6.30.2021 - Lady Sunshine

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Amy Mason Dona - 4.5 stars rounded up for a wonderful look into family, secrets and the cost of fame. 

Told in two distinct time periods, 1979 and 1999, we find Jackie Pierce falling under the spell of Sandcastle, her uncle’s bohemian music colony on the CA coast.  She also falls under the spell of Willa, her cousin, and they become the best of friends.  Then tragedy strikes and Jackie never sees Willa again. Twenty years later, Jackie is living a world away as a teacher in Boston when she learns her aunt passed away and left her Sandcastle. She heads back, intent on packing it up and selling as soon as possible. However, she discovers her uncle left a notebook of songs that her aunt gave to a producer  to make a tribute album. With musicians once again inhabiting the estate, Jackie is again under its spell and set on getting answers to long-buried secrets. 

This book will transport you back in time complete with an amazing setting and summer soundtrack. It’s a coming of age story with family loyalties and secrets tested at all turns.  Both Willa and Jackie are strong female characters that you will fall in love with. This is a fabulous summer read that I couldn’t put down until the mystery was solved with that wonderful ending.

6.28.2021 - The Fiancée

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital copy of the latest domestic thriller by Kate White - 4.5 stars!

A perfect family vacation is planned for Summer, her husband Gabe, and stepson at her in-law’s estate.  But a newcomer to the closely-knit family threatens all their relationships and possibly their lives. Gabe’s brother brings a new girlfriend - Summer instantly recognizes her but Hannah denies ever knowing her. That’s just the first of many issues - unfortunately, Gabe doesn’t believe Summer and feels she’s acting jealous. Then someone dies. 

This was a fast-paced thriller that kept you guessing until the end, with lots of mysterious happenings and characters. I’m a big fan of Kate White’s writing - her descriptions of this idyllic Pennsylvania estate were the perfect backdrop to this mystery. 

6.23.2021 - What You Can See From Here

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrah, Straus and Giroux for gifting me a digital copy of this book by Mariana Leky. 3.5 stars rounded up. 

This story follows the inhabitants of a small village in Western Germany as they cope with love and loss. Told from the perspective of Luisa, a 10-year-old as the story begins. The book follows Luisa through pivotal times in her life as she deals with family, community members and a new love. 

This was a bit of a difficult read for me, which may be due to translation. It gives bits and pieces of different timelines of the story that you need to keep up with. Luisa’s family and community members are interesting and quirky - each holding secrets and beliefs that affect each other. But a wonderful character study as each deals with personal and community loss and change.

6.20.2021 - Hostage

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest 5 star thriller by one of my top favorite authors, Clare Mackintosh.  If you haven't read her debut, I Let You Go, you must add it to your list!

Mina and her husband, Adam, are having issues in their marriage.  Their adopted daughter, Sophia, is gifted but challenging.  Mina just needs a break so she switches assignments with a fellow flight attendant to be on the inaugural nonstop 20-hour flight from London to Sydney, Australia.  But on board, she is handed a threatening note by an anonymous passenger who knows just how to make Mina comply with the appalling request.  At home, Adam, who is caring for Sophia while Mina is away, has his secrets brought to his doorstep and threatening his safety as well as Sophia's.  

Taking place over the 20-hour flight, this is a non-stop tense thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page when yet another twist will leave you gaping!  Between the two storylines of Adam and Mina, both will leave you on the edge of your seat as well as questioning what you would do in these situations.  Clear your calendar because you will not be able to put this book down - highly recommended!

6.18.2021 - Blush

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for gifting me a copy of this wonderful book by Jamie Brenner - a 5 star summer must read!

Three generations of Hollander women find themselves at the family winery for a summer that could end up being the last for the family; a sale is rumored.  Vivian, the matriarch, relinquished control over running the winery to her husband, Leonard, while she became a figurehead for the winery's events while raising the children.  Vivian is afraid the sale might reveal a secret she has kept for decades and one which could ruin her marriage.  Their daughter, Leah, grew up in the fields and wanted nothing more than to help run the winery; however, Leonard made it clear she would not have a spot because she was a woman.  Leah's daughter, Sadie, is in her final year of college and struggling to write her thesis.    These women come together at the winery for what could be their last there as a family, each struggling with their own issues.  When Sadie finds her grandmother's book club journals listing the books they read in the 1980s, the women start reading these novels together, each looking at them with their own perspective.

