even helped a strange sea creature make its way back to the ocean. But suddenly, Timmy disappeared one day when they were in the water, and no one knew what happened.

Now, at 40, Jenn is the bestselling author of a smutty romance/action series. She’s also in the midst of a divorce from her self-help-book-addicted husband, with their two children caught in the crossfire. Her next book is overdue and she needs to escape, so she rents a beach house on Pearl Island for the summer, hoping she can keep her soon-to-be-ex at bay.

One night a familiar-looking boy comes out of the water. He says his name is Timmy, and he needs Jenn’s help to save the world. And things get totally crazy: shark attacks, sea monsters, even the return of the adorable sea creatures from their youth. At the same time, Jenn is attracted to a sexy contractor while trying to finish her books.

This is part sci-fi, part coming of age novel. It’s definitely all over the place, but it has such an enormous heart. I felt like it ran a bit longer than it needed to—there were lots of excerpts from Jenni's books and her husband’s self-help books that I could’ve done without. But Emily Jane drew me in with her storytelling for sure.

Book Review: "Exposure" by Ava Dellaira

More than 10 years ago, I read Ava Dellaira’s debut novel, a YA book called Love Letters to the Dead. It was an absolutely beautiful, powerful story. Exposure is Dellaira’s first adult novel, and it is equally powerful, moving, and thought-provoking.

In 2004, Juliette, a student at the University of Chicago, runs into Noah, a high school senior who was in a poetry class she taught as a volunteer project. Juliette is white and Noah is Black, but the two have grief in common. They hook up twice in Juliette’s dorm room.

In 2016, after years of struggling and trying not to lose hope, Noah realizes his dream of becoming a filmmaker. His movie is about to be released, and he and his wife, Jesse, a bestselling novelist, have recently had a baby. On the cusp of this life-changing opportunity, Annie, who was Juliette’s best friend, shares a bombshell about Noah that she recently discovered, and it threatens to upend everything he and Jesse have worked for.

“‘You wanna be able to say she’s good and he’s bad,’ Jesse says, ‘and it would be easier if it worked that way. We all want to be one of the good guys. But we have to live inside of the same story, and it gets messy.’”

The book is narrated by Noah, Jesse, Juliette, and Annie, and shifts back and forth between 1999 and 2016. Each character has their own issues to deal with, but all four are greatly affected by grief, and the book demonstrates how thoroughly it can affect a person.

I’ll admit I didn’t love everything these characters did, but I devoured this book. I’m definitely going to be thinking about Exposure for a long time.

Book Review: "Jump to Recipe" by Jena Wade

I love finding recipes online and am always in awe of the work people put into their food blogs. I will admit, though, that when I’m in a rush I love the “Jump to Recipe” link, which is why the title of this book caught my eye.

Sam is an amazing baker. His bakery and his blog, both called “Whisk Me Away,” are tremendously popular. In addition to sharing his recipes, he shares a bit of himself and life in the town he grew up in.

One secret that Sam hasn’t shared with his customers or followers is that he’s in love with Graham, his brother’s best friend and business partner. Well, he hasn’t shared it until now, as his confessing his love for Graham amidst a recipe—inspired by too much wine—has just been published. And now the secret is out.

Graham is a travel writer whose blog is also quite popular. In fact, he and Sam often fight to be the first person to comment on each other’s posts. He loves Sam’s baking, and he loves how Sam always has cookies waiting for him when he comes home from a trip. But even with all that, Graham is surprised—and very pleased—to read Sam’s confession.

The whole town is abuzz with gossip and they all are rooting for Sam and Graham to end up together. Sam is embarrassed and worries that Graham isn’t interested in him. He quickly finds that’s not an issue!

This was all kinds of fun and adorable, and sweeter than a bakery confection. I hope Jena Wade will give us more of these characters and this town!!

Book Review: "Colored Television" by Danzy Senna

Jane is a writer who has been teaching college while she tries to finish writing her second novel. While it started out modestly, the book has exploded into more than 400 pages of the history of mulatto people in America. She’s taking a one-year sabbatical to finish the book so she can finally get tenure.

Her husband Lenny is an artist and teacher as well, so between the two of them, they’re barely making enough to support raising their two young children. They live a nomadic lifestyle, moving from shared housing to dumpy apartments and sublets from acquaintances. But for the next year they’ll be living in her friend Brett’s mansion while he’s filming in Australia.

“Jane had discovered somewhere along the way that if you did not have money there were benefits to hanging around with people who did.”

