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!

2.4.2025 - The Secret of Snow

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this charming and heartfelt debut by Tina Harnesk.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Máriddja is quite eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, who is suffering from dementia, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.  Kaj is a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated.

If you are a Fredrik Backman fan, you will love this book.  Set in Sweden, your heart will go out to this elderly couple with no family trying to survive on their own.  It sounds like it might be a depressing book, but it's anything but, because the author balances it so well with humor and charm.  Máriddja talks to Siri, thinking she's a friendly operator, and the ensuing conversations will have you in stitches, all the while understanding how technology can be so confusing to elderly people (I certainly feel that way quite often myself!).  Be sure and read the author's note on the story of the Sámi people.  Just a lovely book.

2.4.2026 - Good Intentions

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by Marisa Walz, with the audiobook beautifully narrated by by the wonderful Brittany Pressley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

Cady gets the call she never could have imagined; her twin sister, Dana, has been seriously hurt in a car accident.  Cady meets another woman in the waiting room who has also had an imaginable loss.  Cady soon becomes obsessed with this woman, telling herself that she has such good intentions to help her over her grief.

This is such a wonderful debut, so well-written and multi-layered.  It’s a story of grief on so many fronts, from grieving a twin, a daughter, a son, a miscarriage.  It’s also about grieving the losses that result from death, such as changes in family, relationships, marriages, and jobs.  And about obsession – how easy it is to get too involved to the detriment of all.  I liked the way the story spooled out – Cady talking to her twin, Dana, explaining all her actions since Dana’s death.  It’s eerie, unnerving and you won’t be able to look away until that surprising end.  Will be looking for more from this author!