Book Review: "The Shippers" by Katherine Center

There are certain authors whose books leave me in a good mood. Katherine Center is definitely one of those. Even if her books have heavier components, at their core, they’re love stories that lift my heart. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

JoJo is just not good at love. She has feelings for men, but once she lands them, she either gets bored or is so afraid she’ll get hurt, so she ends things. The most recent example of this was deciding not to marry her fiancée, Pearce—while they were standing at the altar.

Now, six weeks later, her older sister Ashley is getting married on a cruise ship. And while all she wants to do is wallow in her miserable love life, her sister wants her to be happy. They come to the conclusion that JoJo has never gotten over her crush on Finn, who gave JoJo her first kiss. The only way to break this cycle is for her to kiss Finn again—and he’s coming to Ashley’s wedding.

And so Project Conquest is born. Much to her surprise, JoJo’s best friend Cooper arrives for the wedding, even though he had RSVP’d no. JoJo and Cooper were inseparable from childhood, until Cooper left without a warning four years ago and moved to London. It was the biggest heartbreak of her life.

JoJo gets Cooper to help her land Finn, but while he thinks Finn isn’t worthy of her, he’s the perfect wingman. Until Cooper decides he can’t help JoJo with this anymore. And it’s up to JoJo to realize why.

This had some great banter, lots of family and wedding dysfunction, and a great deal of heart. I loathe miscommunication as a trope and there definitely was some of that here which frustrated me, but this was still a fun read.

The book will publish 5/19.

Book Review: "Murder by Design" by Lee Goldberg

I previously worked for an organization that represented product designers and one that represented architecture students. So imagine my surprise when my May selection from Amazon First Reads was about how the design of our world makes it easier for murders to occur! (And the author credited books written by people I’ve known.)

Edison Bixby is an ex-police detective. He’s handsome, fabulously wealthy, and impeccably dressed—and he has no filter, as the result of a traumatic brain injury he sustained on the job. While the TBI causes him to speak his mind, it hasn’t halted his brilliance, and he now works as an insurance investigator.

Bixby is a firm believer that the design of the world around us enables people to kill. But before his next case, Wally Nash, an aspiring actor who truly believes in his craft, gets hired to be his assistant. It’s Wally’s job to apologize for Bixby’s rudeness and smooth things over for him. But Wally sees this as the ultimate acting job, at least until he lands his dream role.

From their very first case working together, Wally is dazzled by Bixby’s brilliance and his doggedness in solving crimes. He finds clues and motives where no one else can, and even the most outlandish-sounding theories come true. They often work at the behest of a police detective with whom Bixby has a “situationship,” although they often find themselves at odds with one another.

Their investigation of the death of a woman who fell down a flight of stairs at a shopping mall seems pretty cut and dried. But what looks like sheer negligence appears to be murder in Bixby’s eyes, and the deeper he digs, the more tangled the web he has stepped in gets.

I thought this was such a great book. Bixby is one of the most unique characters I’ve read about in a long while, and his banter with Wally is top-notch. I really wasn’t sure how everything would tie up, but I really loved this, and I’m so glad a second book is on the horizon.

The book will publish 6/1.

Book Review: "The Midnight Show" by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

I stumbled on this book the other night and while I hadn’t heard of it before, several other books the authors have written are on my TBR. I was completely hooked within a few pages.

Lillian Martin was a trailblazer for women in comedy in the 1980s. Yet she never set out to follow that path—she left a sheltered, lonely childhood in rural Canada for college at Boston University. It was there she met three friends—Kent, Sam, and Stevie—who had an improv comedy group, The Townies. Although Lillian seemed an unlikely comedian, her talent gave the group a much-needed boost.

The members of the Townies get invited to New York City to audition for a new sketch comedy show called The Midnight Show, which will air live every Friday night. The show—and the cast members—will ultimately change the face of comedy and television.

At first, no one is sure what to make of the show. But Lillian quickly becomes a breakout star and her writing talent both impresses her fellow cast mates and the writing team. And while the cast revels in the notoriety the show’s success brings, Lillian is often uncomfortable with being in the public eye.

Behind the scenes, the show is a hotbed of jealousy, rivalry, drugs, sex, and emotions. As the trials of fame and an intense relationship with a costar take their toll on Lillian, one night after a show, she disappears. No one can figure out what happened. Did she kill herself, was she a victim of violence—and was a costar responsible? Even 40 years later, a journalist doing a feature story on Lillian still can’t get all the answers.

The book is presented as transcripts from interviews the journalist does, intertwined with her notes, and some news articles from the 1980s. It may be frustrating for some, but it really worked for me. I think it would make a great movie or television adaptation.

Book Review: "The Last Sunday in May" by Kate Clark Stone

Mackenzie “Mack” Williams has always had the need for speed. In fact, her father always said she was born with her foot on the accelerator. And he should know, as he was a star in dirt track racing.

Her competitive streak compelled her to push herself as hard as she could in every race she entered. She took the motorsports world by storm, and each race she won took her closer to her ultimate goal: the Indianapolis 500.

But when she wasn’t racing, she was drinking, partying, and sleeping around, so when she became pregnant, she knew it was time for her to hang her helmet up. Now, 10 years later, she lives in rural Indiana with her daughter and her father, who requires constant care even years after an accident. She manages the family’s small dirt racetrack and fills in for drivers every now and again. And she tries not to think about what could have been.

