Book Review: "Kate in Waiting" by Becky Albertalli

As Becky Albertalli shows us in her latest book, Kate in Waiting, sometimes you wish you didn’t have EVERYTHING in common with your best friend.

Kate and Anderson are almost-inseparable best friends who do everything together. They drive to school together (well, Andy drives), audition for the school musicals, even crush on the same guys. But they’d never let anything get between them.

Until Matt, their mutual crush from theater camp, moves to Georgia and goes to their school. The more time she spends with Matt, the more she realizes how much she likes him. But the thing is, Andy does, too. When Matt and Andy share a class that Kate isn't in, they grew closer. And suddenly the competition for his affections may be the wedge that destroys Kate and Andy's friendship.

Time for an unpopular opinion: I am a huge fan of Becky Albertalli and I was eagerly awaiting this book. However, this one did not work for me at all. Usually being able to predict what happens within the first few pages doesn’t bother me, but this time it did.

But the real reason I disliked this book is the use of the words “fuckboy” and “f-boy.” I get using authentic terms but literally Albertalli used the word “fuckboy” in many cases 2 or 3 times per page, and used it interchangeably with “f-boy.” (Why one sometimes and not the other?) I seriously couldn’t believe it. It’s like talking to someone who uses a particular word or phrase over and over and over again. It just isn’t fun. (For the record, I've no objection to the word or the language, just the overuse.)

I love the diversity of Albertalli’s characters, particularly since her books take place in Georgia, and this has a theater-kid component I always enjoy. But I’ll just gloss over this experience and hope her sequel to What If It’s Us (which she again wrote with Adam Silvera) is more to my liking!

Book Review: "Last Summer at the Golden Hotel" by Elyssa Friedland

Can family and longtime friends save a Catskills hotel before it’s too late? That's the key question at the core of Elyssa Friedland's upcoming novel, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.

Back in the day, The Golden Hotel was the jewel of the Catskills. Benny Goldman and Amos Weingold, childhood best friends, owned the hotel and each summer their families presided over the jubilant crowds of Jewish families escaping the heat of NYC for time in this mountain oasis. The best entertainers would perform, the meals would be bountiful.

But over time, the appeal of the Catskills started to dwindle and families began vacationing elsewhere. Many of the leading resorts fell into disrepair and were converted into other things, from casinos to yoga retreats. Only The Golden has survived—and it’s barely hanging on.

When an offer is made to buy the property, three generations of the Weingolds and Goldens must come together to decide what to do. Do they find ways to make the hotel appeal to a new generation, or do they sell something that has been such a significant part of their lives for so long?

Of course, when families and longtime friends and business partners get together, there’s bound to be drama. What secrets will be revealed? What old wounds will be reopened? Can the relationships survive?

Family drama (when it’s not mine) is so appealing to read about, so I was sold on Last Summer at the Golden Hotel the moment I heard about it. But having grown up Jewish in the NJ/NY area in the 1970s, we made many trips to the Catskills so this book felt so familiar to me. It’s a world that was so hard to explain to other people.

I really enjoyed this book so much, and there was even a little bit of a Dirty Dancing vibe in the resort's similarity to Kellerman's. (No Patrick Swayze, though.) There was drama, family dynamics, and a sense of nostalgia that pervades the book. Such a fun read.⁣ Bravo to Elyssa Friedland!

Get Red PR and Berkley provided me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. I also had the opportunity to participate in a great group chat about the book on Bookstagram, and may participate in a Zoom chat with Friedland, so thanks to all who made this possible!

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel publishes 5/18!

Book Review: "Enjoy the View" by Sarah Morgenthaler

Enjoy the View, the third book in Sarah Morgenthaler's Moose Springs series, makes one thing clear: Every rom-com should have a marmot.

Handsome mountaineer Easton Lockett gets more than he bargained for when he stops for a woman walking down the side of the road, pulling a suitcase. It turns out that she’s no damsel in distress—it’s actress River Lane—and she happened to be in the middle of filming. And Easton ruined her shot. (And he wasn't the only one, so she's even angrier.)

With her acting career on the decline, River is determined to get relevant again, so she decides to film a documentary about the charming little town of Moose Springs, Alaska. One tiny catch: the town and its residents don’t want the documentary to be filmed. But resistance has never stopped River before, so she’s going to shoot the film no matter what.

In an effort to compromise (and spend more time with River), Easton agrees to lead her and her film crew on a climb up Mount Veil, so she can shoot from up there. An experienced climber, River is excited for the challenge—and excited about climbing with Easton. What could go wrong?

Lots of things, of course. With a wayward crew, a lovesick marmot, and bad weather on the horizon, it’s going to take all of Easton’s skill to get them back safely. And if they do make it back, can Easton convince River to put down roots in the town he loves so much? Can two people with wholly different lives find happiness together? (What do you think?)

It’s so good to be back in Moose Springs again. I love the characters Morgenthaler has created—even the animal characters are so appealing!! I so enjoyed getting to see the characters from the last two books, The Tourist Attraction and Mistletoe and Mr. Right, again.

I’ll admit, it took a while for River’s character to grow on me, but I loved the chemistry between her and Easton. I also loved the climbing aspect of Enjoy the View, which added another dimension. (It’s something I will NEVER do, so it was fun to live vicariously through the characters.)

I hope we get to take another trip back to Moose Springs soon!!

Book Review: "In Deeper Waters" by F.T. Lukens

A gay prince, pirates, a love story, and some magic? Yes, please!! Sign me up for F.T. Lukens' In Deeper Waters!

Tal is the youngest son of the Queen. He’s spent most of his life hidden away in the castle, as all are afraid he might inadvertently reveal his magical abilities, which could shatter the peace that his family has worked so hard to preserve.

