2.14.2026 - Trad Wife

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Saratoga Schaefer.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

When Camille Deming isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her trad wife lifestyle for her online followers.  But in order to reach the next level, she needs a baby, and things with her husband, Graham, aren't as perfect as she pictures.  When she discovers a mysterious well in the woods behind her house, she makes a wish for a baby.  Her wish comes true in a most strange way.

I just read One Bad Mother by Ej Dickson, a nonfiction book that has a chapter devoted to trad wives.  This book takes that trend in a way that only Saratoga Schaefer, on the heels of their book, Serial Killer Support Group, can do., without putting the trad wife movement or followers down.  It sure makes you think about influencers and the stress some people put on their social media standing.  Trad Wife is a gross, disturbing, uncomfortable book that I loved and could not put down!  Social commentary, dark humor, horror - it had it all and then some.  

2.14.2026 - Our Beautiful Mess

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Adele Parks.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Connie can’t wait to have all her daughters back home for the holidays. It’s not just the excitement of the girls being together under one roof; uni student Fran is bringing a new boyfriend to stay. The empty nest will once again be full of friends, family and young love.  Yet from the moment she sees Zac, Connie feels a deep unease. Zac reminds her of the worst mistake she has ever a man whose charm and good looks nearly destroyed her marriage. Then, Fran announces she’s pregnant.  But Connie isn't the only one with secrets to hide, and someone is going to pay the ultimate price.

I read this on the hills of being introduced to Connie in Parks' first book, Playing Away.  While this is certainly a stand-alone book, it was fun knowing the backstory.  I liked how the story played out - it opens with a murder, and then goes back 11 days before and moving forward.  All along, you know that someone is going to die, but there are plenty of messy characters all with secrets to wonder about.  I always enjoy messy family dramas and this one had it in spades.  Don't miss it!

2.12.2026 - Playing Away

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this re-released first novel by Adele Parks, narrated by Cassidy Janson, Antonia Desplat, and Arthur McBain.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Connie Green’s life should be perfect. She’s married to gentle, loving Luke, has a good job and really fabulous friends. She thinks she can’t be happier.  But she’s just met John Harding.  He's about to destroy her peace of mind and her happily ever after, and she just can't resist.

I'm a big fan of Adele Parks and this was a good story, made better by the fact that she has brought back these characters in her new book, Our Beautiful Mess.  And apparently there is a middle book that I'll have to catch up on too, Young Wives' Tales.  So I was happy to listen to this book to get the backstory.  Connie is definitely the epitome of the grass is always greener trope, because while she's pining for the excitement of a new man in her life, she's ignoring all the good things she has already.  Narration on the audiobook was great - love when there are multiple narrators - and kept me listening.

2.12.2026 - Family Drama

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Rebecca Fallon.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

It’s 1997, and two 7-year-olds watch as their mother's body is tipped overboard in a Viking funeral.  A confusing and apt send off for soap opera star Susan Bliss.  We go back in time 15 years, to when Susan meets Alcott, and her double life begins.  She struggles with the transition to New England wife and mother and the glitzy lights of LA.  In the present, Susan's twins still struggle with the loss of their mother in different ways.  

This is a sharp, beautifully written debut that intertwines timelines to explore and magnify the different forms of ourselves that we share with others and keep private.  I felt for Susan, even while I didn't condone her decisions, because she was raised in a time where women were supposed to be able to have it all.  But can we?  What gets sacrificed in the mix?  Al was harder for me to understand, because he kept Susan's other world away from the twins, even as they were adults, so that they weren't able to properly process their loss or the true nature of their mother.  I'm looking forward to more from this author.

2.12.2026 - This is Not About Us

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | The Dial Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Allegra Goodman.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen are unmoored.  But then a misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of them not speaking.  Busy with their own lives, their children try not to get involved.  

I am a huge fan of generational family drama stories and this one was infused with the perfect amount of humor, mess, and of course love.  We first hear from Jeanne as she is dying, but then the story is passed down and told from the perspective of a multitude of family members, We hear about the simple things in life and those more complicated and painful as well.  It's all so very relatable, making you think about the special bond of family,  leaving you with a smile and a reminder to call your sister, if you have one.

2.11.2026 - One Bad Mother

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Simon Element for gifting me a physical and digital ARC of this fascinating non-fiction book by Ej Dickson.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

This is a meticulously-researched book into what constitutes "good" moms and "bad" moms, and the inherent problems in even thinking about those distinctions.  What makes this book shine is the humor and personal notes that fill the book as well, as we learn the author's own motherhood experience.  We as a society are so quick to judge, and this book will make you think, even if you are on a different side of the aisle from the author.  Each chapter explores a different type of "bad" mom, nudging us to really explore the effects of race and class on our judgmental views.  A must read book that will bother enlighten and entertain!

2.11.2026 - Wolf Hour

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House  Alfred A. Knopf for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of the latest stand-alone novel by the wonderful Jo Nesbo, master of Nordic noir.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a detective and crime writer conduct parallel investigations, six years apart, into a series of puzzling murders.  In 2016, a small-time criminal and gun dealer is shot down, and all signs point to Tomas Gomez.  Gomez has a mysterious past and connections to a gang, and he's vanished into thin air.  Other murders soon follow.  Bob Oz, a suspended police officer, becomes fascinated by the case and obsessed with hunting the killer.  In 2022, a Norwegian crime writer with ties to Minneapolis has traveled to the United States to research the Gomez case, in the hopes of writing a book about it. But as his investigation progresses, things become more complicated.

I'm a huge fan of Jo Nesbo, especially the Harry Hole series, but love the stand-alones as well.  This one is a gritty, psychological suspense story, delving into the reasons behind the murders.  It's told from both timelines and in different POV, so pay attention!  I really liked the character of Bob Oz, destroyed by his daughter's death, struggling with life after divorce and his job suspension, but still trying to do the right things.  There was plenty of action, twists and turns, and a good ending to make this another hit!