Book Review: "The Christmas You Found Me" by Sarah Morgenthaler

“WANTED: HUSBAND FOR HIRE.” The day that Sienna’s divorce became final, an ad with this headline started appearing all over her small town of Caney Falls, Idaho. It’s the handiwork of Sienna’s best friend Jess, who was never a fan of Sienna’s ex-husband anyway.

While everyone in town knows the ad is a joke, Guy, a newcomer, doesn’t. When he introduces himself to Sienna he explains that his four-year-old daughter Emma is in end-stage kidney failure, and needs a transplant. But in order for her to remain on the transplant list, he must demonstrate financial stability, which he doesn’t have. A few hours after hearing this story, Sienna proposes to Guy, promising to be there for him until Emma gets the kidney she desperately needs.

Living and working on her family’s ranch is satisfying, but since her marriage ended, it’s been difficult to manage on her own, not to mention lonely. Guy and Emma’s presence makes things more enjoyable, and it’s not long before Sienna thinks of Emma as her stepdaughter and someone she’d do anything for.

While there’s no denying the chemistry between her and Guy, Sienna is afraid to get too close in case Guy wants out once Emma gets her kidney. But to be needed and wanted are feelings she’s not had in a long time, and there’s definitely a part of her that wants to be in this “marriage of purpose” for the long haul.

I’ve been a fan of Sarah Morgenthaler since reading her Moose Springs, Alaska series. (I would love another book in that series!) She creates such memorable, complex characters you can’t help but grow attached to.

I loved this book with every fiber of my being. It made me smile, made me blush, made me laugh, and made me sob. It’s not the jolly Christmas romance I was expecting, but it was simply amazing.

Book Review: "Stealing Time" by Tilia Klebenov Jacobs and Norman Birnbach

What a fun romp this was!! Thanks so much to Get Red PR Books for the complimentary copy!

It’s 2020 and teenage Tori is pretty dissatisfied with her life. Her parents are getting divorced, her father is annoying, and the pandemic has motivated her mother to move the two of them from their NYC home to Massachusetts to live with Tori’s aunt until the world gets back to normal.

Just before she heads to Massachusetts, “land of Boston accents, inferior bagels, lousy pizza, and having to be driven everywhere,” Tori makes a shocking discovery. (Well, she overhears it.) Apparently her paternal grandfather (whom she’s named after) was accused of a colossal jewel heist 40 years ago.

As if that’s not unsettling enough, the next thing Tori knows, she’s in 1980. The world—and NYC, for that matter—is very different than what she knows. She finds herself becoming allies with a teenage version of her father, on a mission to stop the jewel theft and perhaps correct the course of their family’s lives.

Getting used to a world without cell phones and the internet is not something that Tori ever wanted to do. It’s good to feel like you can have an impact on the future. But will she able to make it back to 2020? And will she have to share her secret with the 1980s version of her dad?

I’m a sucker for a time travel book, and this was a fun adventure. There was humor, emotions, family dysfunction, and so much more.

Book Review: "The Favorites" by Layne Fargo

More than three years after reading They Never Learn, Layne Fargo’s last book, I’ve been waiting for a new novel from her. I can definitely report that The Favorites was truly worth the wait!

Inspired by an American gold medalist in ice dancing when she was young, Katarina Shaw knew this is what she wanted to do. But as a girl growing up without money or family connections, just talent and drive, she has to work triply hard to make her dream come true.

She meets Heath Rocha, adrift in the foster care system, and she knows she’s found her partner. While Katarina is hungrier for greatness than Heath, he wants what makes her happy, so he commits to making their Olympic dreams a reality. And their turbulent relationship, along with a take-no-prisoners attitude and raw, unbridled talent, sees them reach the highest of highs and the lowest of lows—together and apart.

Yet when they finally reach the pinnacle of their career, tragedy strikes. Ten years after that fateful evening, an unauthorized documentary has been released, purporting to tell the whole story of Shaw and Rocha, chronicling their achievements, their failures, their supporters and detractors, and the unshakable bond between them.

This book is soapy, suspenseful, and absolutely addicting. I never thought a nearly 500-page book about drama in the ice dancing world would hook me so much, but this absolutely did. There’s lots of drama and even a little camp, and the book reminded me a bit of Daisy Jones. Bravo, Layne Fargo!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book. It will publish 1/14/2025.

Book Review: "A Reason to See You Again" by Jami Attenberg

Post-Thanksgiving and pre-holidays, here’s a healthy dollop of family dysfunction in book form!

Rudy was a Holocaust survivor who traveled the country speaking to groups about what life was like in the camps. His traveling secretary, Frieda, becomes his wife, and together they raise two daughters, Nancy and Shelly. Rudy is the peacemaker, the one who smooths Frieda’s rough edges, as she becomes increasingly critical of her daughters. (It intensifies more when she drinks, which is becoming a nightly activity.)

When Rudy dies, the three women are adrift without a buffer. Frieda’s drinking becomes more of a problem, Nancy leaves for college, and Shelly throws herself into her schoolwork in the hopes she can get as far away as possible. But Frieda’s abuse takes its toll on the self-esteem of both her daughters.

As the years pass, Nancy marries young and has a daughter, but isn’t really sure that this is the life she wants. Shelly moves to the West Coast and becomes a driving force in the rapidly growing field of mobile phone technology. The sisters don’t see other much, and when they do, their interactions are affected by uncertainty, envy, and resentment.

Meanwhile, Frieda has moved to Miami, and continues her self-destructive ways. She also has some guilt about how she treated her daughters when they were growing up, and she mourns the life she had before her husband died. But at some point, all three women realize that you can only blame others for your misery for so long before you need to take responsibility for your own life.

The story spans four decades, beginning in the early 1970s, and is narrated by all three women and Rudy. I felt the story had promise early but lost its way; there’s only so long you can read about people unhappy and not interested in changing things.

Book Review: "Pony Confidential" by Christina Lynch

I was curious about this book but when a friend said it was her favorite book she read last month, I had to give it a try. Wow. Just wow.

Pony remembers the best part of his life, when he was owned by a girl named Penny, who vowed they’d always be together. But one day he was given away without a word from Penny and he never saw her again. He has thought about her every day since, his sadness turned to anger and acting out as he is passed from owner to owner. He vows revenge.

Penny is a teacher, raising a teenage daughter and experiencing marital problems. Her everyday life is shattered when she’s arrested for a murder that happened when she was 12. She is extradited across the country, back to upstate New York. As she waits for her trial and for someone to find out the truth of what happened all those years ago, she thinks about a time in her life when she was truly happy, her time with Pony.

When Pony, with the help of other animal friends he encounters, realizes that his anger toward Penny has been misplaced, he’s determined to find her. He begins a journey to where he last saw her, and in the process makes some interesting discoveries.

“Empathy is painful and inconvenient, but it also can bring us a much deeper joy than material things, even carrots.”