I absolutely adored this book!  I loved each of the women characters as they grew together to embrace their real selves and take their power back.  The best part was the nostalgic look back at the so-called "trashy" novels of the 1980s that I devoured and still probably have in boxes somewhere.  It was so interesting to see each of the generation's new takes on the novels as they have their own book club to talk about the women in the novels.   Add an amazing lesson in wine making and cheese and you have the perfect book to read on a summer patio - with a glass of rose´ of course!

6.16.2021 - Lie Beside Me

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest installment in the wonderful police procedural series by Gytha Lodge - 4.5 stars rounded up - this series just keeps getting better!

Louise wakes up after a night out drinking, rolls over and sees that the man in bed next to her isn't her husband.  And he's dead.  Louise can't remember what happened the night before even when she is now the prime suspect in his murder.  Slowly, she gets flashes of her memory back.  Detective Jonah Sheens and his team have a lot of people to investigate, from Louise, her husband, her best friend, to a whole cast of characters to try and solve this murder.

The story is told in alternating chapters of Louise writing to her husband and the police investigation into the crime.  Louise had great perception into her personality, from Drunk Louise to Sober Louise.  While it was so good to get reacquainted with the detectives on the case, this is easily a stand-alone book.  There are enough suspects to keep you guessing until the end - and that ending!  I can't wait to read the next in this wonderful series - don't miss it!

6.15.2021 - Nowhere Girl

Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for gifting me an ARC of this amazing memoir by Cheryl Diamond - 45 stars rounded up!  Thanks for letting me be a part of the book tour for this memoir!

Cheryl's first memories are from when she was 4.  At that time, her name was Harbhajan and her family consisted of her parents, her brother Frank and her sister Chiara.  But that's just for now - her family is constantly on the run, changing identities, religions and locations constantly.  All Harbhajan knows is that they are running from her mom's father.  There is a set of rules they must obey and the most important thing is their family.  Harbhjan is always treated as special - both her and Frank are strong athletes and get the best training available.  She even becomes a model and writes a book about that experience.  But as she gets older, she becomes more aware of the grave family dysfunction and realizes that she has no legal identity.  

This is a wonderfully written memoir.  Cheryl (her chosen identity) has laid out her childhood experiences in an orderly fashion as she grows older and lives in so many different areas.  It's fascinating to go along to all the different locations as you read this book.  We see Cheryl trying to fit in even when she knows she may be leaving soon.  Her place in the family is to try and always make things okay and we see the toll that takes on her.  It's amazing that her con man father treated the family like he did but it is more amazing that Cheryl has come out on the other side with such a strong character and sense of herself.  With almost no formal childhood education, she is articulate, intelligent and wise - more so than most of her family members.  It's heartbreaking to think that she missed out being a kid and a teenager with no worries - this book definitely will make you thankful for your own parents and childhood!  In the vein of Educated and Glass Castle, this is a memoir not to be missed.

6.13.2021 - What's Done in Darkness

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Laura McHugh - a new to me author.  4.5 stars rounded up for a book I couldn't put down!

Sarabeth is almost 18 and living on a remote farm in Arkansas with her family.  Her parents moved there after her dead had an affair; they both became very religious.  Suddenly, Sarabeth's world as she knew it with friends, school, TV was gone.  Anxious to leave before her parents marry her off, Sarabeth is kidnapped from her family's farm stand and held for a week, shackled somewhere in a basement.  But the police don't believe her when she is found bloody at a rest stop.  Five years later, Sarah, as she is now known, is living in Missouri and working at an animal shelter.  She struggles with PTSD from her ordeal and can't let anyone in her life.  When she gets a call from Nick Farrow, an investigator tracking down another missing girl, she gets talked into going back to her hometown to try and find some answers.

I loved this book!  It's fairly short, which is good because you won't want to stop reading until the end.  And that ending - wow!  The book alternates chapters between Sarah in the present time and Sarabeth in the past, so the reader is privy to all that led up to her abduction and afterwards.  I don't want to give anything else away - but you need to read this book!  Definitely an author that I will be looking for in the future.

6.12.2021 - This Shining Life

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press/Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of this bittersweet book by Harriet Kline - 4 shining stars!

