6.29.2026 - Come Back to Me

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me an audio ARC of this rerelease of the debut novel by Sara Foster, narrated by Flora Ogilvy.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

At a work party, Mark introduces his date to a colleague, Chloe, and her husband, Alex.  Immediately he knows something is wrong.  Alex and Julia pretend not to know each other, but their faces tell a different story.  That story began a decade ago and ended with tragedy.  Now Alex has to decide how to handle knowing that Julia is back.  Meanwhile, Chloe has her own secrets.

This was a wonderful psychological drama and it had me glued.  There are so many different layers to the characters and their stories, as well as a romantic connection running through the four people.  The past tragedy combined with the current relationships made for such a compelling and tense read.  This was such a strong debut and it's no wonder that Sara Foster is a must read author for me!  The narration was perfect and the narrator did a great job with all of the characters.

6.29.2026 - The Top of the World

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by a favorite, Ethan Joella.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Told over two summers in 1974-1975, we meet siblings Maggie and Chip Bishop.  Chip is only 18 and has been diagnosed with terminal leukemia, prompting him to leave home for a few months to try and live a little before he dies.  The next summer, Maggie has just graduated but stuck in grief for Chip.  Maggie's search for where he spent his last months leads her to a resort in the Poconos.  She travels there to learn about her brother's final days.

I am always so honored to read Joella's latest book, knowing that it will push all my emotional buttons in the best of ways.  While this book is heartbreaking, it's also beautifully hopeful.  It's that reminder we all need that personal connection is what makes us the best humans.  This was also nostalgic in the best of ways.  I remember as a teenager seeing the ads for the heart-shaped tubs in the Poconos, thinking that to be the epitome of romance.  If you lived through these times, this book will take you back to a time where you could escape and no one would know where you were.  Once again, Joella writes about grief, loss, family, found family, and hope in the most beautiful of ways.  Highly recommended. 

6.28.2026 - Wasp's Nest

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut novel by Kat Stoddard, wonderfully narrated by the cast of Eric Yang,Major Curda, and Mia Wurgaft.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Tess is getting married for the second time; this time, to a soon-to-be state senator. and steady man.  Her first husband, Peter, hasn't seen Tess in years, so he's surprised to receive an invitation to her society wedding.  He decides to attend with Mitch, a handsome younger man, as his plus one.  Let the fireworks begin!

This was a messy, dysfunctional bunch of wealthy people so of course it was a fun read!  This is being promoted as a modern retelling of The Philadelphia Story, but since I am not familiar with that story besides the title, I can't address it.  But it stands well on its own, sort of like watching one of the Real Housewives.  I started reading this one, but switched to the audiobook because I love when there are multiple narrators.  They all did a great job bringing this story to life.  Looking forward to more from this author!

6.28.2026 - A Dark Path

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this collection of short stories in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo, narrated by the wonderful Kathleen McInerney.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

This is a wonderful collection of the "in between" stories in this series, with A Dark Path being the only one not previously published.  As a reader from the very beginning, it was fun to catch up on these stories, and I was especially excited to read #17.5 in hopeful anticipation of a new novel from her soon.  This is one of my absolute favorite series - I have spent a lot of time in the Millersburg OH area, nearby to the fictional Painter's Mill where these books are set, which make them come alive even more.  This is a series I would absolutely recommend to start from the beginning, because each book furthers the relationships, both personal and working.  Chief Burkholder is a wonderful character - raised Amish and now the police chief.  This is a great addition whether you are a new reader or one who has faithfully read them all!  Kathleen McInerney truly brings these stories alive, and I always look forward to her narration.

6.26.2026 - The Neighbors Are Watching

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest domestic suspense novel by a favorite, Aggie Blum Thompson, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Alex Picard.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Welcome to Eastbook, a wealthy suburb outside Washington DC, full of perfect families.  There was an incident where a nanny was shot in an apparent robbery, but things quickly moved on.  Meet our unreliable narrator, Caren, nearing fifty, married with an almost empty nest and feeling conflicted.  After attending a neighborhood graduation party, she has one drink too many, and blacks out on her way home.  At least that's what everyone says, even though Caren suspects otherwise.  She soon teams up with a new neighbor, Finn, who is desperate to find out what happened to his best friend, the nanny who was killed.  But their investigation leads them down dark paths.

Domestic suspense is truly one of my favorite genres.  Especially now with social media and the look into everyone's picture perfect lives, it's fun to pull back the curtains and see the real stories.  This was an addictive read, with plenty of secrets, twists and gaslighting.  Just like Caren, I didn't know who I could trust.  Told from the POV of mainly Caren and Finn, there's many relevant topics but I don't want to spoil the fun.  Great read and it was also wonderful on audiobook.

6.25.2026 - When You Loved Me

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Beatriz Williams.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lucy Cooper returns to Winthrop Island with her daughter, Punkin, for the summer, only to find that her father just passed away, leaving a mountain of debt.  Her father was obsessed with finding pirate treasure on the land, and Lucy and Punkin uncover his research and begin their own explorations.  Her teenage boyfriend, Ben, is also back on the island, causing old emotions to flare.  But someone else appears to be interested in the ancient treasure and things turn dangerous.

There's a lot going on here, but in Williams' very capable hands, it's a compelling story of romance, mystery, history, along with grief and healing old wounds.  It's told in three major timelines - Lucy in the present, Lucy as a teenager, and through the diaries of Hepzibah living on Winthrop Island in 1717.  Full of fascinating characters, precocious Punkin definitely steals the show.  This is the perfect book for a summer escape!

6.25.2026 - The Make-Believe

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Hannah Murray.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars!

It's always hard to review memoirs, assigning a star rating to someone's story.  This is a starkly honest memoir of the author's experience with a wellness cult, her resultant psychotic break, and her struggle to get well.  It's so sad that there are these "cults," requiring people to pay for whatever garbage they can get people to pay for.  This book is less about that, and more about Murray's undiagnosed mental health issues.  Of course, combine using drugs/alcohol/food or lack thereof to deal with said issues just complicates things and leaves people open to whatever magic others are peddling.  I was a bit confused about her relationship with her parents - there wasn't enough information given to make this reader understand her almost estrangement of them, and without more information, I just felt sad for them as well.  It seems as though the author is on a good path to wellness.  This book was well-written and hopefully we'll hear more from this author in some manner.