This book was incredible. There’s humor, sadness, love, mystery, and self-discovery. It’s part Toy Story, part The Incredible Journey, and yet immensely unique. I’ll be thinking about this for a long time.

Book Review: "The Lake of Lost Girls" by Katherine Greene

“It’s hard to escape the memory of someone who has become perfect through the very act of remembering them.”

In 1998, Jessica was a freshman at Southern State University in North Carolina. Like many new college students, she was struggling academically and emotionally, and partying a little too much.

The university was rocked by the disappearance of three female students. One evening, when Jessica was home (she lived in the same town as the university) for her younger sister’s 6th birthday, she went out to get the cake from her car, and disappeared. No trace was ever found.

Now, 24 years later, a new true crime podcast starts looking into Jessica’s disappearance as well as those of the three other students. Her sister Lindsey, whose life was forever changed the night her sister went missing, is hoping the new attention to the mystery might finally lead to answers.

When bodies are found at a local lake, Lindsey hopes they may find Jessica’s remains. But the discoveries highlight the ineptitude of the initial investigation, as well as some secrets that might have been better left submerged.

The book is told in dual timelines: by Lindsey in the present day and Jessica in 1998. The pacing was a bit slower than I would’ve liked, although there were some good twists. But I think it’s time to put the true crime podcast story angle to bed for a while. I’ve read at least four mystery/thrillers this year with this gimmick, and IMHO, that’s three too many.

Book Review: "We Three Kings" by Kristen Bailey

Oh, my heart. I loved this book so much. This is my first book by Kristen Bailey and it definitely will not be my last!

Maggie is the head of the IT department for a financial services company. She loves her job, but what she loves the most is her three coworkers, Frank, Jasper, and Leo. They make every day fun, even when they have to deal with the idiocy of their colleagues and their IT challenges.

When they learn that Maggie is going to be alone over the Christmas holidays, each of them invites her to join them for a part. And just before she is set to go to Frank’s sister’s wedding, she is told by her company’s HR department that she has to lay one of her coworkers off. How can she make a decision like that and break up her team?

As she spends time with each of them, she learns more about what makes them tick. At the wedding of Frank’s sister, she realizes how his job and his colleagues are a respite from the constant disapproval of his mother and sisters. Spending time with Jasper’s family, she realizes the source of his sarcasm—and his happiness. And Leo—why is she just realizing how handsome and, well, desirable he is?

Maggie wrestles with the decision as sparks grow between her and Leo. But despite her anxiety, she and her friends make some wonderful memories—from being mistaken for a bridesmaid to cavorting with baby foxes and a donkey.

I loved the relationship between all of the coworkers, and the sparks between Maggie and Leo. I also enjoyed some of the supporting characters. It just was such a sweet, fun, romantic book.

Book Review: "Jump to Recipe" by Jena Wade

I love finding recipes online and am always in awe of the work people put into their food blogs. I will admit, though, that when I’m in a rush I love the “Jump to Recipe” link, which is why the title of this book caught my eye.

Sam is an amazing baker. His bakery and his blog, both called “Whisk Me Away,” are tremendously popular. In addition to sharing his recipes, he shares a bit of himself and life in the town he grew up in.

One secret that Sam hasn’t shared with his customers or followers is that he’s in love with Graham, his brother’s best friend and business partner. Well, he hasn’t shared it until now, as his confessing his love for Graham amidst a recipe—inspired by too much wine—has just been published. And now the secret is out.

Graham is a travel writer whose blog is also quite popular. In fact, he and Sam often fight to be the first person to comment on each other’s posts. He loves Sam’s baking, and he loves how Sam always has cookies waiting for him when he comes home from a trip. But even with all that, Graham is surprised—and very pleased—to read Sam’s confession.

The whole town is abuzz with gossip and they all are rooting for Sam and Graham to end up together. Sam is embarrassed and worries that Graham isn’t interested in him. He quickly finds that’s not an issue!

This was all kinds of fun and adorable, and sweeter than a bakery confection. I hope Jena Wade will give us more of these characters and this town!!

Book Review: "Unromance" by Erin Connor

This was excellent!! I love how authors can take familiar elements and weave them together into something that feels new and fresh. Erin Connor definitely did that with her debut rom-com, Unromance.

Sawyer is a bestselling romance author who has been dealing with writer’s block since her girlfriend left her. Ironically, she’s also sworn off love, as it only seems to bring complications and pain.

One snowy night, she has a meet-cute with a handsome man in an elevator. Unbeknownst to her, the man is Mason West, a soap opera actor known for his love life as much as his talent. They flirt up a storm and Sawyer decides to go home with him. A one-night stand should do the trick, or it would if they could stop running into each other!

For Mason, running into Sawyer repeatedly is a sign, a sign that they can help each other. He can help Sawyer find inspiration that will lead to her next book, and she can help hopeless romantic Mason become desensitized and stop falling in love with the slightest romantic gesture. And all they have to do is follow two rules: they can’t fall in love with one another, and they can’t have sex. Super easy, no?

Of course, the decision to avoid having sex and/or falling in love never quite goes according to plan. They might not be able to outrun their feelings, and do they really want to?

The chemistry between Sawyer and Mason is off the charts, and so is the steam! I loved the way he treated her in particular, and Sawyer’s take-no- no prisoners attitude was awesome.

Thanks so much to Forever and NetGalley for the advance copy. The book will publish 1/14/2025.

Book Review: "The Recruiter" by Gregg Podolski

This was a great thriller! I can’t believe this was Gregg Podolski’s debut, but it certainly seems like the stage is set for this to become a series. And I’m all in.

“People who aren’t prone to making bad decisions often fail to foresee just how life-altering a truly bad one can be.”

Rick Carter is a recruiter. However, he’s not the guy you’d call to find a new marketing person or CTO. Rick recruits assassins, hackers, smugglers, and any other kind of skilled criminal his clients might need. He doesn’t share secrets and the cops never get involved—and he gets lots of referrals from clients.

But he has a bad feeling about the latest client to hire him, or force him to work for them. You see, while Rick isn’t the most upstanding of citizens, he never wants to be party to harming the good guys. And this client is more than a little, ummm, persuasive, in making him see things their way.

When Rick learns that the family he left behind 10 years ago is somehow in danger related to this new client, he has to come out of hiding to try and fix things. It won’t be easy, however, because not only does he not know whom to trust, but his family definitely doesn’t trust him. Can he convince them he’s capable of saving them, and, more importantly, can he save them?

The pacing of this book was great. The action kept coming but there were pauses, so it never was too much. Rick is so sarcastic, and that’s very close to how I am, so I enjoyed him and the ragtag band of “candidates” he worked with. This reads like a movie and it really entertained me.

