6.5.2026 - The Last Run

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Lake Union Publishing, and Brilliance Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful novel by Rachel Weaver, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

It’s been years since Ellie fished the Alaskan coastline—not since her mother died.  But when she finds her father beat up behind the local bar, she learns he’s done the gambled away the family’s commercial fishing boat—her five-year-old son’s inheritance and the life she longs to reclaim. For nefarious reasons of his own, the bookie gives them one season to earn the money to buy it back.  Ellie agrees to fish with her father, Pete, bringing her son, Drew, along as they chase the slim hope of paying off the debt. 

If you would have told me that I would have been enthralled with a book about Alaskan fishing, I would not have believed you.  Apparently, this is why those tv shows were so popular, because this story was so tense and gripping that I couldn't look away.  I loved Ellie’s character, trying to be the best mom possible while struggling, still trying to help her dad who has disappointed her yet again.  Of course, the Alaskan fishing environment is a character itself, and I felt the harshness, the struggles, the sense of accomplishment at the end of a hard day.  There’s some romance involved too, but just enough to keep things interesting.  The narration by Saskia Maarleveld was top notch and I ended up listening to this one exclusively.  Wonderful!

6.4.2026 - Valet

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Saga Press for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of this wonderful debut novel by JP Lacrampe.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Cy has worked for the St Claire family since his inception, and his owner has tasked him to help her 35-year-old son, Grayson, do more with his life.  Grayson is nothing like his CEO sister, Charlotte, who is running the family robotics company after their dad died.  But when Grayson learns that Charlotte plans to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics.  He doesn't want the technology their dad created over the year, like Cy, to be in the wrong hands.  So he does what he thinks he must, and soon he's on the run

I absolutely adored this quirky book and all its characters, but especially Cy for showing us just what it means to be human.  This book has it all - family drama, corporate espionage, second and third chances, working together to accomplish what we can't on our own - all in a way that will have you cheering on robots, laughing and tearing up along the way.  It's dystopian light, showing us a world run by technology and robots, but one that still feels like home.  It's hopeful, cozy, and perfect - just what I needed in a book today.  Don't miss this one!

6.3.2026 - Man of My Dreams

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Olivia Worley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Bestselling romance author Ivy Harcourt has been unlucky in love, so she's shocked when one of the characters in the book she's writing seems to come to life.  They have the perfect meet cute in the park, and soon Ivy is convinced that Liam is the man of her dreams.  But is he too perfect?

This book took me on a roller coaster ride in the best ways.  Ivy was a character with a history of drinking, blackouts, and sleepwalking so I was never quite sure if I could trust her.  And was Liam really as perfect as he seemed?  The twists started piling up in the second half of the book and even though I thought I could guess some of where it was going, i never could have guessed all that happened in the end!  It was a book I raced through to figure out just what was going on, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

6.2.2026 - Down With the Shipmans

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wiliam Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Meg Mitchell Moore.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

The Shipman sisters, Jordan, Natalie, and Mae, return to their family summer home on the New Hampshire coast, the first without their late mother.  However, things quickly so south when their father, Calvin, tells them that he plans to sell the beach house.  Each of the sisters are already dealing with various dramas in their lives, and when Calvin's new wife shows up, all bets are off.

This book felt like a mini beach vacation - while it dealt with some tough topics, it was infused with plenty of sunshine and hope as well.  There are dogs and cute kids, and sisters being there for each other.  It's a reminder that families can be messy, but we can never have too many people that love us.  Don't miss this one - a perfect summer read!

6.2.2026 - The Last Time We Drowned

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Saratoga Schaefer.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Charlie is broke and desperate when her bookstagram account lands her the offer of a lifetime - join Empress, a yacht/houseboat off the Florida Keys turned influencer paradise.  She'll not only be paid well, but she'll have a group of internet stars to help her forward her account.  It's the perfect distraction too after Charlie's former best friend betrayed her in the most terrible way.  But things on the ship are not what they seem and cracks soon appear - or is Charlie imagining everything?  Enter a hurricane to make it all even worse.

This is another taut thriller by Schaefer and I loved it.  There's always something about a locked-room mystery, a remote location, and a storm that will get me every time - plus mean girls!  This is also a peek into the drama and underbelly of the influencer world, where all that matters is your latest stats.  I thought I knew where this was going, but the big twist really got me.  Be sure to add this book to your summer reading list - but maybe stay off the water!

5.31.2026 - Hunger and Thirst

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zando | Tin House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Claire Fuller.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

in 1987, after childhood trauma and years in and out of the care system, sixteen-year-old Ursula finds herself with a new job in the postroom of a local art school, a bed in a halfway house, and some new friends, including wild-child, Sue. When Ursula is invited to join a squat at The Underwood, a mysterious house whose owners met a terrible end, she can’t resist the promise of a readymade, hodgepodge family.  Thirty-six years later, Ursula is a renowned, reclusive sculptor living under a pseudonym in London when her identity is exposed by true-crime documentary-maker who is digging into an unsolved disappearance.  But it is not only the filmmaker who has discovered Ursula’s whereabouts, and as her past catches up with her present, Ursula must work out whether the monsters are within her or without

I'm not sure I've read a book that gave me such creepy, unsettling feelings from page one to the end.  I was questioning everything and everyone, never convinced what was real and what wasn't.  It's that kind of book, where timelines are slippery and intermingle as Ursula looks back over the events of the summer of 1987 as an accomplished adult.  The writing is amazing as you would expect from this author, and it kept me engaged throughout, with that dark, gothic feel so prevalent.  It also brings up topics of childhood trauma, mental illness and the care system for minors, which in this book will make you mad and understand the characters a bit more.  I felt for young Ursula as she wanted so badly to fit in and belong.  And that ultra-creepy house was practically a character itself.  Be sure and check this one out if you like your reading on the dark side!

5.31.2026 - Road Trip

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book by the queen, Mary Kay Andrews, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Kathleen McInerney.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters but they couldn't be more different and have been estranged for years. The death of their mother brings them back together to face a huge debt on their family home instead of the money they were hoping for.  It was in the will that the sisters use money for a trip to Ireland, and when they find a painting that could be worth millions, it was a potential way out of both their financial troubles.  So it was off to Ireland where they begin investigating.

This is a different setting from Andrews' typical Savannah beaches, but it was still the perfect summer romp and won't disappoint!  It's so atmospheric as the two make their way through Ireland, trying to get along as well as determine if there really is a curse on their family.  It's a trip full of laughs, charm, romance, and intrigue.  What else could you want?  I'm a big fan of Kathleen McInerney, and once again her narration was perfect and I ended up listening to most of this book.  Definitely pack this one along for your next road trip!