When things don’t quite work out with her novel, in a desperate moment, she tries to get a job as a television writer. She winds up working with Hampton Ford, a producer on the rise at a streaming network. He’s determined that they make “the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies.” And while Lenny feels that she is selling out, she’s happy to finally be working on a project that can gain her the notoriety she longs for. But when an opportunity seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Danzy Senna has created a darkly funny social commentary on racial identity, cultural appropriation, the cult of celebrity, and the fragility of fame. At times I felt this had glimpses of Erasure by Percival Everett, which was adapted into the movie American Fiction. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Senna and Everett are married!

I was really impressed by this book and its messages. While some of it was predictable, I was hooked pretty quickly, and couldn’t put the book down.

Book Review: "Small Rain" by Garth Greenwell

“As a teenager I had assumed life would be short, too short to prepare for anything, in those years when I failed my classes and made my mother despair, when life was only long enough for appetite; it seemed to me that any life worth living could only be short.”

In Garth Greenwell’s beautifully written new book, a writer finds himself in excruciating pain one day. He’s rendered nearly immobile at times, hoping the pain will pass. While his partner begs him to go to the hospital, because the story takes place during the pandemic, he is hesitant to go and face the possibility of getting even sicker.

After nearly five days, he finally goes to the emergency room. It appears he has a tear in his aorta, and no one can figure out what might have caused it. Stuck in the ICU, he experiences the highs and lows of the healthcare system, and confronts fears about his own mortality.

At the same time, he ruminates on his relationship with his partner, his mother, and other family members. He also reflects on everything from his childhood to his career path, as well as the impact poetry, music, nature, and academia have had on his life.

This is Greenwell’s third novel, after What Belongs to You and Cleanliness. Each book is loosely based on Greenwell’s real life experiences, and build on each other (although each can be read as a standalone), which imbue them with an emotional gravity.

I’ve been an enormous fan of Greenwell’s work for a while now, but nothing could prepare me for the immense power of this book. It captures love, fear, hope, taking chances, and ambition so incredibly well.

Book Review: "Between Friends & Lovers" by Shirlene Obuobi

Dr. Josephine Boateng is better known to her hundreds of thousands of followers as “Dr. Jojo,” the woman who tells it like it is when it comes to matters of health, sex, and love. It doesn’t matter that Jo has never really had a relationship, because she’s been in love with her best friend Ezra since college.

Jo knows that Ezra is aware of how she feels. But the handsome rom-com actor is always quick to throw her over for the woman of the minute without thinking. The last straw, however, is when Ezra’s date for his 30th birthday party is none other than Ashley, who bullied Jo when they were younger, and he took Ashley's side when she and Jo interacted.

Malcolm is a photographer-turned-bestselling novelist, much to his surprise. His debut novel, a love story, is climbing the charts. He’s invited to Ezra’s birthday party because his famous mother is interested in optioning the book for film. But Mal doesn’t really enjoy schmoozing or crowds, so he hides in an empty bedroom in Ezra’s home.

Jo is shocked to find a man in her bedroom at Ezra’s house, especially one as handsome as Malcolm. From their conversation, she feels seen for the first time, and realizes that Mal could be her ticket out of pining for Ezra. Mal is all too interested, but he wants to woo Jo, and this has never happened to her.

Their relationship experiences highs and lows, especially when Jo comes into contact with Ezra, who realizes how much he misses her adulation. And with Jo’s own issues with love and trust, she isn’t sure where to turn, or what to do.

I don’t normally enjoy love triangles, but this one worked for me. While Mal was the only truly sympathetic character, the dynamics between him and Jo, and Jo and Ezra, were fascinating. This was a more emotional book than I expected, but it really was a good one.

Book Review: "The History of Sound" by Ben Shattuck

When short stories are done well, they can have as much power as a full-length novel. And sometimes, they make you long for more time with their characters but don’t leave you hanging. The History of Sound hits both of those targets.

What’s unique about this collection, however, is that elements of one story appear in another, so they’re essentially paired. Sometimes the pairing is more obvious and other times it’s more subtle, but this technique gives you a different perspective from a different timeframe.

There are absolutely beautiful stories in this collection. My favorite is the title story, where a music student meets a man in a bar just as WWI is heating up. The two fall in love, and spend a summer walking through the woods of Maine, collecting folk songs from various people. Their relationship is brief but has an immense effect on the musician, even years later. (This is being made into a movie with Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor.)

Some other stories that I know will stick with me include: “The Auk,” which follows a man dealing with his wife’s dementia in a very unique way; “August in the Forest,” about relationships and secrets we keep from those we love; and “Edwin Chase of Nantucket,” in which a young man’s life in 1796 is upended when his mother’s old boyfriend arrives with his new wife.

All of the stories take place in New England, and are set anywhere from the 1700s to the present. Ben Shattuck is definitely an immense talent, one whose career I’ll eagerly be following.