Book Review: "The Nightmare Before Kissmas" by Sara Raasch

Nicholas “Coal” Claus is the heir to Christmas, as his father is the reigning Santa. But while Nicholas loves the joy the holiday brings, he really dislikes that his father has turned Christmas into more of a PR effort, especially for his family and those who work in the kingdom. He resists his obligations in every way possible, causing scandals along the way. Not a good look for a prince…

One night, after something he did with the best of intentions went incredibly awry, Coal is summoned home by his father. But before that he winds up making out with a super-sexy guy behind the bar, who quickly disappears. Could he have imagined it?

Coal is commanded by his father to do what’s best for the kingdom, which apparently means marrying his best friend, Iris, the Easter princess. Neither of them want that, of course (nor does his brother, Kris, who has always had a crush on Iris), but it’s best for both holidays to ally together.

And then a new rival for Iris’ hand in marriage emerges: Hex, the prince of Halloween. Hex is also the guy Coal made out with that night behind the bar. But while they’re both supposed to be competing to win Iris, they actually can’t keep their eyes or, eventually, their hands, off one another.

When Coal finds out about his father’s nefarious behavior to ensure Christmas’ power over other holidays, he’s determined to harness the true joy of Christmas. So he sets out a plan of his own that could change everything—or backfire, and hurt those he cares about.

This was such a great read. It was immensely creative. Sara Raasch did some great world-building in a small number of pages. It was really steamy in a few places, but just lovely in others, as the characters played so well off each other. I’m excited that Raasch has a second book in this series coming out in 2025!

Book Review: "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Sophie Cousens

Those of you obsessed with 80s music like me might know what song I’ve had running through my head since I first saw this book!

I absolutely loved this book. It was funny, emotional, sweet, and steamy, and there were just so many moments that melted my heart. I’ve been a fan of Sophie Cousens for a while, but this may be my favorite book of hers.

Anna is a magazine columnist and a recently divorced mother of two. She likes her job and loves her children, and has no desire to date anyone. But when the magazine’s new owner feels her columns are lacking and her rival is trying to take her column away, she comes up with an idea: she’ll allow her children to pick the men she should date, and then she’ll write about them.

As she starts out on what she knows will be a misadventure, her rival, Will, proposes writing a complementary column where he goes on dates similar to those Anna goes on. His manipulation gets under her skin, but then she starts to enjoy their collaboration—perhaps a little too much?

Anna’s dates range from her grumpy next door neighbor to a much-younger waiter, her postman to her celebrity crush. The more she dates, the more she realizes where her true feelings lie. Will she be able to find the courage to take a second chance on love, no matter the risks?

“I know there are plenty of women on Instagram who got divorced and took up running or weight lifting or started their own aromatherapy candle business. They look and feel better than ever, phoenixes risen from the ashes, embracing their ‘new chapter.’ I am not a phoenix. I am a dazed pigeon, looking for crumbs. But I am fine with that; being a phoenix looks exhausting.”

Book Review: "The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern" by Lynda Cohen Loigman

What a fantastic book. Lynda Cohen Loigman has done it again!!

Forced into retirement just before her 80th birthday, Augusta doesn’t know what to do with all of her free time. She moves to Rallentando Springs, a retirement community in Florida. Much to her surprise, the first person she runs into is Irving, who worked as a delivery boy at her father’s pharmacy 60 years ago. He was her first love and her first heartbreak.

Augusta grew up in Brooklyn in the 1920s. She admired her pharmacist father more than anyone, and although it was almost unheard of at that time, she wanted to follow in his footsteps. But when her great-aunt Esther moves in with their family, Augusta’s perspectives change. Esther is a healer, and Augusta sees that there are ailments that traditional medicines can’t help.

Meanwhile, she and Irving draw closer together, and she dreams of marrying him and working with him when they take over her father’s pharmacy. But one night, everything changes and her dreams of a future with Irving are shattered. It’s a blow from which Augusta has never quite recovered, even 60 years later.

Augusta seems to constantly run into Irving in her new Florida community. Yet he seems oblivious to the hurt and anger she still carries. And when another old friend from their Brooklyn days appears, the tension between him and Irving confuses Augusta and makes her wonder what she missed all those years ago.

The book is told in dual timelines, in the 1920s and the late 1980s. It’s a story of love, family, tradition, and maybe a little bit of magic, and I was hooked from the very first page. I loved this so much.

Book Review: "Hungry Heart" by Jem Milton

Laurie is a young food writer in London. His best friend has gotten him an exceptional opportunity: the chance to interview Oryan Adjei, a handsome young chef who made a name for himself by winning a television cooking competition when he was 19.

As a young Black chef, Oryan has become a public fixture, appearing on television shows and in ad campaigns. He never seems to get the chance to cook anymore, however, and he’s beginning to wonder whether this is still the path he wants to follow.

When Laurie and Oryan meet for their first interview, Laurie is starstruck and a bit awkward. But the two strike up a genuine conversation, and Oryan feels, for the first time in a long time, like someone is seeing him for who he is rather than who they expect him to be.

As Oryan’s life becomes more complicated and he finds himself being tugged in multiple directions, what he really wants to do is talk with Laurie again. And Laurie not only wants to interview Oryan again because he’s getting paid to do so, but he definitely feels something for him beyond simple admiration. But why would a famous chef be interested in an awkward mess like him?

Jem Milton’s graphic novel is beautifully drawn and tells a sweet, poignant, and thought-provoking story. It examines how easy it is to let others dictate the path you should take, and how when you get caught up in obligations it can be easy to lose yourself. It also looks at how easy it can be to undermine your self-confidence and convince yourself you’re not worthy of what you want.

Many of you know how much I love anything about cooking, chefs, the food industry, etc., and also how much I love romance. Hungry Heart serves up a fantastic helping of both, full of characters I rooted for and a story I raced through.

Book Reviews: "Holiday Hideaway" by Mary Kay Andrews and "The Mistletoe Mystery" by Nita Prose

Sometimes I just need an escape, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to read some Christmas novellas. And given that I heard Our Lady Mariah for the first time in the holiday season, what better sign could I get?

Molly the Maid returns in Nita Prose’s The Mistletoe Mystery. She and Juan Manuel are getting ready for Christmas, both at home and at their jobs at the Regency Grand. Juan Manuel is full of Christmas spirit, but Molly is a bit melancholy, as she’s missing her grandmother, who always did her best to make the holidays special.

Just as Molly is getting ready to surrender to the Yuletide merriment, she notices that Juan Manuel starts acting strangely. He’s disappearing at odd times, seems to be keeping secrets, and Molly is convinced he’s hiding something from her. It comes to a head during the annual Regency Grand staff holiday party, when all of Molly’s anxieties transform into something unforgettable.

In Holiday Hideaway, Tilly finds herself at loose ends. Her landlady kicked her out of her apartment because she was hiding a dog, and while she’s found a new place to move to, it won’t be ready for a few weeks. So she’s been staying (err, squatting) in one of the homes her employer rents out.

Imagine how surprised she is when George, a handsome man, comes to stay at the house, which apparently hasn’t been rented in years. Turns out he’s the owner’s great-nephew, although no one seems to know he existed. He’s determined to fix the house up and put it on the market ASAP.

