Whoa. This book was twisty and intense, and I was hooked from the very first page!
Amanda has been filled with grief and anger since she experienced a double loss. The police know who is responsible but can’t find enough evidence to make a case against the suspect. She’s taken to stalking him and dreams of taking his life into her own hands, to make his loved ones suffer the way she has.
At a support group for grieving parents, she meets Wendy, and recognizes in this woman much of the same unresolved anger toward the man responsible for her own loss. One night over drinks, they agree to a plan: Wendy will kill the man responsible for Amanda’s loss, and Amanda will do the same for her.
One night when her husband is out with friends, a man breaks into Ruth’s house and violently assaults her. She barely saw her attacker, except for his piercing blue eyes and his calling her “sweetheart.” The aftermath leaves her in complete fear, desperate to know why she was singled out, and worrying he’ll be back to finish the job. Every man she sees frightens her. Her husband Scott is desperate to help her overcome her fears, but he feels powerless.
This really was a fast-paced book, and Steve Cavanagh ratchets up the tension and suspense little by little. While you think you know what will happen, the script gets flipped more than a few times.
I had seen a lot of great reviews for this book, and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations. Definitely a twisty read I couldn’t get enough of!!
It's Either Sadness or Bookphoria...
From my book- and Oscar-obsessed mind...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Book Review: "Kill for Me, Kill for You" by Steve Cavanagh
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Book Review: "Anita de Monte Laughs Last" by Xochitl Gonzalez
A dual-timeline book that examines the art world as well as the sexual, racial, and power dynamics it stirs up, Anita de Monte Laughs Last was a very thought-provoking read. I really loved Xochitl Gonzalez’s debut, Olga Dies Dreaming, so I was really looking forward to this.
In 1985, a rising young artist, Anita de Monte, died under mysterious circumstances. Anita was married to famed artist (and womanizer) Jack Martin, but as her raw talent started gaining notoriety, it provoked Jack’s envy and his anger. While Anita’s death proved to be a scandal, the buzz was short-lived, and it wasn’t long before Anita’s talent was forgotten and Jack's career continued to flourish.
In 1998, Raquel Toro is an art history student at Brown University. Being one of only a few minority students, she felt ostracized, like she needed to work three times as hard to get the breaks her fellow students got. When she starts a relationship with Nick, an older, wealthy art student, she does reap the advantages—but at the expense of her pride, her independence, and her self-respect.
She plans to write her final thesis about Jack Martin, but while interning at a museum over the summer, she is introduced to the life and work of Anita de Monte. She realizes this artist, her talent as well as her tragic end and the influences she had over those in her cycle, is the real story that needs to be told.
The parallel narrative is an interesting one, shifting back and forth through Anita’s short career and her death, alternating with Raquel’s struggles and her discovery of Anita’s work. It’s fascinating and sad how both women felt the need to compromise themselves in order to make the men in their lives happy, and how their minority status often made them “exotic.”
While the pacing felt a little slow at times, I really liked this book. I’d imagine the struggles Anita and Raquel dealt with were very realistic, not just within the art world.
In 1985, a rising young artist, Anita de Monte, died under mysterious circumstances. Anita was married to famed artist (and womanizer) Jack Martin, but as her raw talent started gaining notoriety, it provoked Jack’s envy and his anger. While Anita’s death proved to be a scandal, the buzz was short-lived, and it wasn’t long before Anita’s talent was forgotten and Jack's career continued to flourish.
In 1998, Raquel Toro is an art history student at Brown University. Being one of only a few minority students, she felt ostracized, like she needed to work three times as hard to get the breaks her fellow students got. When she starts a relationship with Nick, an older, wealthy art student, she does reap the advantages—but at the expense of her pride, her independence, and her self-respect.
She plans to write her final thesis about Jack Martin, but while interning at a museum over the summer, she is introduced to the life and work of Anita de Monte. She realizes this artist, her talent as well as her tragic end and the influences she had over those in her cycle, is the real story that needs to be told.
The parallel narrative is an interesting one, shifting back and forth through Anita’s short career and her death, alternating with Raquel’s struggles and her discovery of Anita’s work. It’s fascinating and sad how both women felt the need to compromise themselves in order to make the men in their lives happy, and how their minority status often made them “exotic.”
While the pacing felt a little slow at times, I really liked this book. I’d imagine the struggles Anita and Raquel dealt with were very realistic, not just within the art world.
Book Review: "The Boyfriend Subscription" by Steven Salvatore
A steamy, gay version of Pretty Woman? Yes, please!
Teddy thought he had it all—the perfect marriage and a dream career running an urban nursery in the middle of NYC. But he finds out that his husband played him for a fool, and then he lost his business, which devastated him even more. With no money or prospects on the horizon, he plans to head back home to New Orleans to live with his mother and start again.
Cole was supposed to be the heir to his family’s construction company, but his desire to live his life on his own terms alienates him from his family, especially his power-hungry father. But he achieves the success he dreamed of by founding VERSTL, an app which brings sex workers and consumers together to create content and connect with one another.
