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: "No Matter What" by Cara Bastone

“‘Don’t waste your energy over how you think things should be,’ Deb booms. ‘See things for how they actually are.’”

It has been a rough year for Roz and Vin. They were involved in a serious accident that upended their lives, causing injuries to both of them and Vin’s brother Raff. But even though their physical recovery has gone well, Roz and Vin haven’t slept in the same bed in nearly a year, and can barely stand to be in the same room.

As tough as it gets, Roz still hopes that they’ll be able to work things out. Although the fact that neither will come out and say what they’re thinking or feeling certainly complicates matters. But when Roz finds that Vin has signed a lease for an apartment of his own, she is devastated.

The two are moving in separate orbits and living in separate rooms. To help absorb some of her time alone, Roz signs up for a figure drawing class. She finds herself inspired by this exploration of her creative side.

As the date for Vin to move out draws closer, they’re still drawn to each other, physically and emotionally. Vin agrees to serve as Roz’s model for her to sharpen her skills. And it is through the time they spend together, with Roz focused on every aspect of her husband’s body, that they start to see each other more clearly again. Is there a chance they’ll make it back to one another before it’s too late?

I wanted to love this book but for some reason it never quite clicked with me. I found their struggles very emotional and I wanted them to rebuild, but neither of them communicated clearly, which always drives me crazy in books. Still, the story was a powerful one.

Book Review: "Homecoming for Beginners" by Ashlyn Kane

This book hit me in all the feels!! I was looking for something to read because none of the hundreds of books in my house appealed to me, when I stumbled on this. What a wonderfully sweet, emotional, fun surprise!

Tyler couldn’t get away from his hometown—or his disapproving father—fast enough. He’s finally made a life for himself as a paramedic in Chicago when he gets the news that his father died and he has to go home.

Returning to a town where everyone still judges you for your teenage shenanigans is hard enough, but to stay in the house you hated is worse. But Ty gets another surprise when Ollie, a helicopter pilot fresh out of the military, shows up at his door. Apparently Ollie was hired to be a caregiver for Ty’s father, who had dementia, and he packed up himself and his young son, Theo, to make the move.

Ty is ready to head back to Chicago when he learns his father has struck again, this time from the grave. Either Tyler stays in the house and serves as executor of the estate or his father’s entire fortune goes to a hate group. With no other choice, Ty is stuck in town, so he asks Ollie and Theo to move in.

Ollie loves Theo, but with the boy surviving cancer and dealing with the death of his mother, he’s become pretty overprotective. But Ty helps with Theo, and it’s not long before the two men are letting their guards down and falling—hard. If Ty goes back to Chicago, though, can they make it work?

I thought this book was just so heartwarming. The characters each have issues but the way they show up for one another is amazing. I smiled, laughed, and even teared up a bit while reading—and I was there for all of it.

Book Review: "The Women" by Kristin Hannah

So, maybe you’ve seen this book around once or twice? I’m definitely a fan of Kristin Hannah’s, but I need to be in a specific frame of mind for the emotional journeys she takes you on. I’m pleased to say, however, that this so utterly lived up to all the hype—it was simply fantastic.

“How did you know if you had the strength and courage for a thing like that? Especially as a woman, raised to be a lady, whose courage had been untested.”

Frances “Frankie” McGrath was raised a daughter of privilege, living on Coronado Island. She was working as a nurse, at least until she got married. But in 1966, at age 20, inspired by her older brother going to Vietnam, Frankie does the unheard of and enlists, becoming an Army nurse.

The book follows Frankie in country, through the harrowing injuries and deaths she saw, the wounded Vietnamese children, and the strong bonds she formed with both her fellow nurses and other soldiers. It also deals with the trauma Frankie dealt with upon her return, both from those against the war and her own family, all of whom would rather believe that there were no women in Vietnam.

This book is graphic and very emotional, but it so beautifully pays tribute to the oft-forgotten women who served in Vietnam, and those who gave their lives. It also examines the visible and hidden scars that soldiers face, whether in combat or not. I’m always grateful to those who have served and continue to serve our country, but reading The Women makes me want to say thank you over and over again.

Book Review: "The Kind to Kill" by Tessa Wegert

Don’t you love it when a series keeps getting better and better?

I am so glad that Tessa Wegert has written her fourth book in the Shana Merchant series!! This has become one of my favorite series, and Shana is a phenomenal character. She’s a badass but she’s really vulnerable as a result of all she’s been through in dealing with a serial killer and the fallout when their identity was revealed.

