7.15.2026 - Perfect Life

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by the writing duo of Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Este Walker didn’t move to Winter Park, Florida, to make friends. Five years ago, she ghosted her life in California to reinvent herself among the lakefront estates of Florida’s elite.  Now, her husband Beau and her best friend Nora are the only company she needs.  But Este's secrets are catching up with her, and Beau may be keeping secrets of his own.  Then a mysterious death causes Este to go into investigation mode.

I read and enjoyed the first book in the Winter Park series, Happy Wife, which centered on Nora.  While I would recommend reading that one just for the back story, it's not necessary to enjoy this one fully.  Told from two different timelines and full of interesting characters in an atmosphere where everyone has a few skeletons in their closet, the twists and turns in this book will keep you flipping the pages.  I'm always up for a good domestic suspense because who knows what all those neighbors are getting up to in their so-called perfect lives, so here's hoping for another book in this series!

7.14.2026 - This Changes Everything

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by one of my long-time favorites, Lisa Scottoline.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Julia' rushes from Tuscany back to Pennsylvania when she learns that the grandmother of her best friend, Courtney, has been murdered.  Julia hasn't had any psychic abilities since she got married and had her daughter, but during a phone call with Courtney, she has a premonition.  Despite all the turmoil back home, she is adamant that she must try to help Courtney find the murderer.

This is a sequel to The Unraveling of Julia, and I loved it.  I used to say that I would read a shopping list if Lisa Scottoline wrote it, and that still holds true.  While I'm probably more partial to her legal thrillers, she has proven that she can write wonderful books in just about any genre.  These books have a supernatural element, but still have the tense atmosphere of her normal thrillers.  Plus, this one is ripped out of today's headlines, and there are so many secrets in this small town.  Long time readers will appreciate getting reacquainted with Bennie Rosato and Mary.  Dare we hope for another book featuring Julia? 

7.14.2026 - Country People

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Daniel Mason, this month's Good Morning America Book Club Pick.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Kate and Miles move with their two children, Olive and Wesley, from California to rural Vermont, where Kate has received a one-year visiting professorship position at a small college.  Miles has been working on his PhD dissertation for years, with no paying job to his name.  The culture shock from organic liberal California to the country is big, but the family and their dog, Giuseppe, enjoy exploring their new world.  In fact, Miles gets involved with a group searching for a mythical world below ours as well.

This is not always an easy read, and there's no real extreme plot.  But I liked the immersion into the every day of their lives into their new world, because it's the every day that makes up our lives.  The intermittent transcripts of radio calls added satire and humor into the sometimes difficult topics of Russian folktales and literature.  What sold me was the family and community bonds, and I closed the book with a smile on my face.

7.13.2026 - By the River's Edge

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest true crime novel by Gregg Olsen.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

In 1990 in Washington state, three women's bodies were found on the banks of the Spokane River. They were part of a close-knit alliance of sex workers whose oath to protect each other was, in the end, hopeless. For twenty-two years their brutal murders went unsolved.  In 2012, a DNA cold hit pointed to Douglas Perry.  A repeat offender, he was currently incarcerated in Texas.  But there was a twist - the facility was for female prisoners.  The man they were hunting was now a woman.

I will always read anything Gregg Olsen writes - and I've read a lot of his books.  The subject matter is always meticulously researched and, especially important in this book, sensitively written.  The story of the nation's first transgender serial killer is a wild one, and it is most definitely sad.  It showcases how mental illness, addiction, and poverty cause so many to live on the fringes of society, always in harm's way, and how evil people exploit that.  The true heroes of the story were the law enforcement officers who were diligent about keeping the women's names and stories in the forefront for decades, wanting to bring some semblance of peace to their families.  

7.13.2026 - The Forest Becomes Her

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful novel by Julie Carrick Dalton.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

In Concord, Massachusetts, a centuries-old forest has been removed to make way for a new, eco-friendly housing development.  The locals are upset, but out-of-towners are flocking to put down roots in their dream homes.  A tragedy soon leaves one of those new residents unmoored, and she feels the pull of the absent forest.  And she's not alone - two other women are experiencing their own trauma and relationship to the land.  They are drawn to save the last remaining oak tree.

This story really touched me, with the three main women characters going through the natural stages in life – adolescence, pregnancy, menopause, illness, grief, guilt, death.  These themes are all entwined with our obligation to take care of our natural world as well.  I felt for each of these characters and loved how they helped each other.  There’s plenty of magical realism here, but it fits in well with the characters’ paths and their connections to each other as well as to nature.  Plus, there’s the underlying mystery of the development and the desecration of the forest.  Fascinating!  The audiobook production and narration were very well done.

7.12.2026 - In Wonderland

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little A for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by one of my favorite authors, Joyce Maynard.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

It's 1986, and 14-year-old Frances has always dreamed of a different life, away from her parents too busy fighting with each other to pay attention to her.  When she gets the opportunity to go to the Maine summer home of her dad's childhood friend, Forrest, and spend the summer being a mother's helper, she feels like she stepped into her dream.  But nothing at Wonderland is quite what it seems.

I'm a huge fan of Joyce Maynard, and she has yet again shown why.  While this is a relatable and heart-breaking coming-of-age story and a nostalgic look at a time before our electronic screens took all of our attention, it's also a perfectly-written psychological thriller.  I felt so much for Frances, longing for love and desperate to be an adult, not quite realizing that the adult world and relationships can be so complicated.  She gets drawn into the relationship between Forrest and his wife, Regina, not realizing the consequences.  It explores themes of manipulation, neglect, classism, family secrets.  Absolutely loved the ending.  This is a book that I couldn't put down and is absolutely a must read.

7.11.2026 - Sisterhood Above All

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Saturday Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Kathleen Barber, this one co-written with #BamaRush content creator Amayah Shaienne.  The audiobook production featured a full cast narration, which I'm a huge fan of.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Ava has dreamed of being a Gamma at Southern State University forever.  It's the last connection she has to her late mother and she's determined to wear the Gamma letters.  But prospective pledges are expected to earn their spots, so when president Madison asks her for a special favor, she grudgingly goes along with it, only for there to be disastrous consequences.  Rival sorority Theta president Shay tries to rise above all the hyper-rush mentality, but she and Madison have a grudge that goes way back.  

Sisterhood above all - whew!  There is enough drama and mean girl behavior in these pages to curl your hair!  I do love an academic thriller, and this certainly gave a different side of college life.  I have zero experience with Greek life, but appreciate what it should be.  It was good to see some of that positivity and supportive behavior from some of these women.  But reality aside, this was a soapy, fun thriller. - perfect for a summer beach read!