Tilly hides in the attic while George is around, but dashing around in secret isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when an accident forces her out of her hiding place, sparks fly between the two. It turns out the two have more of a connection than either realized.

Book Review: "Burn This Night" by Alex Kenna

“I was in my ninth week of sleeping on an air mattress in my childhood bedroom when I learned that my dad wasn’t my biological father.”

How’s THAT for an opening sentence? It definitely sets the tone for what’s to come in the book.

Kate is a private investigator who is really struggling. Her marriage is over, she’s lost custody of her daughter, and now she’s learned that the man she had always believed was her father wasn’t. And to top it off, she’s just learned she shares DNA with someone accused of murdering a young girl 20 years earlier.

The police recruit Kate to go to the small California town of Inglewood (where another distant relative lives) and see what she can find out about her relative-slash-murderer. At the same time, she takes on another case, one involving arson and murder.

Abby, an actress turned social worker, is killed in a fire that destroys part of Inglewood and leaves two others dead. The police suspect her brother, a drug addict and schizophrenic, but their parents believe he is innocent. They hope Kate finds evidence that exonerates him. But what Kate finds is a much more sinister web of secrets and lies, one that could prove deadly.

This was quite a twisty thriller! It’s a bit of a slow burn, but I liked the way Alex Kenna teased everything out and kept me guessing. The narrative shifts among several people and several timeframes, and I found that a bit disjointed, but this was still a compelling read.

Book Review: "The Night Before" by Harper Robson

So not only do I enjoy hockey romances, but I also enjoy what I’ll call “hockey-adjacent” romances! This book is the start of a new series and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Ben is a doctor and researcher studying traumatic brain injury, particularly CTE, which happens when a person gets multiple concussions. He’s been focused on sports, particularly hockey, because his stepfather is a former hockey star now dealing with dementia related to the concussions he sustained.

At a bar one night, he meets Aleks, a handsome younger man. The chemistry between them is intense, but beyond that, they really enjoy each other’s company. They go back to Aleks’ place and have an incredibly steamy night, but also one where they feel tremendously connected to one another emotionally. The next morning, when Ben sees a picture of Aleks’ family, he realizes that Aleks’ father was the hockey player who made the final hit on his stepfather, which ended his career. Ben leaves before Aleks wakes up.

Aleks is sad and angry when he realizes Ben left without a word. All he knows is his first name, so the likelihood of meeting him again is slim. Aleks thought their night was so much more than sex, and it certainly felt like Ben felt the same way, so he’s a bit confused.

Aleks’ disappointment leads to excitement when he is offered the opportunity to work with a researcher on some new helmets that might better protect players from concussions. It’s an amazing opportunity—and of course, the researcher is Ben. They’re going to have to work together, and through doing that they find their connection again, but the old family history crops up. Can they overcome this challenge and find happiness?

I really enjoyed the depth of this book. The CTE stuff was fascinating and well-researched, and enhanced the story a great deal. Of course, there’s intense steam, emotions, family drama, and miscommunication, but this was definitely one I got into.

Book Review: "The Silent Watcher" by Victor Methos

The Silent Watcher was a really good read and my first Victor Methos book. Part crime novel, part courtroom drama, and a well-written meditation on how help from others can make a difference in our lives, I couldn’t put this down.

A recent law school graduate, Piper decides to take a job as a guardian ad litem (GAL), to ensure the most vulnerable victims of crimes are represented in court. When she was a child, a GAL helped her, so she has always wanted to do the same for others.

She is brought in to work with Sophie, a teenage girl who survived a deadly attack which killed her mother and brother. Sophie is traumatized and although she caught glimpses of the killer, she has to work through her grief and shock first before the possibility she could help identify them.

Piper partners with Lazarus, a world-weary detective who is determined to catch the killer, and will leave no stone unturned. After some shrewd investigative work, Lazarus discovers there is much to fear about this murderer, and they will need to travel down some dark paths to find him.

When they find the predator, Piper needs to protect Sophie from being traumatized in court, and they all need to make sure the man never is free again. But Piper’s work with Lazarus and an enigmatic judge puts her in the crossfire. Can she protect herself and Sophie?

The story has some creepy possibilities, but they’re not fully realized, thankfully. I really liked the main characters and believe that there’s so much more depth to be covered, so I’m excited that there will be a second book in this series.

This book will publish 12/1.

Book Review: "The Great Dating Fake Off" by Livy Hart

Nora is willing to do almost anything for her best friend and boss, Benji, even take care of his bearded dragon. And when she witnesses Benji being hassled by his mother and sister about not having a date to his sister’s wedding, she steps in and tells them that they’re dating. Now she’s his date for nearly a week of wedding festivities at a posh resort in the Adirondacks.

Much to Nora’s surprise, when they arrive at the resort she spots Sebastian, the handsome guy she was flirting with just before pretending to be dating Benji. It turns out Sebastian is also a fake date, for his best friend, who happens to be the groom’s twin sister. So both Nora and Sebastian have to keep their own feelings in check to keep up the façade for their friends.

But this isn’t just any wedding. The two families have been feuding for decades; the bride and groom dated secretly for a year before telling their families about their engagement. Tempers are flaring, nerves are fraying, and despite the blatantly obvious chemistry between Sebastian and Nora, they have to behave themselves. Because if they get caught…it could mean disaster.

The more time they spend together, both during pre-wedding activities and stolen time away from the others, the harder it becomes to deny what they’re feeling. But Sebastian is going to be moving for his job in a few weeks, and Nora grew up being dragged places by her mom, so she wants to stay put.

“I want to be claimed. To be someone’s person. I crave the safety that comes when two people fully belong to each other. Not that I’ve experienced it.”

I’ve said many times how much I love fake dating as a trope, so this was right up my alley. It’s a steamy story with emotion, family dysfunction, banter, and crazy wedding chaos. That’s a recipe for a fun read, in my book.

Book Review: "Society of Lies" by Lauren Ling Brown

“How often, in the world, is silence what allows horrible people to get away with their crimes?”

Maya arrives at Princeton for her 10-year reunion, with her husband and young daughter in tow. She’s nervous and excited, but in addition to the reunion, her younger sister Naomi will be graduating as well. But not long after arriving, Maya learns that tragedy has struck: Naomi has been found dead.

While the police believe that Naomi’s death was an accident, Maya is immediately suspicious. And the more she talks to Naomi’s friends, the more questions arise about what could have happened to her. It’s not long before Maya realizes that her sister kept a lot of secrets from her.

Naomi looked up to her sister and wanted to follow in her footsteps. But that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Maya discovers that, like her, Naomi became a member of one of Princeton’s most exclusive eating clubs, as well as the secret society within the club, which could open doors to an incredible future of possibilities.

However, Naomi was also digging into some mysteries around the club and the powerful people involved, not to mention the death of a student 10 years ago. She discovered that her sister was somehow involved in that incident, but she’s determined to uncover the truth.