A senior police investigator in the Thousand Islands in upstate New York, she’s hoping that the chaos will die down now that the killer’s case is finished. But the national publicity surrounding it—and Shana’s role—continues to rile up the community, and many call her fitness for duty into question.

In the heat of summer, the famous Pirate Days festival is about to bring thousands of people to the area, giving local businesses a much-needed boost. But when a visitor disappears after an argument with her husband, another murder is the last thing the community needs—or Shana, for that matter. Because the feeling that the community was safer before Shana arrived is starting to grow—and she’s not sure they’re wrong.

I kept the plot a bit vague because while you can read this as a stand-alone, it’s even better if you start with the first book in the series, Death in the Family. These books are mysteries and psychological thrillers with some fantastic character development, even a little romance.

Hope the series keeps on going! Thanks so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours, Severn House, and NetGalley for inviting me on the tour and providing an advance copy of the book. This publishes 12/6. Don’t miss it!

Book Review: "Legends of the North Cascades" by Jonathan Evison

Legends of the North Cascades is a beautifully written, ambitious story about love, survival, and recovery.

After his third tour in Iraq, Dave is coming apart at the seams. His PTSD is getting more intense, his marriage to Nadene is on the rocks. The only thing that’s going right is that, despite all the chaos, his 7-1/2-year-old daughter Bella seems to be flourishing.

When tragedy strikes, the only way Dave seems to find peace is through hiking in the North Cascades. The more time he spends there, the more he thinks that retreat from the world around them is the answer, so he makes the decision to move with Bella to an isolated cave in the mountains.

"Dave no longer wished to be around anybody, except for his daughter. And what was left for a child down there but a world that would likely forsake her, a world that would wring the wonder and humanity right out of her, as it sought to reduce her life force to an algorithm? The modern world held no more promise for Bella than it did for Dave."

It’s a beautiful setting but a difficult life, and people become more concerned about Bella’s safety. But as the two grow more comfortable living off the land, Bella starts to have visions, of a mother and son who lived in the same cave during the Ice Age. Both families will need to have strength in order to survive the world around them.

Jonathan Evison is a beautiful writer. I’ve enjoyed a few of his other books in the past, but his prose here is particularly luminous and poetic. I liked the different components of the story, and it brought attention to the treatment of veterans in this country. However, I felt like the pieces of the story lacked cohesion and it all didn’t quite flow together.

Thanks to Algonquin Books for inviting me on the tour and providing a complimentary copy of Legends of the North Cascades in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "The Dead Season" by Tessa Wegert

Can you ever outrun your past? That's a question raised in Tessa Wegert's The Dead Season.

Shana Merchant was abducted by serial killer Blake Bram, but he let her live, and she’s never forgotten that. Leaving the NYPD after her abduction and becoming a senior investigator in the Thousand Islands of upstate New York, she thought life would be easier but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

When the decades-old remains of her estranged uncle are found, it drives Shana back to her Vermont hometown to try and help figure out what happened to the man they all thought left for greener pastures. That’s exactly where Bram wants her—back in the hometown they share, and he’s watching her every move, letting her know if she doesn’t solve this mystery, she’ll be responsible for more death.

But as she interviews family members and old friends and acquaintances, she confronts old traumas and is struck by how far apart our memories can be from the actual truth. And as Bram kidnaps again, taunting Shana with the connections they share, she knows it’s up to her to unravel it all before it’s too late.

I loved Death in the Family, Wegert’s first thriller in this series, and I thought this was terrific, too. Her books are so atmospheric, and they often surprise where you least expect them to. It’s a little bit of a slow burn at the start, but that didn’t bother me.

Shana is a complex, fascinating, flawed character, and I like the interpersonal dynamics with her colleagues and family. I’m looking forward to Dead Wind, the third book in this series, due out in March 2022!

Thanks to Suzy Approved Book Tours, Tessa Wegert, and Penguin Random House for inviting me on the tour and providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "Tonight We Rule the World" by Zack Smedley

Zack Smedley's new YA novel (following Deposing Nathan) was so good but so heartbreaking.

For the longest time, Owen had trouble fitting in. Being on the autism spectrum, sometimes he struggled with expressing himself and making friends. But when he met Lily, he found in her a kindred spirit and his first girlfriend. And as he connects with her group of friends, he feels like he belongs for the first time.

Senior year in high school is a big one for everyone. Owen finds the courage to admit he’s bisexual. But then the school is rocked when it’s anonymously reported to the administration that Owen was sexually assaulted during a school trip. It’s something he had wanted to keep hidden from everyone—the school, his military-veteran father, who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, and especially Lily, because everything will change after that. What happened that night? Who assaulted Owen? And why doesn't he want to share the truth?

