Book Review: "I Love You Don't Die" by Jade Song

“It’s a privilege to love. To love is to build a life.”

Of course, it was the title of this book that drew me in. I found the book really thought-provoking (and a bit sad), so I’m glad I’m so impressionable!

Vicky is obsessed with death. She has been since she was young. Part of this obsession manifests itself as nightmares about those close to her meeting a tragic end. But she also lives in a 6th-floor walk up above a Chinese funeral parlor, and she decorates her apartment with zhizha, paper creations which are meant to be burned for the dead.

To top it off, she works for Onwards, a celebrity-founded startup which produces bespoke urns and tries to make death less difficult and mysterious for the living. Even though working for Onwards was her dream, she never feels particularly motivated to work, or do much of anything, really. Other than periodic trips to the office, the only person who can get her out of bed and into the world is her best friend, Jen.

Vicky is also desperate to be loved. She matches with a couple seeking a third, and Angela and Kevin provide comfort and love. But she forgets that the course of love—or friendship, for that matter—never runs smoothly. At the first sign of conflict or being driven to question her own motives, she’s quick to destroy rather than communicate. This leads to disastrous consequences and she wonders whether life is worth it.

This book may be a bit triggering for some. It’s part social commentary, part a story about searching for the things and people who make life worth living. Vicky isn’t the most sympathetic or likable character, but her feelings and questions are definitely familiar and powerful.

Book Review: "Served Him Right" by Lisa Unger

I do love it when a thriller or mystery keeps me guessing until the end! I’ve been seeing this one all over the place and I finally had to see what the buzz was about.

Ana is through with her ex, Paul. So through, in fact, that she and her friends are going to gather for an “ex-orcism,” where they all delete him off all of their social media and every other form of communication. In the middle of their girls’ brunch, the police show up. It seems that Paul has been found dead.

It’s not long before the police find out that Ana definitely had motive to murder Paul. But she swears she is innocent, and it appears that Paul had a long list of people who might’ve wished him harm. Yet when Ana’s best friend Iggy, who was also at the brunch, becomes seriously ill as a result of poison, everyone—including Ana’s older sister Vera—starts to suspect Ana.

It turns out, however, that lots of people are hiding secrets. As the police start closing in on Ana, she and Vera are both working on trying to clear her name. But their investigations put them both at risk, and stirs up tensions with a secret group of people with their own axes to grind.

There are a lot of characters who narrate the book, and the story shifts between Vera and Ana’s childhood and the present. I liked learning about natural methods of healing and enjoyed the book’s message about how much harder women have to work and how “perfect” they must be in order to succeed.

Book Review: "Nothing Serious" by Emily J. Smith

“We like to chalk things up to chance. But most things, if you dig deep enough, aren’t chance. Not really.”

Peter and Edie have been best friends since college, when Peter rescued her from a situation beyond her control. In the years since then, Peter has become an ultra-confident, handsome multimillionaire, while Edie feels like her life is stagnating.

Even though Peter has been dating his girlfriend for a number of years, Edie is still a big part of his life. He spends more time texting with Edie than talking to his girlfriend. Edie hopes that maybe he’ll come to his senses and realize he’s been in love with her all along.

When Peter breaks up with his girlfriend, Edie is ready to swoop in. But instead of wallowing in loneliness like she does, he quickly gets on the apps. He meets Anaya, a feminist professor and writer who definitely can hold her own with Peter. He invites Edie to meet Anaya—on their first date—and she realizes that Anaya is an amazing catch. She feels a connection with Anaya and they start to become friends.

And then Anaya is found dead in her apartment, the morning after a date with Peter. It’s all too easy for Edie to get obsessed with things, and she starts becoming more and more suspicious of Peter. She decides to do her own digging to find out whether Anaya’s death really was a suicide or if it was murder.

Edie is a wild character, just a little bit unhinged. But it’s easy to understand one’s obsessions when you feel you don’t have much in your life. I liked the concept of this book more than the execution, and found the pacing uneven.

Book Review: "Thirty Love" by Tom Vellner

You may not know, but I’m a huge sports fan. I’m in heaven now that March Madness is underway and the Masters tournament is in a month or so. But my favorite sport is tennis. I’ve been a fan since I was young, and I religiously watch all of the Grand Slams as well as lots of other tournaments along the way.

Needless to say, I was excited to read Tom Vellner’s debut novel. He captured the intensity of watching tennis matches, especially the Grand Slams, so well.

Leo was at the U.S. Open in 2003, the last time an American man won the tournament. His dad, Johnny, had been a finalist years before. At that moment he knew he wanted to make tennis his life—and he definitely wanted to win the U.S. Open.

Now, nearing 30 years old, Leo has had some success winning tournaments but not a Grand Slam, although he made the semifinals the year before. And while he’s the top-ranked American man, that’s a lot of pressure, not to mention the fact that his father (who is also his coach) has MS, which is starting to affect him more.