I’m a fan of dark academia stories. I enjoyed the discussion about privilege and prejudice, not to mention how racial and cultural differences strike at the heart of a purposely diverse group. For me, the book moved sooo slowly. While it’s told in multiple narratives, the voices are nearly identical so I had to keep reorienting myself to whose story each chapter was.

Book Review: "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey

The recently named winner of this year’s Booker Prize, Orbital takes place in space but it’s not science fiction. More than anything, it’s a meditation on life, solitude, companionship, the passage of time, and the beauty and fragility of our planet.

Set on an international space station, the book examines one (long) day in the lives of the six astronauts and cosmonauts aboard. Two women and four men, they come from the U.S., England, Italy, Japan, and Russia. They’re on board for nine months, and each is dealing with their own issues—internal and external ones. And each has important contributions to make.

“And in time we come to see that not only are we on the sidelines of the universe but that it’s of a universe of sidelines, that there is no centre, just a giddy mass of waltzing things, and that perhaps the entirety of our understanding consists of an elaborate and ever-evolving knowledge of our own extraneousness, a bashing away of mankind’s ego by the instruments of scientific enquiry until it is, that ego, a shattered edifice that lets light through.”

There isn’t a cohesive plot per se; the book is composed of snapshots of the different characters as the space station travels around the earth. Small personal details about each are shared, as are their activities. But predominantly, there is a great deal of reflection about the view of earth from the space station, what it feels like to be there and watch morning turn to evening and sunset to sunrise, again and again.

This is a gorgeously written book, full of dazzling descriptive imagery, although it does get a bit dry and repetitive after a bit, because there are only so many ways to describe the view and the feelings it provokes. I don’t know that I would have read this had it not won the Booker, but I’m glad I did.

Book Review: "Nothing Left to Lose" by N.R. Walker

I don’t know what it is about fake dating as a romance trope, but I can’t get enough. (I once fake-dated someone in seventh grade for like two days, but that’s another story.)

Brody and Miller have been best friends for 11 years, since the first year of high school. A lot of the time they’re inseparable, and they know almost everything about one another. In fact, Brody is the first person Miller ever came out to. But there’s just one little thing:

“We’d been inseparable for eleven years, and I’d been desperately in love with him for every hopeless minute of those eleven years.”

Miller has been able to tamp down his feelings for Brody, even as he watches him bed a parade of women. But lately, it’s becoming harder and harder to want someone as badly as he wants Brody, and he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life pining for someone who doesn’t feel the same way about him.

When they win a photo contest, the prize is an all-expense say in Las Vegas. But there’s one catch: it was a contest for newlyweds. That’s right, Miller’s straight best friend entered them in a photo contest and they have to pretend to be married for the weekend. While that should thrill Miller, it actually makes him sad, because he wants the real thing. And that can’t happen, right? Right?

N.R. Walker is an author I discovered this year and I have loved her books. For me, the combination of emotion, steam, and humor is always a hit, and I so enjoy having characters to root for.

Book Review: "Holiday Tides" by Laura Langa

I was looking for a little bit of joy to brighten up the craziness of the last week. And then I found it: an enemies to lovers, second chance holiday romance? In a beach town? Ho Ho Ho, indeed!!

It’s been a long time since Summer was back in Wilks Beach, but it’s finally her turn to live in her grandmother’s cottage—being the youngest of six kids means you have to wait a while. It’s not long before she discovers that Nick, her high school rival, is back in town, too. He made her teenage years miserable, and Summer is determined not to let his handsome charm win her over.

Nick is thrilled to see Summer, and is saddened that the feeling is far from mutual. But seeing as he works for his adopted brother’s renovation company, and Summer’s cottage is old and in desperate need of repair, Nick is more than happy to help her out. And then she’ll owe him.

When they graduated high school, they were both headed to college and then medical school. Summer is a pediatrician now, but why is Nick back in town working construction? Why does he smell so darn good? And why is he all she thinks about, although the memories of their rivalry still stick in her craw?

Ironically, Summer loves Christmas more than anyone. Can her first Christmas back in Wilks Beach be made holly jolly by the handsome surfer in a Santa wetsuit? And are his feelings for real this time?

This was all kinds of adorable. I’m a sucker for banter, and this book has it at full-strength. I really loved the setting and the characters, and I’ll be waiting for Laura Langa’s first full-length Wilks Beach romance this summer!

Book Review: "The Backup Plan" by Eden Finley

Y’all know I love my sports romances. Well, Eden Finley is one of the writers who have stoked that love!

Thad dreamed of nothing more than becoming a professional baseball player. He spent so much time playing and practicing, but when it came time for the draft, he was hit with the realization that he just wasn’t good enough. Dream: dead.

Now, angry and bitter, he’s pursuing his backup plan of becoming a sports agent. He’s interning at King Sports, one of the biggest firms working with queer athletes. He’d probably like the job and be good at it if he weren’t so mad. But dealing with athletes who are living his dream isn’t easy.

Kelley is a rookie pitcher and he’s on his way to becoming a superstar. He’s also under a lot of scrutiny: his fathers were the first out football players to win a Super Bowl and his brother is a star quarterback. While news of Kelley’s coming out is met with the usual mix of support and derision, his need for approval and his worry about what people are saying about him is only exacerbating his anxiety.

Thad is assigned to watch over Kelley on a two-week stay out of the public eye and off social media. At first, Thad resents that Kelley, who has everything Thad has ever wanted, is acting this way. But then he realizes how tough the pressure is and how much it feeds into Kelley’s other issues, and then Thad shifts into protector mode. And, of course, the animosity between them shifts into something intense, something deeper.

This was a good story, full of memorable characters, great steam, and terrific banter. It’s also a real examination of anxiety and fear of disappointment and disapproval, and how debilitating they can be. I’ll be waiting for book 2 in this series!

Book Review: "Counting Miracles" by Nicholas Sparks

There’s just something about a Nicholas Sparks book that, well, sparks my emotions. Give me a headstrong and/or troubled FMC, a MMC who’s a handsome drifter, and throw in a crisis and I’m there, every time.

Raised by his grandparents, Tanner has been a military man for a while, and now does international relief work. He’s always been on the move, from place to place, country to country. But when he goes to be with his grandmother in her last days, she tells him to find his place, and then she gives Tanner the name of his father and his last known location—Asheboro, NC.

When his grandmother dies, Tanner heads to Asheboro, and lines up his next job in Cameroon. Within hours of his arrival, he meets Kaitlyn, a divorced doctor and mother of two. They definitely feel an instant connection, the first one either has felt in a long time. But Kaitlyn knows Tanner will be leaving the country, so why get involved with him?

Meanwhile, Jasper is an elderly man living in a cabin not far from Kaitlyn. He only has his elderly dog for company, and he bears the physical and emotional scars of a tragedy that happened years ago. But he is a kind man who Kaitlyn cares for, and he is teaching her young son how to whittle.