Tonight We Rule the World is so powerful, emotional, and thought-provoking. It’s a look at gaslighting and how often we’re failed by those who say they have our best interests at heart. But more than that, it’s about finding the inner courage and self-belief to do the right thing and stand on your own. I struggled a bit with the behaviors of some of the characters, but I was just so moved.

Thanks to Page Street YA, Storygram Tours, and Zack Smedley for inviting me on the tour and providing me a complimentary copy of the book in excahnge for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "Death in the Family" by Tessa Wegert

It was a dark and stormy day...

In Tessa Wegert's Death in the Family, Shana Merchant used to be a police detective in NYC, until she was abducted by the serial killer she was hunting. After being held for a week she was rescued, but the subsequent PTSD ended her career in the city.

Now she works as an investigator in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York, and only her boss knows what happened to her on her old job. And while her fiancé thinks she’s not ready to be in the thick of a crime scene, she’s determined to prove it to everyone—including herself.

She and her partner get called to a wealthy private island, where a young man has gone missing. Blood at the scene indicates he was harmed and could be dead, but where could he be? Could he have somehow gotten off the island? Is this a disappearance or a murder?

All of the man’s family and friends who were staying at their mansion are on edge, and more than happy to point suspicion at someone else. And with a powerful nor’easter wreaking havoc, Shana and her partner could be stuck on the island with a murderer who has nowhere to escape to.

But as she tries to make sense of the lies and double-crosses, Shana also has to deal with the flashbacks that the stress of the crime scene are triggering. Is she really ready to be back in this job? Can she trust her partner not to pity her if she tells him about what happened to her in NUC? And more importantly, is there a killer that they must protect the rest of the family—and themselves—from?

I thought this was a great, intense mystery with lots of twists and turns. It’s the locked-room mystery I’d been hoping for after reading some pretenders and Shana’s struggles kept this fascinating and compelling. You’re not sure whom to trust, but everyone is pretty hateful! Wegert really did a great job with this story.

I’ll be buying the second book in the series immediately! (Update: I bought it this afternoon.)

Book Review: "The Christmas Backup Plan" by Lori Wilde

Lori Wilde's The Christmas Backup Plan is a cute, steamy, and surprisingly emotional romance where opposites attract.

Aria Alzate is a wedding planner ready to create the perfect wedding for her best friend, but when a concussion prohibits her from driving to the town of Twilight, Texas, she’s worried the whole event may collapse. And when she finds out that Remington Lockhart will be (begrudgingly) driving her to Twilight, she’s even less thrilled.

Aria and Remy have known each other since childhood—her three sisters are even married to his three brothers, and everyone is fairly convinced that Remy and Aria are destined to be together. But Remy, recently discharged from the Army after a career-ending injury, is as uptight as they come, and he can’t handle Aria’s casual, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants style. How can a wedding planner not believe in backup plans?

Despite their obvious chemistry (which they deny vehemently), the ride to Twilight is difficult because of their constant need to get under each other’s skin. And when they’re waylaid by an ice storm, they have to decide whether to give in to their attraction or fight it every step of the way—and what doing either will mean in the long run.

Will they get to Twilight on time for the wedding? Will everything go off without a hitch? Are Aria and Remy truly meant for each other as their siblings have been?

Unless you’ve never read a rom-com, you can figure out all those answers. But along the way, Lori Wilde throws in some serious steam and some moving conversations about PTSD and grief that don’t often happen in a rom-com.

The Christmas Backup Plan was a sweet, fun read that might have caused a tear or two (whatever). I look forward to exploring more of Wilde’s Twilight, Texas series!

Avon Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Book Review: "500 Miles from You" by Jenny Colgan

According to Jenny Colgan's 500 Miles from You, sometimes a change of perspective can do you good—and sometimes it’s even better.

Lissa is a nurse in London, working in some of the city's grittier neighborhoods. She’s been having trouble keeping it together, though, since witnessing a horrible crime. Her PTSD is making it impossible for her to focus, so her supervisors think a change of scenery will help, and they arrange for her to swap jobs with another nurse.

Cormac is a nurse and former army medic in the small Scottish town of Kirrinfief. He’s easygoing and friendly, a gentle giant, but that calm hides some deeper issues he keeps silent about. He’s only spent a day or two in London but now he’ll be taking Lissa's place while she moves to Kirrinfief.

Although Cormac has an easier time getting acclimated than Lissa, both feel like a fish out of water. Lissa, in particular, is finding it hard to get comfortable in a place where everyone knows everyone’s business and everyone is so friendly and laid back. But little by little, she starts to warm to the town and its people, and they stop thinking she's totally standoffish.

