7.31.2026 - Meet Me in Paris

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Kristin Harmel.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Nine Americans in Paris and seven interlocking love stories, with fresh starts, second chances, and enduring love.  With a step away from her normal historical fiction, this is also a love story to Paris, and I felt like I traveled along for the ride.  These stories are full of self-discovery and the knowledge that it's never too late for true love.  While there are a number of characters, you won't have any trouble keeping them straight.  Just be sure and have your tissues handy!  Be sure and read the author's note for a personal look into the writing of this story.

7.31.2026 - Cruise to Nowhere

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Citadel for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest true crime book by James Renner.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Most of us are familiar with the Amy Bradley case - the young woman who was on a cruise with her family in 1998 and just disappeared.  The author delves completely into this mystery, beyond even what was portrayed in the Netflix documentary.  What I like about Renner's books is the personal aspect.  He not only gives you his research, but you feel like you are along for the ride as he tells you what's going on in his life and just how he investigated.  I liked that he went for a cruise on the same ship, took trips to sometimes scary locations, all to find out more.  While we still don't know what happened to Amy, this is a comprehensive look into the case.  Since I lived in the Cleveland/Akron area for decades, his books always have a nostalgic feel for me.  Another intriguing read from this author!

7.30.2026 - Helpless

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Jessica Knoll.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars!

Faye and Henry have history, and even though both are married, when they find themselves in the same location after many years, things spark once again.  But soon things turn very dark and someone is out for revenge.

I love Jessica Knoll's books but know that this one is a bit different.  I appreciated the dark, twisty thriller and really liked the ending, but it seemed a bit too Fifty Shades of Gray to get there.  But get there it did.  Loved the Adirondack setting and it added to the dark feel of the book.

7.29.2026 - Buyer Beware

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Catherine Ryan Howard.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Ellie just moved into a cottage only to find out that someone had come in and made a huge mess.  That's just the beginning of the break-ins and issues.  Ellie just wants to be left alone, but that doesn't seem to happen with such curious neighbors.  We also hear from Erin in the past as well as Hannah, both involved with Jason.  What do these women have in common with 1 Delaney Row?

This was more of a slow-burn mystery but Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my favorites, so of course it kept me glued.  The different timelines and perspectives kept me guessing, along with nosy neighbors and interesting characters.  The house, of course, is its own personality and character, always feeling just this side of creepy.  The ending pulled everything together in a perfect way.

7.29.2026 - Dad, Love, Me

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Avid Reader Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the memoir by Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Memoirs can be tricky, but Quick has nailed this one.  I believe, just as he hoped, that it will have ripple effects on those who read it.  After a traumatic childhood and a difficult relationship with his father, with a successful career, life should be good.  But the one thing we can't run away from his ourselves.  Quick tried alcohol, which numbed things, but didn't help.  Once sober, he struggled with depression and writer's block.  Then his dad's dementia diagnosis forced a whole new life and perspective.  So many kudos to Quick and his wife, for stepping up in a major way when others would have just turned away, with good reason.  This one will make you think that it's never too late to forgive and to repair relationships.

7.27.2026 - The Weight of Sunshine

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and High Frequency Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Robin Maguire.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

We follow along life's trajectories of Nina and Jackson for 5 decades, starting in college.  As the timeline progresses, we meet some of the important people in their lives at that time, for better or worse.  

This is a fabulous debut and it was a privilege to discover a new writer, one that I'm sure we will be hearing more from.  I got lost in this story and these characters, and loved the way it was told.  We hear from the perspectives of many different people, showing the impact others have on our lives.  It shows how decisions made can have ripple effects on future generations.  Just like all our lives, there are difficult relationships, bad decisions, but hopefully in the end love wins out, even in the most unlikely of ways.  There's both humor and sadness, set in atmospheric locations.  Do yourself a favor if you love character-driven novels and pick this one up when it is published tomorrow!

7.25.2026 - Guilty Creatures

  

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books | One Signal Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this true crime book by Mikita Brottman.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Denise & Mike Williams had been best couple friends with Brian & Kathy Winchester forever, all growing up in the same Southern Baptist community.   Then Mike disappeared while duck hunting and his body never found.  Things got complicated when Brian divorced Kathy and married Denise.  Just what happened decades earlier?

I knew of this story from various documentaries, and I recently read that it will be a new streaming series on Apple TV.  All of that reminded me that I had somehow missed reading this book and it was languishing in my TBR pile.  Even though I knew most of this story, I felt the research and writing of the book was top-notch and I appreciated the sensitivity given to the victim and his mother.  Anxious to watch the series now!