Book Review: "Her Last Breath" by Taylor Adams

I stayed up until 2:00 am because I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. This was the same feeling I had when I read Taylor Adams’ debut thriller, No Exit.

Tess and her best friend Allie grew up together. In fact, when Tess finally got the courage to speak up about her mom’s abuse, she moved in with Allie and her family through high school. They took different paths—Tess went to law school and Allie became a popular travel influencer—but they’ve found their way back to each other.

After much persuading, Tess finally agrees to go caving with Allie. Yet as they start to make their descent down an immensely claustrophobic path, they realize they are not alone. An earlier confrontation with a fellow caver leaves them vulnerable.

Before she realizes it, Tess is stranded in a narrow passage with no way of getting back up safely—and her oxygen is getting depleted. She has to use every ounce of strength she has to fight for survival, against a killer determined to thwart her every move.

From her hospital bed, Tess recounts every painful and frightening moment of this horrible day. But the detective who is investigating her ordeal tells Tess that there are secrets that Allie was keeping, secrets which might mean this seemingly random attack might not have been so random.

I’ve never gone caving before and have no desire to, ever. But Adams’ imagery made me feel like I was stuck right there with Tess. This was an absolutely heart-pounding book, and it took a while for my adrenaline to level off after reading!

Book Review: "We Burned So Bright" by TJ Klune

TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors of all time. Three of his books have been #1 on three year-end lists. His books leave me sobbing, smiling, and thinking, usually all at once. Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for the complimentary advance copy of this book!

“‘Do we live to be remembered?,’ Don asked. ‘Or do we live to live?’”

Don and Rodney have been together for more than 40 years, and even got legally married in 2015. They’re both a little grumpy and stubborn at times, but the love they have for each other is fierce and beautiful. They’ve seen good times and bad, but they’ve faced everything together.

And while they take their vows seriously—even “‘til death do us part”—they’re not expecting the news that a black hole is headed for earth and the planet is going to be destroyed in a month. But they’re not going to wallow. They’re going to leave their home in Maine and drive to Washington State, to complete one final task they promised to do.

Along their drive across the country they encounter many different people. Some demonstrate great empathy and love despite their fears, but others definitely threaten the men’s sense of security. But as they reach their final destination, they realize how lucky they are to have shared each other’s lives.

This was absolutely beautiful. Of course it made me cry, but I also thought about what I would do in this situation. I highlighted so many sentences in this book; Klune’s prose always leaves me awestruck!

The book will publish 4/28.

Book Review: "Lake Effect" by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

It’s 1977 in suburban Rochester, NY. A woman who has scandalized her neighborhood by getting divorced decides to buy her friends a copy of The Joy of Sex. What she views as a bit of a prank sets off some serious ripples.

Nina is married to Sam and they have two teenage daughters, Clara and Bridie. When Nina gets a copy of the book and hears her friends sharing details about their sex lives, she realizes how empty her own is. At that moment she decides she wants to have an affair, and when she lands on her neighbor, Finn, he’s all too willing to partake.

But the ramifications of an affair in their claustrophobic neighborhood quickly cause Nina to put the brakes on. Yet Finn, who is deeply dissatisfied in his own marriage, can’t imagine a life without Nina. To the surprise of everyone, Nina and Finn leave their families, get quickie divorces and marry each other, and head back to town.

The family members left behind each feel a different sense of betrayal. But her mother’s actions hit Clara in a different way: she was just falling in love with Finn’s son Dune, who now wants nothing to do with her.

The book spans from the 1970s to the 1990s, and traces the many ways the actions of Finn and Nina continue to cause issues for their families years later. There is a lot that occurs in this book and there’s definitely some weighty content, but it never felt forced or false.

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney has a real knack for capturing the dynamics and dysfunctions of families. I was swept into the story of the Larkins and the Finnegans, and was amused, moved, and affected by them.

Book Review: "The Shards" by Bret Easton Ellis

“We were teenagers distracted by sex and pop music, movies and celebrity, lust and ephemera and our own neutral innocence.”

In high school and college, Bret Easton Ellis was an auto-buy author for me. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, and American Psycho definitely cemented his talent for me. I read another one or two of his books in the late 1990s and that was it, until in 2023 his first book in 13 years, The Shards was released. I was excited but 600 pages?

Anyway, the book has been glaring at me from my shelves so I finally picked it up. We find ourselves in 1981, at the prestigious Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, CA. Bret is a senior, and he and his friends have a singular plan: get as drunk, as high, as stoned as possible.

Surprisingly, a new student, Robert Mallory, joins the senior class. His effortless charms win over many of Bret’s friends, but not Bret himself. He’s suspicious of Robert and why anyone would go to a different school in their senior year.

As Bret’s resentments grow, so does his obsession with The Trawler, a serial killer who is going after young women. Bret gets totally engrossed in the search for the killer, and then he decides to make a timeline of the murders. He makes a shocking discovery: the murders seem to correlate with Robert’s arrival in California.