Ollie's dad died.  Ollie is a different child and he's not always sure he fits into his family just as they aren't sure about him.  But when Rich dies at a young age of a brain tumor, the entire family is thrown and unsure of how to navigate their grief.  Mom, Ruth, sinks into depression; her mom, Angran, remains angry at life; Nessa, Ruth's sister, was Rich's friend as well and tries to get Ruth to move on.  Rich's parents, dealing with their own issues, struggle with losing their son.  Rich left a present for each family member and Ollie helped wrap them up.  But things didn't turn out as planned and Ollie is desperate to set things right.

The story is told from all the different viewpoints of the family members, both before Rich's death and after.  Ruth's childhood issues come into play in all her relationships and she has to come to terms with them.  This is a wonderful story of grief - of loss, of coming together, of moving on.  I loved all the different voices and how the author let us see different viewpoints at different times to tell the same story through another's eyes.  Which is another important lesson from this book - what we think others may want or need may not be true.  

6.11.2021 - The Maidens

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Alex Michaelides, the author of one of my all-time favorites, The Silent Patient.  That's a hard book to live up to but The Maidens is definitely a worthy contender - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Mariana is still grieving the sudden death of her husband, Sebastian, and working as a group therapist.  She gets a frantic call from her niece, Zoe, a student at Cambridge University, saying that her friend is missing and she fears the worst.  When Mariana arrives on campus, she learns that Zoe's fears came true.  Trying to understand what happened, Mariana quickly suspects that the Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Fosca, is guilty.  When another of Fosca's secret society of students, called The Maidens, is found dead, Mariana becomes obsessed with finding answers, threatening her reputation and possibly even her life.

This was another beautifully-written mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.  I loved the atmospheric writing - you could picture the campus as well as the dark places visited - it all added to the mystery.  I also loved that there were a few references to The Silent Patient as well.  I can't wait to read more from this author!

6.10.2021 - All Together Now

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Matthew Norman.  I was a huge fan of Last Couple Standing and his latest is another 5 star read!

Robbie, Wade, Blaire and Cat make up the Baltimore Prep Rejects - a group of high school friends whose bond was cemented when they took risks for what they believed and stood by each other no matter the consequences.  Fast forward to the present, the group is now 35 and in various stages in life.  Robbie is a billionaire who has learned he has a fatal illness; Wade is a not too successful author facing moving back to his parents' basement; Blaire is married with twins and missing the spark in life; and Cat is fresh off a bad breakup.  Robbie gathers them all together at a coastal Delaware beach home to try and right all the wrongs in their lives.

Such a wonderful character study - even though each of the characters may make questionable decisions, you feel such empathy for them.  This group of friends learns the important lessons - money can't fix everything nor does it buy happiness or ensure a long life.  Life is a journey - we do better as we go along and hopefully we have friends to keep us company.  Norman's writing makes you think without being preachy, makes you laugh and cry.  Highly recommended!

6.9.2021 - The Secrets of Us

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital copy of the latest book by a favorite author, Lucinda Berry.  4.5 stars rounded up!

Krystal and Nichole are closer than sisters, bonded together by sharing a foster home and a traumatic event when they were teenagers.  Now adults, Krystal is a family law attorney and Nichole is married to Aiden and a popular teacher.  But when Nichole is taken to a psychiatric facility accused of setting her house and fire and trying to kill Aiden, Krystal drops everything to try and save Nichole.  She hires a lawyer and works with the doctors and detectives to try to find answers - but those answers lead back to their shared past and a terrible secret.

Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and a research in childhood trauma, so of course she nails it!  Everything the sisters go through as a result of their trauma feels so real.  The book is told from the POV of both Krystal and Nichole in the present time as well as before.  There were lots of twists and turns in this thriller - highly recommended!

6.8.2021 - I Don't Forgive You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this fabulous debut book by Aggie Blum Thompson - 5 stars!  Sign me up for her next book - this is definitely a writer to watch!

Mark and Allie have just moved to an upscale neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland, with young son, Cole.  Suddenly, Allie is suddenly thrown into the competitive parenting/school world where she feels like a complete outsider.  At a party, a harmless flirtation with a stranger becomes frightening when he calls her by an old high school nickname and seems to be expecting something from her.  When that stranger turns up dead the next day, suspicion falls on Allie. Police have evidence that Allie sent this man messages on Tinder and Facebook.  Allie has a secret from her past she is trying to hide as well, even from her husband.