When a rare white deer is spotted in the nearby national forest, Jasper sees it as a sign of a miracle, and is desperate to protect the deer from poachers. But in his desperation, he puts himself at great risk. Can Tanner and Kaitlyn save him before it’s too late?

At its core, this is a story I really got into. But there were a lot of little subplots that really annoyed me and bogged the story down. I liked all three main characters, but Kaitlyn’s daughter was annoying and the whole subplot with the rich family seemed unnecessary. That being said, Sparks still made me cry.

Book Review: "Johnny Careless" by Kevin Wade

Many thanks to Celadon Books for the advance copy of this terrific crime novel! It definitely has a cinematic flair, which isn’t surprising, since the author is a screenwriter as well as showrunner for the television show Blue Bloods.

Gerald “Jeep” Mullane is the chief of police for several towns on Long Island’s North Shore. He’s living in his childhood home and still dealing with the class divide that exists between the mostly wealthy residents of the area and the “have-nots” like him.

One night, a body is found in the water near Bayville. It turns out it’s the body of Johnny Chambliss, Jeep’s best friend since childhood and the son of a prominent family. Johnny has always been one step away from trouble, so while his death might not be surprising, it hits Jeep hard and stirs up many forgotten memories.

Given his relationship to the deceased, Jeep can’t investigate Johnny’s death—at least directly. But he definitely gets the sense that Johnny’s death wasn’t the accident that everyone wants to label it. And as he deals with Johnny’s enigmatic and powerful parents, as well as his ex-wife, whom Jeep has known for years, he finds himself being simultaneously warned about and welcomed to keep digging into the truth.

While dealing peripherally with this investigation, Jeep is under political pressure to stop a massive auto theft ring targeting the wealthy residents of the cities he serves. As the two cases intertwine, he finds himself caught between anger, grief, and fear.

The narrative shifts between present and past, tracing Jeep and Johnny’s relationship and the changes it went through, as well as Jeep’s efforts to uncover the truth. This is gritty and emotional, and I hope we’ll see another book with Jeep in it.

The book will publish 1/28/2025.

Book Review: "This Motherless Land" by Nikki May

How much are our lives defined by the choices our families make? Are we doomed to follow the same paths or can we forge our own? These are questions that came to mind for me when reading This Motherless Land.

Funke is growing up in Nigeria, the daughter of an English mother and an African father. She loves her life, even loves school, and tolerates her annoying brother, although she doesn’t love that because he is a boy he’s considered more important.

When tragedy strikes, Funke is sent to England to live with her mother’s estranged family. Everything is much different than she imagined from the stories her mother told, and her aunt is often rude and condescending to her. But the one bright spot in her life is her cousin Liv, who appoints herself Funke’s protector.

The two cousins become the closest of friends, and that friendship continues into their adulthood. But when another tragedy strikes, the ramifications of the decisions made by Funke’s mother and aunt impact her and Liv. Accusations are thrown and actions are taken which shatter their relationship, leaving them both without their closest friend.

The story takes place from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s, and shifts between Funke and Liv, as well as between Nigeria and England. It’s a story of family, both blood and chosen, and how breaking free of expectations can actually enhance your life.

I enjoyed May’s storytelling, and I also enjoyed her debut novel, Wahala. The book is referred to as a decolonial retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, but my understanding is it’s a VERY loose retelling. I found certain characters very difficult and their behaviors irritated me, but I really enjoyed Funke and Liv.

Book Review: "The Coldest Case" by Tessa Wegert

One of the things I love about reading a long-running series is how attached you become to the characters. This book is the sixth installment in Tessa Wegert’s series featuring Senior Investigator Shana Merchant, and the series gets better and better.

It’s winter in New York’s Thousand Islands, which means brutally cold temperatures and driving snow, which could strand people for days, even months weeks. One island, Running Pine, is so remote and isolated that only a few people spend the winter there.

When Shana and the police learn that a social media influencer has disappeared from Running Pine, they snap into action. It turns out that Cary and Sylvie have moved to the island for a year and are documenting the experience for their thousands of followers, and have landed some significant endorsement deals on top of that. And then one morning, when Cary goes ice fishing with two of their neighbors, he disappeared.

The police put themselves in harm’s way getting to the island, as there is a storm coming. The more they dig into what happened, the more questions arise for them. What happened to Cary? Did he disappear of his own free will or is one of their neighbors responsible?

Time is running out. As Shana and her colleagues rush to find answers, she also is reminded of another unsolved murder from her days with the NYPD. And both cases have the potential for danger.

Wegert is definitely one of my favorite thriller writers out there right now. With every book in this series I worry it’ll be the last, but I’ll still read anything she writes!

Book Review: "The Other Side of Now" by Paige Harbison

Oh my god, I absolutely LOVED this book! I’m so grateful to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for putting this book on my radar and giving me an advance copy.

For as long as she could remember, Meg Bryan (yep, that’s her name) wanted to be an actress. She’s finally achieved stardom on a soap opera-type show called Brilliance under her stage name, Lana Lord.

But while the fame can be great, having to worry about every calorie she consumes and when she’ll need work done again gets tiring. Why doesn’t achieving the goals she has set, getting to live her dream make her happy? After a bit of a breakdown at her 30th birthday party, she decides to run away for a bit, and books a trip to the Irish village where she and her best friend Aimee had planned to attend acting school.

Avalon is everything she dreamed it would be. But strangely, everyone seems to know her here—as Meg. She has a best friend, a dog who seems to know her, and there’s a sexy bartender who is flirty yet irritated with her. When she looks in the mirror, she sees her old self—before plastic surgery, weight loss, and hair styling changed everything.

In Avalon, Meg doesn’t act—she works in a shop. But she often wonders about the path not taken. And when she discovers that in this life, her best friend Aimee—who died when they were younger—is alive, she’s thrown completely. She has no idea how she got here or how long she’ll stay, but is this the right path?

I tend to love these Sliding Doors-type books, but this one just wowed me. Maybe I’m overly emotional because I met one of my best friends 31 years ago today and he’s been gone for nearly three. Whatever the reason, this was amazing.

The book will publish 6/3/2025.

Book Review: "Love Language" by Jax Calder

“If someone tells you that they want you, knowing you won’t understand, do they really mean it?”

The idea of concentrating on a heavier book while the election results flow in a manner I wasn’t quite expecting definitely seemed daunting. So I turned to an author whose books have brought me lots of joy lately, Jax Calder.

Ash has been sharing an office with Dominic for 3-1/2 years, even though Dominic is a coding wizard and should have an executive office all to himself. But the two squabble, poke fun at, and make each other laugh, intentionally and unintentionally. Every day comes with some banter, some silly insult.

To nearly all of their colleagues, Dominic is a moody, grumpy genius whose work is necessary to their company’s success. But some people think Ash must have Stockholm Syndrome, because even when they annoy each other, Ash keeps coming back for more. Could what his friends and colleagues think be true? Is he obsessed with Dominic?