The other obstacle Leo has to deal with is Gabe, a rival American player. He seems to have Leo’s number and knows just what to say—and what shot to hit—to get under his skin. Leo has feelings for Gabe he won’t admit, feelings that magnify when Gabe comes out of the closet. Leo admires Gabe for that but doesn’t feel he’s ready to share his truth, until it all bubbles over one game night. Can Leo have Gabe and make his tennis dreams come true?

I enjoyed this so much. Damned if I didn’t get choked up a few times, too! I’ve often wondered why there are no out male tennis players, and this book made me long for the day when it’s not that big of an issue. Chalk this up to my first M/M tennis romance!

Book Review: "Life: A Love Story" by Elizabeth Berg

I would give this book 500 stars if I could! If I were to describe the kind of book that fills my heart, it would be this absolutely beautiful one.

“‘I think it means you can never really get to the bottom of knowing a person,’ Teresa says. ‘There’s so much inside each of us. But you can get a strong sense of certain fundamental qualities. You can come to a point of knowing enough.’”

Flo is 92 years old and she doesn’t have much longer to live. She plans to leave her house and all of its contents to her friend Ruthie. Flo and her late husband lived next door to Ruthie and her family when she was a child, and they doted on her like she was their own. When Ruthie became an adult, she and Flo became close friends.

Flo writes Ruthie a letter explaining the meaning of various possessions—why she keeps a rubber band in a box tied with a ribbon, where a single coffee mug came from and what it meant, etc. In the letter, she shares simple and extraordinary moments in her life and her marriage. She also gives Ruthie advice about love, loss, friendship, and generosity.

I found Flo to be an utterly unforgettable character, and I’m taking some of her advice to heart. This book was profoundly thought-provoking and immensely moving. Elizabeth Berg’s prose is gorgeous and paints indelible pictures in my mind.

“Terrence told her once about a language where there is no word for ‘hello.’ Rather, people greet each other by saying, ‘You are here.’ And the response is ‘Yes, I am.’”

Book Review: "The Best Little Motel in Texas" by Lyla Lane

This cozy mystery featuring the unlikeliest band of amateur detectives was such fun! I hope this is the start of a series.

Cordelia is completely shocked to receive a call from her old hometown of Sarsaparilla Falls, Texas. She and her mother fled the judgmental small town and rebuilt their lives in Dallas, and Cordelia hasn’t thought of the place—or of her childhood, getting her mother home from bars—in years.

It turns out her great-aunt Penelope (whom Cordelia didn’t know existed) passed away, and named her as the owner of the Chickadee Motel. Cordelia can’t imagine working at a motel, but apparently she can’t sell it unless the residents agree. So she reluctantly heads back to Sarsaparilla Falls to see what she’s been stuck with.

Much to her surprise, she finds out that the Chickadee isn’t a motel: it’s a brothel. The “residents” are Daisy, Belinda Sue, and Arline, three women who have been, umm, working with, the men in town for 40 or so years. (Mostly with their wives’ approval.) So Cordelia is the new madam.

The first thing she wants to do is get out of town and away from the motel. But when the town’s pastor dies in Daisy’s bed, and it appears he has been poisoned, Cordelia knows she needs to help her “chicks.” They begin their investigation in order to clear Daisy’s name, but they don’t realize what a tangled web they’ve stepped into.

I could only imagine what a film or television adaptation of this book would look like. Picturing the “chicks” in their outfits made me smile, and Cordelia was a fun character to watch develop. This really was a fun one!

Book Review: "The Night We Met" by Abby Jimenez

“Maybe that’s how you learn truths about yourself, when you’re withered down to nothing so it’s easy to see what’s left."

Abby Jimenez has done it again! Ever since I read her first book back in 2019, each year I eagerly anticipate her next one. I always know she’ll make my heart swoon and she’ll definitely get me choked up, at the very least. Thanks so much to Forever and Abby for the complimentary advance copy!

Larissa and Chris didn’t quite have a meet-cute. They met at the end of a concert, she needed a ride home. She felt like Chris seemed a little grumpy, so she chose to ride home with Mike, Chris’ best friend. Larissa and Mike start dating shortly thereafter.

But as Larissa and Chris get to know each other better, they quickly discover how perfect for each other they are. They both love to eat (especially bread), they love to read, and soon Larissa is co-parenting Woofarine, the overly active dog Chris rescued.

While Chris definitely has feelings for Larissa, she’s his best friend’s girlfriend. He knows he can’t cross a line or he’ll destroy a long-standing friendship. And while Larissa is attracted to Chris, she’s happy with the way Mike treats her. But the truth is, anything that makes her happy, Chris actually does for Mike—and not always with his knowledge. How can Chris stand idly by and let the woman he’s falling for be with someone else who doesn’t have the capacity to take care of her the way she wants and needs?

There are a few issues in the book that could be triggering; check out the author’s note at the beginning to be sure. I found this really emotional yet also hopeful in places, and as always, the dog is adorable but completely manic! I loved this.

The book publishes 3/24.