Pick up this book and then set aside all other plans for the day.  I was gripped with this story and the very many suspects - no one feels completely trustworthy!  The author sets up the tension of Allie knowing she is being set up but feeling that no one believes her - then the tension just keeps ramping up.  This book also left me wanting to completely destroy any of my social media accounts - the things that people can do to cause harm never cease to amaze.  Fabulous debut novel - don't miss this one!

6.7.2021 - The Disappearing Act

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting my wish to receive a digital ARC of the latest book by Catherine Steadman - 4 stars!

Mia is a successful British actress, starring in period pieces, but after a bad breakup, her agent arranges for her to travel to Hollywood for pilot season - that important time of the year when studios look for stars for upcoming projects that can make or break an actor's life.  Things are going well for Mia but during one audition, she does a favor for another hopeful actress, Emily, and her life will never be the same.  When Emily disappears and Mia realizes she is the last one to see her, Mia becomes obsessed with finding her.  Soon Mia is questioning her memory and all of those around her as she searches desperately for Emily.

This was an intriguing mystery with lots of unreliable characters to question.  It is the type of book that has you screaming silently to Mia to just walk away, but what would be the fun in that?  It was also an interesting back look into Hollywood and the actors literally dying for their big break.  I never realized that one of my favorite writers, Catherine Steadman, was also a British actress, so this book is obviously a true peek into that world.

6.5.2021 - A Dark and Secret Place

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me a digital copy of this book by Jen Williams - 4 creepy stars!

Heather hasn't been close to her mom, Colleen, for years but when Colleen dies by suicide and Heather returns to her home to settle things, she finds out that she didn't really know her mom at all.  The suicide note is cryptic but Heather also finds letters that Colleen exchanged with Micheal Reeves, a notorious serial killer currently in prison nicknamed "Red Wolf."  When similar style murders begin again, local police enlist Heather to talk to Michael to see if she can get him to talk.  But strange, frightening things are happening to Heather, leaving her afraid to stay in her family home.

This is a well-written mystery that kept me guessing to the end.  But it is quite disturbing so be aware if you are squeamish!  

6.4.2021 - One Two Three

Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Laurie Frankel - 4.5 stars rounded up for a brilliant, unique book!

Three triplet teenagers:  Mab (One) is the typical child; Monday (Two) is on the autism spectrum; and Mirabel (Three) is brilliant but cannot speak.  Mab's destiny is to get good grades and leave Bourne for college and a new life.  Monday is the town keeper of the library's books, once the library was abandoned.  These three 16-year-olds are living with their mom, Nora, in Bourne, a town that was devastated by poisoned water run off from a chemical plant decades ago.  Nora has been fighting against the company for all that time, trying to get the company to admit fault.  But things are changing in. Bourne, the city that time and loss left behind.  Moving trucks have been spotted and rumor is that the chemical company is back and set to reopen.

This story is told through the voices of One, Two, and Three as they deal with the decisions made by those before them and try to figure out how to do better.  I fell in love with these characters - Mab carries the guilt of being the typical triplet and feeling that she has to live for the other two.  Monday is such a literal character - she will make you laugh out loud with her truthful observations about. her world and those around her.  And Mirabel is the heart of this story - you really get to feel what a disabled person feels like inside.  Add those characters to the storyline of big business money winning out over environmental issues and you have a definite winner!  Highly recommended!

6.2.2021 - Pack Up the Moon

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Kristan Higgins - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lauren and Josh are newly married, crazy in love, and both doing well in their respective careers.  Until Lauren's terminal illness diagnosis sets their world on fire.  Knowing that she is dying, Lauren writes one letter per month and leaves them with her best friend, Sarah, to give to Josh after she's gone.  The book is told in alternate voices - Josh in the present time as well as Sarah's voice in the past as she also writes letters to her deceased dad.

Yes, that's a lot of grief in one book but Kristan Higgins makes it work.  Lauren's monthly letters to Josh typically leave him tasks to do which end up with him meeting people and in situations completely out of his comfort zone.  There are lots of interesting characters in this book, complete with enough humor to not make it depressing.  What you're left with is the story of being present in your life since you just never know what's around the corner, along with lots of life lessons on love, grief, family, friends, and most important, hope.  While there are lots of comparisons being made to PS I Love You, this book certainly stands on its own merits.  Highly recommended!