One night, she gets a visit from her idol, Janet Joyner, who blazed a trail for women in racing. Regardless of what Mack says, Janet believes she still has the spark that could make her a winner. She offers Mack the chance to qualify for the Indy 500. It’s not going to be easy, and she’ll have to leave her father and daughter behind, but how can she pass up this chance?

Mack moves to Indianapolis and moves in with her older sister, who hasn’t been home in years. She’s determined to give everything she has to qualifying, even though it’s much harder than it was 10 years ago. Along the way, she has to deal with the stress of being away from her family, and all of the domestic dramas that come with motherhood and dealing with her daughter’s father. But she can’t let herself get distracted by anyone or anything this time.

I think I’ve only read one book about racing, and it was a rom-com, so I found this book to be a pleasant surprise. Even though I had a feeling what would happen, I was invested in the story from start to finish. This was one of Amazon’s First Reads for April.

Book Review: "Top of the World" by Ethan Joella

Five years ago, I received a surprise piece of bookmail: Ethan Joella’s debut novel, A Little Hope. I loved that book fiercely, and each subsequent book cemented him on my list of favorite authors. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the advance copy of his upcoming book, which was utterly beautiful!

“My dear, you’ve got to focus on the pieces. We will never forget what we’ve lost, we will never be the same because of it, but we can build something new. That’s the key. That’s what your brother taught me. Remember what’s lost, but try to build something else.”

In the summer of 1975, Maggie is reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. She’s just graduated from high school and the thought of being home, dealing with her grief and her grieving parents, is totally unappealing. She needs something, but can’t figure out what that is.

A year earlier, after Chip graduated from high school and received bleak news about his health, he needed to get away. He left home and headed to the Poconos, to find a job at the luxurious Red Maple Lodge. He was gone for the summer but when he came back, he didn’t tell his family where he was or what he did, only that it was his experience.

Maggie decides to follow in her brother’s footsteps. She heads to the Red Maple Lodge, in the hope that she can find people who knew Chip, and could tell her about his last summer. She finds that in a few short months, Chip left an indelible mark on those he worked with and for. Maggie is able to start healing and planning for her future, thanks to the memories that people shared.

Ethan Joella’s writing weaves a spell with its simple beauty, through evocative imagery and rich emotions. His books always touch my heart and make it soar, and this one was simply amazing.

It will publish 6/30.

Book Review: "We Are Gathered Here Today" by Bobby Finger

Families have their dysfunction, but nothing brings them out quite as much as a wedding. And the literary world is so much richer for that fact. Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book!

Fin’s beloved cousin Elaine is getting married and she has asked him to officiate. The wedding is in June in the sweltering heat and humidity of Texas—and it’s being held at a kitschy Wild West-themed resort, which is something he’d never imagine Elaine choosing.

He and his best friend Jacque are reunited when he arrives in Texas from his home in Brooklyn. Both of them have been to their share of disastrous weddings and neither has come close to taking the plunge themselves. Although Fin has a secret: he and his boyfriend Mark recently got engaged, but Fin is so sure the relationship will fall apart before a wedding ever happens.

Fin and Jacque connect with friends of Elaine’s husband-to-be: Todd and his overbearing alcoholic husband, David, and their best friend, Marina. The five of them comprise the wedding’s “queer table,” and do all they can to enjoy the activity-filled days leading up to the wedding. But the fun comes with some awkward moments for each of them, with secrets being revealed and arguments catching fire, as everyone tries to keep the peace for Elaine and Rupert’s sake.

Often the best part of a wedding is getting the opportunity to criticize it afterwards. When their college friends started getting married, Fin, Jacque, and Elaine instituted The Hour of Disrespect, a period of 60 minutes after the wedding where criticisms can be discussed, and then never be spoken of again. Will there be a wedding to disrespect? And will they all be there to see it happen?

I had really high hopes for this book, as I absolutely loved Bobby Finger’s two previous books. I enjoyed this but it all seemed to drag on for too long, and the miscommunication among some of the characters frustrated me. But in the end, this was a sharply insightful and emotional read.

The book will publish 6/16.

Book Review: "The Entanglement of Rival Wizards" by Sara Raasch

I’ve been meaning to read this for a few months and I’m so glad I finally did. I love the way Sara Raasch combines romance, humor, some heavy emotional content, and fantasy. Her last two books, The Nightmare Before Kissmas and Go Luck Yourself, were fun and sexy, and this was a worthy follow-up, as well as the start of a new series.

Sebastian is a human wizard, and a graduate student at Lesiara University. He’s a bit of a black sheep in his family, as everyone else has gone into the military rather than college. And his family really doesn’t respect the choices he has made.

Sebastian’s biggest rival is Thio (short for Elethior). Thio is half-elf and comes from a wealthy family, many of whom have attended Lesiara before him. Seb and Thio have been engaged in a prank war, but Seb thinks that Thio is just a pretentious jerk, coasting on his family’s legacy.

The two are both finalists for a research grant which could change the winner’s life. But rather than compete for the grant, if they work together, they can share the money. Of course, having to work with Thio drives Seb crazy, but they learn they have more in common than either imagined.

While Seb hates Thio, his disdain only fuels Thio’s desire. Of course, Seb is so blind to anything positive Thio does, so he has no idea about how he feels. But there’s a larger issue here: Seb has a history with Thio’s family that led to some serious trauma. And that leads to a difficult decision for Seb: his research or Thio.

This was a little heavier emotionally than I was expecting, but there’s lots of humor and banter to lighten the load. I often struggle with enemies to lovers romances because the enemies part doesn’t feel genuine, but here it did. Plus, there’s an invisible fox with a cute hat. How could you go wrong?