After some initial awkwardness, Cormac and Lissa start emailing each other about their patients, daily occurrences, every little thing, which leads to texting each other. Why is it so easy to unburden yourself to someone you’ve never met?

What happens when they meet each other? And what happens when they have to return to their original homes and jobs?

Unless you’ve never read a rom-com before, you pretty much know what will happen. And even though I did, there is so much charm here to fall for. The characters—not only Lissa and Cormac, but the supporting characters in both London and Kirrinfief—are just so endearing. It took a little longer for Lissa to stop being impolite and disoriented than I would’ve liked, and the roadblocks she and Cormac encounter at one point made me roll my eyes, but I still enjoyed this so much.

I’ve been wanting to read a Jenny Colgan book for so long and now I see why she’s so loved!

Book Review: "The Return" by Nicholas Sparks

The Return isn't quite as “Sparksy” as Nicholas Sparks' other books are, but it still delivers a good dose of drama and intrigue.

Trevor was a surgeon whose career ended when he was seriously wounded in Afghanistan. After recovering, he’s on the cusp of starting a new career as a psychiatrist helping veterans with PTSD. But first, he travels to his grandfather’s house in New Bern, NC, following his death, to tend to the man’s beehives and get his affairs in order.

Not long after arriving in town he meets Natalie, a police deputy, and he is immediately drawn to her. While Natalie feels the same about him, Trevor can sense she’s hiding something, and she doesn’t want to let her guard down.

Meanwhile, Trevor also has to deal with Callie, a sullen teenager who knew his grandfather and helped him from time to time. Why does she keep pushing Trevor away, and refusing to answer his questions about who she is?

As Trevor tries to navigate his relationship with Natalie, he also tries to figure out what led his grandfather to leave town for the first time in a long time, only to fall ill in the midst of his journey. What did the garbled words that his grandfather said before his death mean? What were the man's secrets, and how do they connect with Callie?

This was an interesting story because of the mystery part more than the romance. I felt the romance part was almost non-existent; I didn’t believe how quickly they fell for each other. I enjoy instant-love scenarios but this didn’t feel convincing. The book's pacing was also much slower that it needed to be.

I know Nicholas Sparks has lots of romantic tearjerkers, but this isn’t one of them. It's better you know that coming in, so you can adjust your expectations!

Book Review: "This is Home" by Lisa Duffy

This was a terrific book!

Sixteen-year-old Libby Winters is surrounded by family. She has lived with her father, Bent, in the middle-level apartment of a triple-decker house, since her mother died. Because Bent is a policeman and often works nights, his two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, are tasked with watching over her, which generally means smothering her or encouraging her rebellion, depending upon which aunt is in charge.

For her part, Libby is tired of everyone giving her advice or worrying about her, and she longs for the opportunity to be her own person.

When Quinn moves in to the apartment downstairs, Libby immediately chafes at the idea of another person crowding her. But when she realizes that Quinn has issues of her own to deal with, the two begin to depend on one another—although their lives are vastly different, both are weighed down by the pressures of life and disappointed by those around them.

Quinn's husband John, who deployed to Iraq shortly after they got married, returns home after two tours, the man her husband has become isn't someone she recognizes. He suffers from PTSD, which he refuses to acknowledge, choosing instead to self-medicate with copious amounts of alcohol.

When John disappears after revealing his plans to return to Iraq, John sends Bent, his former platoon leader, to bring her to his home. At first, Quinn doesn't want someone else to do her husband's bidding, but she begins to rely on Bent more and more as events in her life become more uncertain.

"It occurred to her that over the years, she'd accumulated things to show her existence: a birth certificate, a marriage license, a college degree...but she'd never really thought about herself outside of these narrow margins—who was she after all? Especially now, with the hours stretching in front of her and nowhere to be?"

As Libby deals with problems which challenge a long-time friendship, and tries to figure out the revival of an old attraction, Quinn must figure out what she wants from John, for her future, and from others that seem to occupy her mind and her heart.

Lisa Duffy's This is Home is a beautiful, emotional story about family, friendship, parenthood, and the struggles and challenges love can cause. Duffy does a great job capturing how PTSD affects not only the individual suffering from it, but those around them, and the ripple effects it can cause.

There is a lot going on here, and not every storyline gets resolved neatly, if at all. But Duffy has created such memorable, complex characters, and no one is without flaws or struggles. It will be a while before I can get them out of my mind.

This is Home is a book that has gotten a lot of hype, and it's great to see just how worthy it is of this praise. Read it!