Now, he’s been allowed to partake in the kingdom’s traditional coming-of-age tour, and travel throughout the kingdom with his older brother and the family’s bodyguard. But not long into the journey they find a burning ship and a mysterious prisoner, Athlen, with whom Tal feels an immediate connection. Athlen convinces Tal to free him, only to watch him jump overboard into the ocean.

Tal is devastated by Athlen’s disappearance, sure he must have drowned. When he sees Athlen a few days later, he’s surprised—and very pleased. But their time together is fleeting, as Tal is kidnapped by pirates who want to trick him into revealing his magical powers, which will instigate a war. It will take all of his strength and cunning to survive and get back home—and it’s Athlen’s turn to save him now.

What secrets are Athlen hiding? Will they help Tal or put him in more danger? Can Tal warn his family about what is happening before war breaks out? And can two very different young men from two different walks of life find happiness? There are lots of obstacles to overcome.

This book was utterly charming and so sweet. It felt a little like The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, a little like Carry On, but yet all its own. I really enjoyed all of these characters and their immediate acceptance of people’s differences.

I don’t know if In Deeper Waters is intended to be the first in a series, but I’d love to see this world and these characters that Lukens created again.

Book Review: "The Good Sister" by Sally Hepworth

Whoa, Sally Hepworth has done it again with her newest book, The Good Sister!

I've been wanting to read this since I received an awesome advance copy of the book from St. Martin's Press (along with some amazing gardening swag) and it lived up to every rave I've seen. Had to stay up until 2:00 a.m. to finish!!⁣

Some women would do anything for their sisters.

Rose and Fern are twin sisters, and they’re very close. They have dinner together three nights a week. But even though they’re twins, they couldn’t be more different.

Fern works in the local library (don’t ask her about the printers or photocopiers) and has a very strict routine. She has some sensory processing issues and can’t stand loud noises or crowds, or people touching her. Rose has always looked out for Fern, ever since they were young.

What Rose wants more than anything is to have a baby, but she is unable to get pregnant. When Fern learns of this, she thinks that perhaps she could get pregnant and give the baby to Rose as a way of thanking her. But what Fern doesn’t realize is that this one decision made out of selflessness will upend her world, and change so many things.

I'm going to leave the plot summary there. I love a book that surprises you, one that slowly becomes a different story than you were expecting. Bravo to Hepworth for keeping me guessing and for creating some very memorable characters, especially Wally.

Many of you know my relationship with thrillers so I’m so excited about how much I enjoyed The Good Sister!! Thanks again to St. Martin's Press for the complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "A Girl Like You" by Cari Scribner

A Girl Like You, the debut novel by Cari Scribner, is an entertaining and poignant look at starting over again and figuring out what you want.

When Jessica Gabriel’s second marriage ends, she finds herself wondering whether happiness is possible for a woman on the downward slope toward 60. And what does she even want the third time around?

“I’d grown up on Cinderella and Snow White fairy tales, without question believing there was a prince out there for me. I never really got behind the idea of being saved by that prince, because I was always quite certain I could save myself, but that wildly romantic notion of having a soulmate? I’d bought into it big time.”

Lonely, craving sex and companionship, and sadder than she expected about her marriage ending, she knows it’s time to start over. Armed with a new haircut and a gym membership, she gets a job, learns to fix things around the house, and, with the convincing of her two adult kids and her best friend, she decides to take a tentative step into the world of online dating.

What she quickly finds is a motley crew—some men who are more emotionally damaged than she is, some whom she thinks might have promise (but only briefly), and some whom are wrong from the start. And then there are a few for whom she lets her guard down, emotionally and sexually, only to discover that they aren’t what they seem.

I really enjoyed A Girl Like You, and the characters were all really appealing. It’s nice to have a story with an older woman as the main character when she's not portrayed as a doddering idiot or a burden, and have her explore her sexuality as well as her vulnerability. The book is funny, sometimes sad, and definitely a bit steamier than I anticipated. And you’ll never look at clothespins the same way again!

Cari Scribner provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "Little Pieces of Me" by Alison Hammer

Alison Hammer's second novel, Little Pieces of Me, is an emotional, thought-provoking look at love, friendship, family secrets, and what shapes our identity.

A few years ago, Paige took a DNA test and it cemented everything she knew about her background. One day she gets an email from the DNA testing website letting her know that she matches a man she has never met, but the site claims that genetically, he must be her father.

How could that be? She was raised by her parents and had a tremendously close relationship with her father, who died two years ago. But the more she thinks about things she wonders if this question in her parentage is why her mother always seemed so distant from Paige, why she doesn’t resemble anyone else in the family, and why she's the only one with artistic talent.

Paige is desperate to understand the truth, but her mother isn’t interested in sharing details. She insists that Paige’s father is the man who raised her. And that's true, really. But what isn’t her mother telling her? And what does it mean if everything she has ever believed about herself is no longer true?

Little Pieces of Me is told in dual narratives. One follows Paige’s search for answers, perhaps from the one person she never knew existed, while the other, some 44 years earlier, follows Betsy, Paige’s mother, as she tries to reconcile wanting a life of excitement with the person offering her a life of stability.

I looked a lot like my dad, who died almost 7 years ago, and we shared many of the same mannerisms. (Plus he loved to read, too.) While there never was any doubt who my father was, I can’t imagine what it would be like to find out that you never actually knew the truth about your father.

As she did with her first book, You and Me and Us, Hammer left me teary-eyed at times but fully invested in the story. While perhaps the lack of communication among characters frustrated me occasionally, I love the way Hammer writes and needed to finish the book before going to bed.

William Morrow Books and Get Red PR Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!