Teddy and Cole meet in a dive bar one night, when Teddy is drowning his sorrows and Cole is escaping immense pressure. VERSTL is about to go public, which will be a surprise to Cole’s family. But to attract an investor concerned about the sex work component of the app, Cole could use a more down-to-earth boyfriend.
And that’s where Teddy comes in. After their one-night stand, Cole offers Teddy a job to pretend to be his boyfriend. He’ll be compensated quite well, but he has to remember two rules: no kissing and no catching feelings. Hmm…wonder how that will go?
This was so enjoyable, super-sexy, romantic, and emotional. I loved the book’s treatment of sex work as well as the way it portrayed the inferiority complex many of us deal with. Cole and Teddy were a great couple, and Steven Salvatore is such a talented writer. I've loved their YA books, and I'm so glad to see they've moved into adult romance!
Teddy thought he had it all—the perfect marriage and a dream career running an urban nursery in the middle of NYC. But he finds out that his husband played him for a fool, and then he lost his business, which devastated him even more. With no money or prospects on the horizon, he plans to head back home to New Orleans to live with his mother and start again.
Cole was supposed to be the heir to his family’s construction company, but his desire to live his life on his own terms alienates him from his family, especially his power-hungry father. But he achieves the success he dreamed of by founding VERSTL, an app which brings sex workers and consumers together to create content and connect with one another.
Teddy and Cole meet in a dive bar one night, when Teddy is drowning his sorrows and Cole is escaping immense pressure. VERSTL is about to go public, which will be a surprise to Cole’s family. But to attract an investor concerned about the sex work component of the app, Cole could use a more down-to-earth boyfriend.
And that’s where Teddy comes in. After their one-night stand, Cole offers Teddy a job to pretend to be his boyfriend. He’ll be compensated quite well, but he has to remember two rules: no kissing and no catching feelings. Hmm…wonder how that will go?
This was so enjoyable, super-sexy, romantic, and emotional. I loved the book’s treatment of sex work as well as the way it portrayed the inferiority complex many of us deal with. Cole and Teddy were a great couple, and Steven Salvatore is such a talented writer. I've loved their YA books, and I'm so glad to see they've moved into adult romance!
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Book Review: "Here We Go Again" by Alison Cochrun
I was a complete puddle of emotions after reading Alison Cochrun’s newest book. It was 1:30 a.m. and I was crying and smiling at the same time. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Logan has spent her whole life in the same small town of Vista Summit, Washington. She is in her 30s, she still lives with her father, and she even teaches at her old high school. She never lets anyone get too close, so everyone thinks she’s a self-centered asshole, and she doesn't seem to care. She even thinks of herself as a fuckboy.
Rosemary was Logan’s childhood best friend, until one night when they were 14 and everything changed. From then on, they’ve strongly disliked one another. Rosemary left town to go to college and make a living, but then she came back to Vista Summit, and teaches in the same school Logan does.
Both Rosemary and Logan are never-ending sources of aggravation for one another. But when their beloved high school English teacher, Joe, tells them he only has a few months to live, he makes a request they can’t refuse: he asks them both to drive him to Bar Harbor, Maine, so he can die at a house he has owned for decades rather than die in the hospital.
The thought of having to spend that much time together in close quarters fills both of them with dread, but Joe means more to them than almost anyone. There’s so much they want to say to one another, so many misunderstandings to be corrected, so many feelings to finally be expressed. But given how different each of them is, will they even survive the drive?
Cochrun’s debut, The Charm Offensive,” was one of my absolute favorites, and this was utterly amazing. It’s sexy, funny, complicated, sad, and hopeful, but it may be triggering for some who have recently experienced loss. This really moved me.
The book publishes 4/2.
Logan has spent her whole life in the same small town of Vista Summit, Washington. She is in her 30s, she still lives with her father, and she even teaches at her old high school. She never lets anyone get too close, so everyone thinks she’s a self-centered asshole, and she doesn't seem to care. She even thinks of herself as a fuckboy.
Rosemary was Logan’s childhood best friend, until one night when they were 14 and everything changed. From then on, they’ve strongly disliked one another. Rosemary left town to go to college and make a living, but then she came back to Vista Summit, and teaches in the same school Logan does.
Both Rosemary and Logan are never-ending sources of aggravation for one another. But when their beloved high school English teacher, Joe, tells them he only has a few months to live, he makes a request they can’t refuse: he asks them both to drive him to Bar Harbor, Maine, so he can die at a house he has owned for decades rather than die in the hospital.
The thought of having to spend that much time together in close quarters fills both of them with dread, but Joe means more to them than almost anyone. There’s so much they want to say to one another, so many misunderstandings to be corrected, so many feelings to finally be expressed. But given how different each of them is, will they even survive the drive?
Cochrun’s debut, The Charm Offensive,” was one of my absolute favorites, and this was utterly amazing. It’s sexy, funny, complicated, sad, and hopeful, but it may be triggering for some who have recently experienced loss. This really moved me.
The book publishes 4/2.