Book Review: "Starboard" by Ava Olsen

I’m now two books into this series (it’s called Voyagers) and I’m loving it. I don’t normally read an entire series super fast, but these books are a great balance of romance, super-spicy steam, and emotional depth. (Each book has recurring characters, but they can be read as a standalone.)

Dylan is a handsome actor whose public struggles with alcohol have damaged his career. He’s been divorced twice, and while his first stint in rehab didn’t quite take, he’s now been sober for two years and has spent most of that time out of the public eye.

He’s reluctantly agreed to work with a ghostwriter on his memoir, and at the same time he’s been offered a new film role. His close friends and his AA sponsor are worried that opening up about his life and addiction may damage his sobriety.

Max has made a living as a ghostwriter and professor, and writes his own novels in his spare time. When he and Dylan meet for the first time, there’s an immediate connection, and it’s not long before Dylan is opening up about many long-held secrets, including a major bombshell: he’s bisexual.

The more time they spend together, the stronger their attraction to one another grows. As much as they try to keep things professional, they know it’s just a matter of time before their lust overwhelms them. But what will a relationship with Max do to Dylan’s sobriety? Will a relationship sure to go public affect the tenuous custody arrangement Max and his ex-husband have for their teenage daughter?

"I remembered that some stars collided and merged as one, united forever after. Others ricocheted upon impact and headed into different directions, never to meet again."

While there is very little question about how this book will end, it still was a really enjoyable read. Dylan’s struggles with sobriety and his vulnerability about sharing his secrets added some real emotion to the story. I’m ready to get onboard for the third book!

Book Review: "Set for Life" by Andrew Ewell

TFW you read a book labeled “hilarious,” “wryly funny,” and “sharply witty,” but you find it is none of those things…

Our unnamed narrator is an assistant professor of English and creative writing at a college in upstate New York. The only reason he has a job is because his wife, also an assistant professor, is a well-regarded novelist who made his employment part of her agreement to work there.

He has just spent three months on a fellowship in Bordeaux. But instead of working on his second novel, which is needed for tenure, he spent a lot of time drinking to excess and doing everything but writing. This, of course, puts him under a great deal of pressure once he returns to work.

He tries to keep stalling everyone who wants to read his work in progress, including his wife. He has nothing to show for it. So what better way to compensate than embarking on an affair with one of your oldest friends, who happens to be your wife’s best friend?

There really were no particularly likable characters in this book. I then learned that this is the author’s fictionalized account of his marriage and divorce from the author Hannah Pittard. (She wrote about this in her memoir but changed all the names; he then wrote a novel about it, and basically had his character behave the way he did.)

I found this really disappointing but I wanted to see if it redeemed itself. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t.) This was marketed as an academic novel that was both funny and moving. While the author is a talented writer, this book fell completely flat for me.

Book Review: "The Marriage Sabbatical" by Lian Dolan

“This isn’t a midlife crisis; this is a midlife triumph.”

Jason and Nicole have been married for 23 years. Their two children are in college, and they’ve made quite a life for themselves in Portland through the years. It’s about time they did something for themselves, and they’ve been planning a sabbatical, which includes a 9-month motorcycle trip through South America.

Nicole loves the idea of a sabbatical, but not the motorcycling trip. She’s been dreaming of going to Santa Fe, to study silversmithing, so she might be able to sell her jewelry creations at some point. Of course, she’s not sure how to tell Jason she really doesn’t want to take the trip he’s been planning for a while now.

One night, their neighbors tell them about a key component of their marriage: the 500-mile rule. When they’re more than 500 miles away from one another, they’re free to do as they wish, with whomever they wish to. No questions asked. At first, Nicole and Jason are adamant that they could never live like that, but the more they think on it, they decide that perhaps they can each take a separate sabbatical for nine months, and if they decide to sleep with someone, that’s fine—just no diseases and no pregnancies.

With enthusiasm and a bit of trepidation, they both head out on their journeys. The trips are life-changing and freeing in so many ways, and while chemistry sparks with new people for both, they start to realize what they want from their future—and their relationship.

I’ve become a fan of Lian Dolan after reading her last few books, and this was a fun and sweet read. It alternates between Jason and Nicole’s perspectives, and shifts between the present and retraces their relationship from the start. I can only wonder if the idea of a sabbatical might catch on!

Book Review: "I Finally Bought Some Jordans" by Michael Arceneaux

“No matter how bad things get, if I feel my hair is together, I believe more firmly that I can deal with what is thrown at me.”

Can I get an amen? I believe I’ve actually spoken these words (albeit less articulately) before, because I do feel better when my hair doesn’t look like an overgrown shrub.

