5.28.2026 - Girl's Girl

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press for gifting me the debut novel by Sonia Feldman.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Fifteen-year-old Mina’s whole world is her two best friends, Margaret and Eleanor.  After an unexpected kiss, the established dynamics of their trio quickly unravel. Everything that was once shared openly, from clothes to secrets, now feels impossibly fragile. Loyalties shift and tensions simmer across the long days of this pivotal summer, where the girls have nowhere new to go and everything new to feel.

This was a wonderful debut really exploring the coming-of-age experience of young women and their friendship experience.  Having two close friends naturally sets up painful dynamics.  It was also a good look at differing mother/daughter relationships, and Mina's thoughts about her mother were funny and felt so real.  I liked how the story was told from the vantage point of adult Mina, looking back on that summer.  It's nostalgic in the best of ways, when teenagers are just trying so hard to fit in and friendship is everything.  Being from Ohio, I loved the relatable feel and setting.  Great debut - can't wait to read more from this author!

5.28.2026 - Blunt Instrument

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers | The Mysterious Press, and Highbridge Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this first in a new series by Amy Bloom, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Hillary Huber.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars!

Dell Chandler lost her job as an English professor and is now working as a private detective, when she is called to investigate the death of a not very well-liked professor at Cromwell University.  The university is trying to keep things quiet and avoid the media, so Dell needs to solve the murder before the police do.

I seem to have a love/hate relationship with Bloom's books - either they are a 5 star or they are less than.  This one was less than, but I am still interested in reading the next in the series because there's lots there to build on, especially since the ending was rather abrupt.  Plus, I liked the academic setting.  The audiobook narration by Hillary Huber was wonderful as always, and kept me listening when I may have otherwise stopped.  

5.26.2026 - The Midnight Train

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Matt Haig.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.  For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life., on his honeymoon in Venice.  Before he gave it all away.

This is listed as part of the Midnight world, after the wonderful The Midnight Library.  Their themes are similar, but they are different books so no worries if you haven't read the first (but you should!).  This is just a beautifully-written story that will have you rethinking your life choices.  I always say you should try and live your life so that you don't have any regrets, although after a life, we all have them.  Wilbur is not always the easiest character to love, but he's had a tough life and is just trying to do his best.  Things always look different when we look back.  It's also a book about books, which I always love.  Never stop reading, live your best life, read this book.

5.26.2026 - Murder By Design

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer, and MB Communications for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of the new book by Lee Goldberg, and the first in a new series.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He used to work for the LAPD, but since his injury, he works as a consultant as well as an insurance investigator.  Bixby solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible.   Wally is a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.  Their first case looks like an accident - a woman falls down the staircase at a mall - but Bixby is certain she was murdered by design.  He must now prove his theory.

This was so much fun!  If you, like me, enjoyed watching Elementary years ago and seeing the world differently through Sherlock Holmes' eyes, you'll absolutely love this one.  It feels like a class whodunit.  Bixby is not a very likable character, but Wally has enough personality that the two make a great team.  Their dialogue is so funny, but the true star in this book is how the mysteries are solved with just a different eye to the world.  Goldberg certainly did his homework, and even the author's note and acknowledgments were fascinating.  I can't wait for more in this series - soon please!

5.25.2026 - Take Me With You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Steven Rowley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars rounded up!

They have been together for 30 years when Jesse witnesses his husband, Norman, go out in the middle of the night into a strange beam of life and disappear.  Jesse knew their relationship had seemed lacking, but where did he go?  With Norman gone, Jesse struggles to figure out his new life.  Norman's sister, Lally, is equally confused as to Norman's whereabouts, going so far as to hire a PI to find him.  All eyes are on Jesse.

I'm a huge fan of Steven Rowley's books, and this one had his trademark sweetness, humor, and good messages.  The alien storyline was a bit weird and never quite finished to me, but otherwise, I liked the plot line of two married people who after time forget what drew them together in the first place.  It's a message to not take people for granted.  I may not have loved this one as much as his others, but I'll still be first in line to read whatever comes next!

5.25.2026 - Dolly All the Time

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Annabel Monaghan, just chosen as the June Good Morning America Book Club Selection.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Dolly Brick has had to be in charge since she was young and her mom left.  Now as an adult with a teenager of her own, she's trying her best to keep everything running smoothly, not only in her own life, but in her dad's and brother's lives back in Whitfield, Rhode Island.  She heads back to Whitfield for the summer to try to keep them from losing their family home.  When she comes across the eldest Whitfield son with a flat tire, it's in her nature to help.  Stewart later has a proposal for her that will enable her to keep the family going, but is it going to be more than she asked for?

I'm not always a huge romance or romcom fan, but I have loved Monaghan's past books and absolutely adored her latest. You can't help but fall in love with these characters, especially Dolly, but also her hilarious best friend, Naomi, and Stewart's sister, Busy.  It's so fun and empowering to watch these middle-aged (hardly but everything is relative!) women take charge of their own lives and support each other.  One of the best parts was Stewart's relationship with Dolly's son, Gus.  Don't miss this one - it's the perfect summer read!

5.24.2026 - Beneath a Broken Sky

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book in the wonderful Ben Packard series by Joshua Moehling.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

A tornado has just swept through small town Sandy Lake, Minnesota, leaving trees felled and homes destroyed.  Detective Ben Packard is called to investigate the death of a woman killed in her home.  The mother of a gay teenager and unpopular in town, there are plenty of suspects in her death.  Packard is gay and used to being judged for that, so this death hits close to home.  Before summer is out, someone else will die.

I love this series and getting to know Ben Packard more with each book, but I'm sure you could read this as a stand alone if you must.  It's a taut, tense mystery that left me questioning everyone until the reveal.  It's gritty, violent, and the summer storms and wildfires add another layer of stress.  Each chapter begins with an air quality report, which again emphasized the danger.  It's a wonderful police procedural, but where this book shines is with Ben's character.  He's morally driven, capable, but with heart and compassion.  I can't wait for more in this series!