But it takes a video of a colleague breakdancing at their company’s midwinter holiday party for Ash to realize how he feels about Dominic. Is it possible that he feels the same way? And if so, will taking the next step jeopardize the good thing they have?

I found this really sweet and fun. My only criticism—even though it is a novella—is that I wanted more, as everything just happened so quickly. But Calder knows how to capture my heart.

Book Review: "Rough Pages" by Lev AC Rosen

This series, which began with Lavender House, is so excellent. The three books in the series are historical crime novels and mysteries, but they go so much deeper than that.⁣

⁣ In 1950s San Francisco, Andy is a gay former policeman who works as a PI ever since the discovery of his sexuality led to his being fired. Andy works out of and lives at The Ruby, a queer nightclub. Given that office location, most of his cases involve a queer person who has been wronged in some way.⁣

⁣ He is asked to look into the disappearance of Howard, the co-owner of a bookstore. The store has a secret book service that publishes and mails queer books to its customers, even though mailing them is illegal and dangerous. Howard said he was just about to publish a big bestseller, but then he disappeared, and so did the books.⁣

⁣ While Andy is concerned about the books and Howard being missing, he’s gravely concerned that the list of customers could have fallen into the wrong hands. That could mean blackmail, or worse, with his closest friends (including Elsie, his boss) being at risk.⁣

⁣ As Andy investigates, he crosses paths with his ex-boss, a determined reporter, even the Mob. Can he solve all of the mysteries before harm comes to him or those he cares about?⁣

⁣ This is such a great book, and although you should read the whole series from the beginning, you could read this one first. It’s amazingly ironic to be reading a book about the government’s desire to control what people read and publish on the eve of an election that could determine whether that control could exist again. I hope Rosen will continue this series, because I can’t get enough!⁣

Book Review: "The Answer is No" by Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. The Beartown series just blew me away and I’ve loved so many of his books where the curmudgeon just needs to be loved and appreciated.

That being said, I tend to like Backman’s books when they’re more emotional and dramatic. The one book of his I struggled with was Normal People, because it felt very silly to me, almost farcical.

I had the same challenges with The Answer is No, Backman’s upcoming story. I appreciate the message he was trying to convey, but it just got too wacky for me.

Lucas is one of those people who keeps to himself. He would much rather spend time alone than have to deal with others. He doesn’t seek out relationships because they would force him to compromise or not get what he wants.

And then one day, his peace is shattered when three board members come to his door. Apparently someone in his building has left a frying pan next to the recycling room. That’s against the rules. But Lucas innocuously suggests how to solve the problem—and he doesn’t realize the wheels he has set in motion.

The story quickly slides into satire. It’s cute and I’m sure it may be a home run for others, but it wasn’t my thing. It will publish 12/1.

Book Review: "Again and Again" by Jonathan Evison

Eugene Miles lives in an elder-care facility, on the verge of turning 106 years old. Considering his age, his health isn’t horrible, but he’s pretty much ready to die. At this point, what’s left for him but spending time reading books he’s read countless times and doing elaborate puzzles in his room?

When another nursing assistant arrives, Eugene isn’t interested in building a relationship with someone else. But for some reason, this young man’s friendly manner taps into Eugene’s heart, and before long, he starts to look forward to Angel’s visits.

Angel shares stories about his relationship with his girlfriend and looks to “Geno” for advice, and the older man opens up about his life as well.

But Eugene’s reminiscences aren’t typical: he tells Angel that he has lived countless lives before this one: he was a thief in medieval Spain, a cat owned by Oscar Wilde, and many other iterations through the years.

And Eugene recounts meeting and losing the love of his life centuries ago in Spain, only to find her one more time in this life.

Angel is captivated by the man’s stories, but can they possibly be true, or are they just the ramblings of an elderly man? As the truth is revealed, and Eugene’s history becomes clearer, what we’re left with is the strength of stories and the power of love, and how we never can truly know all the multitudes that a person contains.

This is a beautifully told book, spanning between medieval Spain, England, and California in the 1930s and 1940s, and Jonathan Evison really made some excellent choices in how the plot unfolded, as I feared that it could veer into melodramatic and frustrating territory.

It’s a slow-moving story, but I was completely hooked.

Book Review: "From Here to the Great Unknown" by Lisa Marie Presley and RIley Keough

I’ve been an Elvis fan for as long as I can remember. My parents used to play his music, I watched a lot of his movies while I was growing up, and I distinctly remember people being upset when he died. A few years after college, a friend and I even road-tripped down to Memphis and visited Graceland.

As an Elvis fan, Lisa Marie Presley also fascinated me. I enjoyed her music and was always fascinated by her life, and felt it was really tragic when she died. Needless to say, when I heard her memoir, which was finished by her daughter, was going to be published, I knew I needed to read it.

This book was an emotional one. Not only was it sad to read about how devastated she was to lose her father when she was 9, but she struggled her entire life with so many things. Addiction. Depression. Being such a subject of fascination for the public. Finding and keeping love. Grief.

While there wasn’t much in the book that necessarily surprised me (although I had forgotten she was briefly married to Nicolas Cage), it still was gripping to read her thoughts. The counterpoint and further details Riley Keough provided definitely deepened the story through her perspectives.

I often wonder if life in the public eye truly prevents a person from living a “normal” life and enjoying it. Certainly from this book you can see how Lisa Marie’s fierce parenting protected Riley from falling into many of the same traps that her mother did.

This was moving and powerful. I’m so glad Riley decided to ensure that her mother’s story didn’t remain untold after her death. And I feel grateful that the Presleys shared their talent with the world.

Book Review: "An Honorable Assassin" by Steve Hamilton

Nick Mason was a federal prisoner who was released into the possession of a Chicago crime lord. He may have been free from jail, but now he was expected to be an assassin on command. At least until he gained his freedom.

It wasn’t really freedom, however, as the next thing he knew, he was flying to Jakarta to be in the employ of a shadowy global organization. He had one job: kill Hashim Baya, aka The Crocodile, one of the most dangerous fugitives in the world. And he failed.

Of course, his failure to kill Baya isn’t taken quite well by his employer. They threaten to kill Nick’s wife and daughter if he doesn’t put Baya down once and for all. And after one failure, Baya’s team is on high alert to protect their guy.

To make matters even more challenging, Nick and his employer aren’t the only ones trying to hunt Baya down. Martin Sauvage, an Interpol agent, holds The Crocodile responsible for tragedies in his own life. But while Sauvage wants Baya to pay for his crimes, Nick just wants him dead. Who will succeed first?

This book has some fantastic action scenes that read like a movie. The opening scene was tautly plotted and had me holding my breath even though I knew the whole book needed to unfold. The book felt as if you mixed a little bit of James Bond with the competitive nature of Valjean and Javert.