This is definitely a work of fiction, despite its connections to reality. It treads some of the same territory of Ellis’ early books—the rich, affected, drug-addicted students—but it also has its gruesome moments in describing the murders. The core of the story was really compelling but the plot meandered and the book didn’t need to be this long. I’m glad I finally read it though!

Book Review: "Feeding the Grump" by Jax Calder

“I’m fairly sure that when I’m on my deathbed, I’ll still be cursing Benji Gange’s name.”

This rom-com was all kinds of adorable, fun, and steamy. I’m a huge fan of Jax Calder; she’s become an auto-buy author for me, so I was already sold on this—and then she threw in a little mischievous lamb.

David is a farmer in New Zealand. He’s very by-the-books, a stickler for traditional farming practices. Which is why Benji, who inherited the neighboring farm is such a nuisance to him. Benji isn’t interested in blithely following the way things always are done; he does research and tries new methods.

If there’s one place where David colors outside the lines, it’s his garden. He’s constantly experimenting with new varieties of fruits and vegetables, and given that he always has an overabundance of his crops, he usually shares them with Benji. It’s amazing how Benji can get under his skin so easily but David still wants to share his crops with him. And Benji usually uses the food to cook for David.

One day, the smallest of David’s lambs gets loose. He starts frantically searching for it, and Benji pitches in to help. When Benji gets tangled up in a bush, David has to help free him. And at that moment, he realizes that his feelings for Benji are far stronger than simply neighborly ones. Is it possible that Benji feels the same way? (Spoiler alert: he does.)

I couldn’t stop smiling when I was reading this. The chemistry between the characters was terrific, there was some hot steam, and their banter was so sweet. I know I can’t go wrong with a Jax Calder romance!

Book Review: "Collateral Stardust: Chasing Warren Beatty and Other Foolish Things"

Nikki Nash’s memoir was such a fun read. Take a healthy helping of Hollywood hijinks, more than a dash of family dysfunction, and a few cups of battling the demons of addiction and depression, and stir in some introspection. Lots of nostalgia and gossip, too!

In the 1970s, 14-year-old Nikki Nash saw Warren Beatty for the first time. She decided that she wanted him to love her and be hers. So she laid out a plan that once she was grown up (like 18 years old), she would find him.

“…my focus on Warren Beatty was absolute, and with him, I’d find a great love. It wasn’t some girly crush that would include posters on my wall or putting his photo in a secret diary. I wanted more. It was my mission to know him. Not to meet him, not to get an autograph, but to know him and have him in my life forever.”

Working as a hostess at an LA restaurant Beatty frequented, she waited to meet him. A year later, at 19, at a moment she felt unclean and unattractive, her wish came true. Once she and Beatty spoke, it was the start of something significant. It wasn’t quite the love affair she’d imagined, but the two had an on-again, off-again relationship of sorts which lasted for a few decades.

The celebrities with whom she came into contact through Beatty were fascinating. At the same time, she wanted to forge her own path, and in the book she tells of her experiences trying all sorts of things: acting, stand-up, writing, directing, and working for many television shows. She had lots of relationships and spent a significant amount of time dealing with drug and alcohol addiction as well as eating disorders. She also talks about her journey of recovery and self-discovery.

Nash swept me into her story immediately. Her voice is so approachable and fun, and even when things in her life were at their toughest, reading this was like talking to a friend. I’m so grateful she was willing to share her story!

Book Review: "Pinky Swear" by Danielle Girard

Another highly anticipated book exceeds my expectations! I really loved this thriller, both for the suspense and emotionally rich story. I love thrillers but it’s always a nice surprise when there’s emotional complexity as well.

They were inseparable best friends while growing up. Lexi, Mara, and Cate were always together, sharing gossip, secrets, and fierce loyalty. But a few weeks before graduation, tragedy struck, and the resulting guilt, anger, and hurt destroyed the friendships.

After no contact for 16 years, Mara shows up at Lexi’s door. She is hurt and frightened, on the run from an abusive, vindictive husband. Lexi is more than happy to provide Mara with a safe haven, and after a little time, it’s like there was no interruption of their friendship.

When Lexi confides in Mara about her fertility issues and the fact that her husband isn’t interested in having a baby, Mara steps in. She offers to be Lexi’s surrogate, and as Mara’s pregnancy continues, Lexi is full of joy and appreciation for her friend’s sacrifice.

Four days before Mara is due to give birth, she disappears. Lexi cannot believe what is happening. She is (fairly) sure Mara wouldn’t leave at this point in her pregnancy. Was she taken or did she flee? As Lexi tries to track her friend’s whereabouts, she realizes that there are lots of things about Mara that don’t add up. And some of these secrets date back to high school…

I’ve enjoyed Danielle Girard’s books before, but I was completely swept into this one. The suspense of figuring out whom to trust, along with the nostalgia of old friendships and the pull of motherhood, really made this an unputdownable read.