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Sunday, March 24, 2024
Book Review: "The Trail of Lost Hearts" by Tracey Garvis Graves
Wren has been reeling from the sudden death of her fiancé, not to mention a second blow which was even more crushing. All she has wanted to do is cut herself off from the world and wallow in her grief, but her friends won’t let her. Remarkably, she starts to find joy in geocaching, or using a GPS to find hidden objects, and she plans a trip to Oregon, to get away from home and spend a week clearing her mind while searching for geocaches.
Shortly after starting out on a hike, she encounters a dangerous situation she is utterly unprepared for. Marshall, another hiker, happens to be walking by and he saves Wren from almost certain disaster. Wren is tremendously grateful for Marshall’s heroism, and when he proposes they team up for the rest of the week, she agrees.
Marshall is dealing with a tragedy of his own, and while his kindness and empathy help Wren to unburden herself, he isn’t willing to open up himself. But the more time they spend with each other, the stronger the connection between them grows. Neither is sure what the future holds, but they decide to enjoy the time until Wren heads home.
But when Wren returns home, it appears that she and Marshall are farther apart emotionally than Wren thought. For the first time, she knows it’s necessary to put herself and her needs first, even if it’s not what her heart wants.
How do you find the strength to move on when you can’t see past your grief and hurt? When do you know if you’re ready to shake off your past and start anew? Can you let your fears go in order to take a chance?
I love the emotions that Tracey Garvis Graves fills her books with. Every one I’ve read has hit me square in the feels, but at the same time, they’ve been infused with hope. I definitely will keep reading everything she writes!!
Shortly after starting out on a hike, she encounters a dangerous situation she is utterly unprepared for. Marshall, another hiker, happens to be walking by and he saves Wren from almost certain disaster. Wren is tremendously grateful for Marshall’s heroism, and when he proposes they team up for the rest of the week, she agrees.
Marshall is dealing with a tragedy of his own, and while his kindness and empathy help Wren to unburden herself, he isn’t willing to open up himself. But the more time they spend with each other, the stronger the connection between them grows. Neither is sure what the future holds, but they decide to enjoy the time until Wren heads home.
But when Wren returns home, it appears that she and Marshall are farther apart emotionally than Wren thought. For the first time, she knows it’s necessary to put herself and her needs first, even if it’s not what her heart wants.
How do you find the strength to move on when you can’t see past your grief and hurt? When do you know if you’re ready to shake off your past and start anew? Can you let your fears go in order to take a chance?
I love the emotions that Tracey Garvis Graves fills her books with. Every one I’ve read has hit me square in the feels, but at the same time, they’ve been infused with hope. I definitely will keep reading everything she writes!!
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Book Review: "Expiration Dates" by Rebecca Serle
I don’t exactly know what it means that I love books with touches of magical realism, yet when a thriller forces me to suspend my disbelief I often struggle with it. Whatever it is, some of my most favorite books have had that element in common, and that’s why I love everything that Rebecca Serle writes.
Imagine if, just before—or after—you meet someone you’re attracted to, you find a slip of paper that has their name on it and how long your relationship with that person will last. That has happened to Daphne for as long as she can remember. While it certainly is a burden to carry, it also keeps her from being blindsided—she knows how much of herself to give.
She has always dreamed that one day she’d receive a paper that let her know she found her forever love. And when she gets ready to go out on a date with Jake, a friend of a friend, she finds a slip of paper with just his name on it, no time limit. Finally, she can let her guard down.
With Jake, she feels freer than she has before, and it’s not long before she knows she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. But Jake doesn’t know what secrets Daphne is keeping, and Daphne doesn’t know if she can possibly keep from breaking his heart.
“Something else has always called the shots in my life—call it the universe, fate, the comedic force of timing. But my life isn’t like other people’s. I have a different set of rules to live by.”
I fell head over heels for Expiration Dates, but I recognize magical realism isn’t for everyone. The book definitely had a few twists I didn’t see coming, but in the end, it is its heart that resonated so much for me.
Imagine if, just before—or after—you meet someone you’re attracted to, you find a slip of paper that has their name on it and how long your relationship with that person will last. That has happened to Daphne for as long as she can remember. While it certainly is a burden to carry, it also keeps her from being blindsided—she knows how much of herself to give.
She has always dreamed that one day she’d receive a paper that let her know she found her forever love. And when she gets ready to go out on a date with Jake, a friend of a friend, she finds a slip of paper with just his name on it, no time limit. Finally, she can let her guard down.
With Jake, she feels freer than she has before, and it’s not long before she knows she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. But Jake doesn’t know what secrets Daphne is keeping, and Daphne doesn’t know if she can possibly keep from breaking his heart.
“Something else has always called the shots in my life—call it the universe, fate, the comedic force of timing. But my life isn’t like other people’s. I have a different set of rules to live by.”
I fell head over heels for Expiration Dates, but I recognize magical realism isn’t for everyone. The book definitely had a few twists I didn’t see coming, but in the end, it is its heart that resonated so much for me.
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.
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.
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