2.27.2026 - I Came Back For You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a physical and digital ARC of the latest thriller by Kate White.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Bree Winter has worked hard to move on with her life after her daughter's murder a decade ago.  She's now divorced and living with a new partner in Uruguay.  Then her ex-husband, Logan, shows up with news that the man who was convicted of murdering her husband made a deathbed confession of murdering two other young women, but not their daughter, Mel.  The only way Bree can get answers is to go back to the scene of the crime and search for the truth once and for all.

This was a gripping, character-driven thriller, and I really appreciated the fact that the main character was a relatable, middle-aged woman.  She's desperate to find out exactly what happened to her daughter, and you can feel her grief and pain.  It's also interesting to explore her feelings towards returning home, seeing her ex with a new partner, and dealing with all the issues that caused their marriage to fail - all while she's in a new relationship with a partner who's a continent away.  The mystery itself is compelling as new information comes to light and the behaviors and motives of many characters are questionable.  This was a tough book to set down!

2.26.2026 - Pinky Swear

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Danielle Girard.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Lexi and Mara were childhood friends reunited in adulthood when Mara flees an abusive husband.  Lexi is estranged from her own husband because she wanted another baby and he didn't, and Mara agrees to be a surrogate for her.  But then she disappears just days before the due date.  Lexi is desperate to find Mara and save her and the baby.  

Another gripping thriller from this author, and I was there for all of it, even when it veered a bit into OTT territory.  The tension just kept building as Lexi followed clue after clue to find Mara.  I liked how we got glimpses into the background of the friends, including the mystery of what happened to their other friend, Cate.  I really felt for Lexi as she struggled with her infertility and her desire to have a baby of her own.  The name they gave the unborn baby, Goose, was so cute!  A wild thriller with themes of friends, secrets, and loyalty, 

2.25.2026 - The Violin Maker's Secret

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins | Harper 360 for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Evie Woods.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Devlin is working at the airport baggage claim when he takes a violin left in the lost and found as a gift for his girlfriend, who wasn't happy that her gift wasn't an engagement ring.  After their breakup, Devlin connects with his former history teacher, who himself is struggling.  The two decide to determine the violin's origin and worth, leading them into dangerous territory.  They seek the help of Gabrielle, who works in a violin shop, who has her own issues.  

Come for that beautiful cover but stay for the wonderful world that Evie Woods has again created.  There's even a touch of magic in these pages, as we hear from the violin itself.  But the real magic is between these three main characters, as they form a found family.  Woods is her own form of magic, as she creates worlds to escape in as you read, which is perhaps the best magic of all.

2.25.2026 - More Than Enough

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, Anna Quindlen.  This is Katie Couric's March Book Club Book.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Polly teaches English at a private, all-girls school, has a core group of friends that talk about everything at their book club (the only rule is that they don't read the book), and an amazing husband.  But she's struggling with infertility, her father's dementia, and her relationship with her mother.  When her book club friends give her an ancestry test kit as a joke, the results match her with a stranger.  Her investigation opens her world even farther.

I love Quindlen's books and they always seem to reach me just when I need them.  This book's portrayal of Polly's father's decline surely hit home, and it was so very realistically portrayed.  Her friend group were amazing, especially her relationship with Sarah, her oldest friend.  I appreciated her husband's family being portrayed as so wonderful, especially her mother-in-law.  This book will have you feeling grateful for all your relationships, both family and found family.  There were smiles through the tears and I loved this one.

2.24.2026 - Encounters with Unexpected Animals

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this short story collection by Bret Anthony Johnston.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Even though I am not always a big fan of short stories, I was anxious to read this because I enjoyed Johnston's recent book, We Burn Daylight.  All of these short stories also take place in his home state of Texas.  These stories are about the every day, and sometimes the unusual, about our lives and our relationships with animals.  Johnston writes wonderfully and these stories will pull you in, of course, some more than others.  Most end rather abruptly, giving the reader plenty of space to ponder and fill in the blanks, but if you like neat endings, that might trouble you.  These are mostly slow stories, where the people and the relationships shine.

2.24.2026 - When God Was a Rabbit

Many thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of this re-released first book by Sarah Winman, author of Still Life and Tin Man, both of which I enjoyed.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Elly's older brother, Joe, is her world.  Always there when her parents are otherwise occupied, he is her person.  But as she grows, other people come into her life - mainly her childhood friend, Jenny, but also her hand and friends of her parents - that also shape her.  As they go out on their own, the connection with Joe is still there, and she becomes terrified when she thinks she has lost him.

I really like Winman's writing and the way her characters experience the world.  This book is sometimes hilarious (the Nativity play!), and sometimes so poignant and heartbreaking it's hard to breathe.  Spanning four decades, it's a coming-of-age book as experienced by these siblings as well as Elly's relationship with Jenny, with the secrets they hold dear even from each other.  We see their relationships change through real-world events, yet they are always there for each other.  Wonderful!

2.24.2026 - Where the Wildflowers Grow

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Terah Shelton Harris.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Leigh is the last of the Wildes; she knows this because she watched them all die, but she carries on.  When the prison transport bus crashes, killing everyone on board except for her, she carries on.  While searching for a place to hide, she comes across a flower farm in Alabama tucked away from the world.  With the help of this new found family, she begins to heal.  But the past doesn't stay buried.

This is so beautifully written and a true exploration of grief, childhood trauma, unresolved pain.  I loved the connection of those working together on the flower farm to make life better for their community, even when the community resisted.  The family they created raised each other up when they needed it, supported each other, taught them to be better humans, and loved each other.  There's romance too (was it just me or did the sex scenes seem more graphic than necessary in this beautiful novel?) and love that is strong enough to wait.  This novel will transport you - loved the author's note too.