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: "The Divide" by Morgan Richter

When she was 18, Sheila moved from Iowa to Los Angeles, changed her name to Jenny St. John, and landed the lead role in an independent movie called The Divide. She had a very brief relationship with Serge, the film’s director, and her performance was quite good. But the film never saw the light of day for some time, and while Serge’s career soared, Jenny’s went nowhere.

Over the next 20 years, Jenny drifted from opportunity to opportunity but never really succeeded. She wound up working as an “intuitive counselor” (aka psychic), trying to convince her customers that she could see their future. It hasn’t been too lucrative; in fact, she’s been illegally squatting in her “clinic” for a number of years.

Jenny learns that Serge was murdered and his ex-wife Gena, an actress turned artist, is missing. Apparently Jenny and Gena look almost identical; in fact, Gena has been telling people for years that she starred in The Divide, essentially appropriating Jenny’s life. And the strangest thing is, people that knew Jenny back then actually believed that she and Gena were the same person.

Boots, an Oscar-winning actress turned skin care guru, hires Jenny to figure out what happened to Gena and who killed Serge. She doesn’t need a detective; she just wants Jenny to use her psychic skills to formulate a guess as to whom the guilty party is.

The more Jenny mingles with Gena and Serge’s friends and significant others (past and present), the more confused she gets about Gena’s pretending to be her. And the closer she gets to figuring out the truth, the more danger she finds herself in.

This was an interesting and entertaining read. I guessed correctly as to the identity of the killer (I guess it made sense), but there are parts of the story that I wasn’t completely sure were either memories, imaginings, or hallucinations. Still, I liked the complexity of Jenny’s character and was hooked on the story.

Book Review: "The Life Impossible" by Matt Haig

I’m a huge Matt Haig fan. The Midnight Library, The Comfort Book, and How to Stop Time are some of my favorite books. Given that fact, his newest book was one of my most eagerly anticipated this year. Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to my expectations.

Grace has spent much of her life grieving: first, her son was killed before he became a teenager, and then her husband recently died. But then she gets a surprise out of the blue when she learns that a woman she knew briefly when she was teaching has left her a house on Ibiza.

Why would Christina leave her a house? They hadn’t been in touch for so long. Grace wants to make sense of it all, so she heads to Ibiza to see what answers she can find. She has no plan, she barely speaks Spanish, and she doesn’t know what to expect.

Ibiza awakens a lot of feelings for Grace, and forces her to come to terms with her own past, present, and future. And as she searches for answers about how Christina died and why she picked Grace to bequeath her house to, things get stranger and stranger. For a woman who has always turned to mathematics to help her cope with chaos, keeping an open mind is a challenge.

The book is told as a letter Grace is writing to a former student. While Haig paints an evocative picture, the narrative drags in a number of places and feels a bit schizophrenic in others. And although magical realism is one of my favorite plot devices, in this book it was all a bit too bizarre for me.

I’m definitely sad when a book I’ve been looking forward to is disappointing. But that won’t keep me from eagerly awaiting Haig’s next book.

Book Review: "Prime Time Romance" by Kate Robb

As Brynn’s 30th birthday nears, her life isn’t going in the direction she expected. She’s licking her wounds after a divorce, living with Josh, a handsome bartender, as a roommate in order to afford her mortgage, and her attempts to start dating haven’t been successful.

If there’s anything that brings her comfort, it’s binge-watching her favorite show from her teenage years, Carson’s Cove. Even though the show didn’t end the way anyone expected it to, Brynn is still obsessed with it.

When a birthday cake is delivered to Brynn, she wishes for the only thing she wants: to live happily ever after. But when she wakes up in the morning, she’s not in her bed, or even in her apartment. Instead, she’s woken up in Carson’s Cove, and it turns out Josh is also there.⁣

The thing is, everyone in Carson’s Cove thinks they’re Sloan, the lovelorn center of the series, and Fletcher, the town’s bad boy. In order to get back into their real lives, they need to ensure that Sloan finally finds her happy ever after with Spencer, the object of her affection for the run of the show.⁣

The more they try to play their parts as expected, the more Brynn (aka Sloan) discovers her true feelings are for Fletch (aka Josh). And it turns out that Carson’s Cove isn’t quite the idyllic place Brynn always thought it was…

I always enjoy books that combine romance and magical realism. This was a fun story and I really loved the characters. It would be so cool to wake up in my favorite show!

Book Review: "Bad Reputation" by Emma Barry

Maggie loved her job as a teacher and drama coach. But when she is fired for putting on a controversial play, she sues the school district and becomes an outspoken advocate against censorship. That brings her to the attention of the showrunner for Waverley (think Bridgerton), and she lands a job as an intimacy coordinator for the show.

When Cole starred in a hit teen drama, he was known more for his abs and his himbo attitude than his talent. In the years since then, he’s worked to rehabilitate his career and separate himself from the character that made him. But he’s hoping that Waverley will take him to the next level.

Both Maggie and Cole are immediately attracted to one another, but they know that acting on their feelings would be crossing a line. And the more she works with the cast on their love scenes, the more she identifies some long-hidden trauma among them.

Filming in England and Scotland goes well, and the attraction between Cole and Maggie intensifies. Early buzz about the series and Cole’s performance is strong, so better opportunities come his way. Maggie isn’t sure what she wants to do after the show is done, and as much as she’d like to be with Cole, she’s not sure that’s the right decision.

Yet as they embark on a relationship, scandal emerges that threatens to undo them both, and perhaps the show as well. They both realize that if their love is to survive—and if their careers are to thrive—they’ll have to fight with everything they have.

This was so enjoyable, full of all of the things I love about rom-coms: chemistry, banter, steam, likable characters, and a Hollywood setting. I couldn’t get enough of this, and I can’t wait for Emma Barry’s next book!

The book will publish 10/1.

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: "Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Here’s an existential question: is it a retelling if you’ve never read the original? I know the answer is yes, but the question came to mind when I was reading this enjoyable YA romance. It’s a retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which I never read, so I just enjoyed the story for what it is.

High school makes Viola cranky. She’s not afraid to express her opinions, which gives her a reputation of being prickly and doesn’t gain her many fans. She also is student government VP under Jack, the charismatic quarterback who would rather charm people than do his job, which leaves Vi to be the bad guy. And it seems as if her best friend would rather apologize for her behavior than support her.

“No matter how smart I am or how hard I work, my acceptance is always conditional. And it’s not just me—I don’t know how any girl can exist in the world without being perpetually furious.”

The only place she really feels comfortable is in the world of Twelfth Knight, the MMORPG she loves. But even here she capitulates a bit—she plays as Cesario, a male knight, because she knows that her fellow players would condescend to a girl playing.

And when Jack’s football career gets sidelined by injury, a friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight. While at first he can’t believe he’s playing an online game, he gets hooked pretty quickly. Vi recognizes his character but doesn’t reveal her online identity to Jack. Little by little, they strike up a friendship in the game, and their conversations expand beyond vanquishing their enemies to life and love.

Follmuth is the pen name of sci-fi/fantasy writer Olivie Blake. She has created a really enjoyable story with characters who seem much more realistic than in many YA stories. If you’re familiar with Twelfth Night, you might enjoy this even more!