Steve Hamilton is a fantastic writer who really should be a household name. He’s written a number of books, including a spectacular crime series featuring PI Alex McKnight. This is the third book featuring Nick Mason, and being that the last one was released seven years ago, it can be read as a standalone. If you like crime novels, Hamilton is an author worth exploring.

Book Review: "The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl" by Bart Yates

Isaac is 96 years old, a historian and journalist, who is writing his memoir. But how do you summarize a life? He decides to focus on 12 different days throughout his life, days which truly had an impact.

Isaac’s story begins in Utah in 1926, when eight-year-old Isaac and his twin sister Agnes are trapped in an avalanche. From that point on, the book focuses on a specific day every eight years. Sometimes the circumstances are dramatic, like when Isaac is aboard a warship during WWII, and sometimes they’re simpler and more joyous.

While some people appear in one vignette only to never be heard from again, the core characters are Isaac, Agnes, and Isaac’s best friend, Bo. Aggie is the fiery, opinionated one, who cares fiercely for her brother, and Bo is truly affable and loyal to both Dahl siblings.

“…few things on earth are more frightening than the possibility of love.”

I enjoyed how the story was told but at times it felt very Forrest Gump-like, with Isaac popping up at different points in history. And while I’ve always been a fan of Bart Yates’ writing, some of the events chronicled seemed very overdone, like the Dust Bowl and the Civil Rights Movement.

This was our book club pick for October. Some people were conflicted, some really found the book moving. I fell somewhere in the middle, although there were places that made me feel real emotion.

Book Review: "Who Loves You Best" by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

This book was so sweet and enjoyable on so many levels. It also made me miss my grandmothers, and the characteristics that made them so special.

Jodi is a podiatrist in Boca Raton, Florida. She’s thrilled that her daughter Lisa has asked her to come up to the Berkshires to babysit her granddaughter Macallan. (Yes, like the Scotch.) Jodi doesn’t spend nearly as much time with Macallan than Di, Lisa’s mother-in-law, does, so she jumps at the chance for one-on-on time.

Yet when Jodi arrives, she’s shocked to find that she’s going to have to share Macallan after all. Not only is Di going to be staying at Lisa’s as well, but she also has to contend with “Grannie Annie,” the girlfriend of Lisa’s father-in-law. (She’s only 27.)

After some tense moments, the women start to get along and care for Macallan together. At the same time, Jodi has to deal with Jake, her husband, who has been unceremoniously let go from his job, so he’s falling apart a bit.

When Lisa shares that her marriage is in trouble, Jodi has to decide how she should help her daughter. But that decision could upend everything in Jodi’s life, so she’ll need to truly think things through. What can she change and what must stay the same?

This was such a warm, funny, and heartfelt book. These characters—especially Jodi and Jake—definitely seemed familiar to me, and that just enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Book Review: "The Anonymous Hookup and The Unforgettable Hookup" by Jax Calder

Over the last month or two I’ve become a huge fan of Jax Calder. She writes rom-coms and romances with such humor and heart, not to mention steam, terrific characters, and great banter.

I recently read Calder’s Hookup Duology, which included The Anonymous Hookup and The Unforgettable Hookup. Both books were funny, romantic, super steamy, and just so endearing, and once again, all I want to do is read more of her books.

It’s been nearly six months since Lane and his boyfriend Preston broke up. While it appears that Preston has had no problem moving on, Lane isn’t ready to look for another relationship yet. And that’s why his best friend Jules has challenged him to find an anonymous hookup. Maybe having no strings attached sex with a stranger will do the trick.

They go to a bar and Lane clumsily makes a move on an exceptionally handsome man. Their intense chemistry is evident from their first greeting, and it’s not long before they’re headed to a hotel room. And after some utterly mind-blowing sex when no names were revealed, they’re ready to move on. But it seems like anytime Lane turns around, there’s Sam, and it’s starting to feel like more than a one-night stand.

The second book tells the same story, only it’s from Sam’s perspective. It’s so fascinating to see the story you just read, yet told through another character’s eyes. It deepens the story, as it doesn’t feel as one-sided. I read one book after the other but it didn’t feel like it was a complete duplicate.

Lane and Sam were such terrific characters and I loved rooting for them. And you can bet I’ll be picking up more of Calder’s books as well!!

Book Review: "How to Read a Book" by Monica Wood

I’ll admit this book was a bit different than I was expecting given the title but it was very special all the same.

“We are a continuum of human experience, neither the worst nor the best thing we have ever done. Or, more exactly, we are both the best thing and the worst thing we’ve ever done. We are all of it, all at once, all the time.”

Harriet is a retired teacher who volunteers to lead a book club for female inmates. It is there she meets Violet, a 22-year-old woman serving a nearly two-year term for killing a woman while driving drunk. The inmates all love Harriet (whom they call “Bookie”) and love the books she has them read, as well as the discussion that follows.

After Violet’s early release, she finds herself living in Portland, Maine. One day she goes to a bookstore to buy the book they were reading when she was released, and she not only encounters Harriet, but also Frank, the widower of the woman Violet killed. The encounter shakes all three of them in different ways.

This is a story about second chances. It’s about taking the next step in your life, whether it’s being released from prison, dealing with an empty nest, recovering from grief, even finding love. And of course, this is a story about how books affect us and change us, and help us find our own words.

I thought this was beautifully written and moving. There were a lot of moving parts, and some threads were introduced and never fully explored, but I really enjoyed the relationships at the book’s core. I’ve read one of Monica Wood’s previous books and loved it, so she’s definitely a storyteller I admire.

Book Review: "The Life and Death of Rose Doucette" by Harry Hunsicker

Dylan is an ex-cop turned private investigator in Dallas. He is surprised when his ex-wife Rose, a homicide detective, asks to meet him, since it’s been three years since they’ve seen one another.

Rose tells Dylan about a murder case she’s handling, but the powers-that-be want her to call it a suicide. She doesn’t believe the victim killed himself, and apparently Rose has been taken off the case. After a short disagreement, Rose leaves, but when Dylan sees a car starting to follow her, he gives chase. The next thing he knows, Rose has been shot, he gets hit in the head, and the assailant gets away.

Dylan is the leading suspect in Rose’s death. But the last thing he remembers is Rose asking him to keep looking into the murder case, so even though he’s warned not to investigate, he is determined to keep his promise to her.

Teaming up with Rose’s current husband, Tito, they begin looking into who might have killed Rose and why. The men learn that there were many things in Rose’s life she kept a secret from both of them. And the more they dig into these secrets, the more danger they put themselves—and others—in.⁣⁣⁣

Trying to find answers only leads them to more questions, and puts them in the middle of a dangerous web of corruption, violence, and blackmail. As Tito and Dylan both deal with their grief over Rose’s death, they need everything to fall into place before it’s too late.⁣⁣⁣

I thought this was an excellent read. I really enjoyed these characters and the emotions that transpired among them, and the plot definitely kept me guessing. I’d love it if this was the start of a series!