As it was with his first essay collection, I Can’t Date Jesus, Michael Arceneaux imbues his writing with sly humor, wry observations, rich emotions, and thought-provoking ideas. There were definitely instances throughout this book when I felt truly seen, and identified with the feelings he was expressing.

Whether he’s talking about the realization that trolling celebrities on the internet sometimes comes back to bite him, his fear that no one would show up to his book signings, his working on his relationship with his parents during the pandemic, or finally feeling secure enough financially that he can splurge every now and again, Arceneaux is thought-provoking and at times either side-splittingly funny or poignant.

Sometimes an essay collection is a great change of pace for me, and I’ve found some great writers over the last few years. If you give this a chance, you may find yourself wiping away a tear one second, and laughing out loud the next. I don’t know about you, but that’s what makes reading fun.

Book Review: "Blank" by Zibby Owens

In thinking of a word to describe this book, the one that keeps coming to mind is “zany.” It’s a book that is about one thing in the beginning but gets wilder and more melodramatic as it unfolds.

Pippa always knew she wanted to be a writer. Her first novel, Poppies, was a surprise bestseller (she was surprised the most) and was even adapted into an Oscar-winning movie (a technical award, but so?). Everyone is eagerly anticipating her follow-up book.

The problem is, it’s been three years and she’s still staring at the flashing cursor on a blank screen. And now her publisher is demanding a book in a week, or she’ll have to return her advance—which she and her husband used to build her a writing office. She’d better come up with an idea fast, or she’s screwed.

But then her 12-year-old son Max jokingly suggests an idea—and she runs with it. It’s definitely risky, but she sees it as an opportunity to make a statement about the publishing world, the arbitrariness of which books sell and which ones don’t, the ones publishers put their weight behind and the ones that languish, barely read. And while the literary world is abuzz about the book, her handsome publisher starts to take an interest in it—and Pippa.

And that’s about when everything goes off the rails. Suddenly amidst the public attention about the book, Pippa starts realizing there’s a lot she doesn’t know about her life, her friends, her marriage, her ambitions, and even her kids. Can she emerge from the chaos stronger and happier than ever? Or at least not have to pay back her publisher?

This was a cute story but it definitely got wacky. I don’t know that I particularly liked many of the characters, although I did like Max and Josh. It’s a quick read that gives you a lot to think about.

Book Review: "Welcome Home, Stranger" by Kate Christensen

Bleak and emotional, but beautifully written, Welcome Home, Stranger is a story about the scars we bear from our family, the resentments and misunderstandings we never voice, and the feeling that our lives are headed in directions we never wanted or expected.

“There are two ways to look at your family. The first way, the so-called normal way, is that you owe them everything just because you’re related. But I believe that you owe them nothing even though you’re related. It’s not obligatory, it’s voluntary.”

Rachel is an award-winning environmental journalist who is more comfortable with research and science than interaction. When her estranged mother dies, she returns home to Maine for the first time in a number of years, she’s hit with a wall of unpleasant memories and the resentment of her sister Celeste, who cared for their mother in her last days.

Both sisters must come to terms with the loss of a woman who viewed her daughters as competition for her and pitted them against one another. Rachel is also dealing with the inevitable loss of her job, reuniting with an old boyfriend, and a health crisis for her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Celeste also wants more out of the life she’s feeling stifled in.

For a relatively short book, the pacing was a little slow. There’s so much crisis and angst in this book and very little to truly be joyful about, so it was difficult to read at times. But ultimately, I think the message the book conveyed was that there is always hope.

Book Review: "The Rachel Incident" by Caroline O'Donoghue

I’ve been wanting to read this since it came out last year, and I’m so glad I finally did. What a great book!

Rachel is a university student in Cork city who takes a job at a bookstore. It is there she meets James, who is effortlessly funny and always good for a laugh or even a shoulder to cry on. It’s not long before they become inseparable best friends, moving in together and helping each other through the everyday angst in their lives.

When Rachel develops a crush on Fred Byrne, one of her professors, it is James who comes up with a scheme by which she can seduce him. But things don’t work out the way they planned, and events are set into motion that have a ripple effect on all of their lives, as well as the life of Deenie, Fred’s wife.

The Rachel Incident mostly takes place in the late 2000s and early 2010s, as Ireland deals with the recession as well as the fight for abortion rights. At times it flashes forward to the present, with Rachel’s narration giving some clues to the future, but leaving most of it for you to unfold.

There’s nothing quite like the angst and stress of your early 20s, navigating love, sex, relationships, career plans, and family. This book so accurately captures those emotions, the drunken nights, the arguments over nothing, the fear you’ll be left behind by life and love. It’s so beautifully written, and though it is more of a slow-burn, character-driven novel, I felt very invested in the story.