Skip to content

Category: Book Reviews

2

Published on 2 Comments on When Ghosts Come Home
When Ghosts Come Home Book Cover When Ghosts Come Home
Wiley Cash
Fiction
William Morrow
September 21, 2021
Advance reader copy
304
Free from publisher

When the roar of a low-flying plane awakens him in the middle of the night, Sheriff Winston Barnes knows something strange is happening at the nearby airfield on the coast of North Carolina. But nothing can prepare him for what he finds: a large airplane has crash-landed and is now sitting sideways on the runway, and there are no signs of a pilot or cargo. When the body of a local man is discovered—shot dead and lying on the grass near the crash site—Winston begins a murder investigation that will change the course of his life and the fate of the community that he has sworn to protect.

Everyone is a suspect, including the dead man. As rumors and accusations fly, long-simmering racial tensions explode overnight, and Winston, whose own tragic past has followed him like a ghost, must do his duty while facing the painful repercussions of old decisions. Winston also knows that his days as sheriff may be numbered. He’s up for re-election against a corrupt and well-connected challenger, and his deputies are choosing sides. As if these events weren’t troubling enough, he must finally confront his daughter Colleen, who has come home grieving a shattering loss she cannot fully articulate.

As the suspense builds and this compelling mystery unfolds, Wiley Cash delves deep into the hearts of these richly drawn, achingly sympathetic characters to reveal the nobility of an ordinary man struggling amidst terrifying, extraordinary circumstances.

Let me just start this review with the following.....if you have not yet read a novel by this author, what are you waiting for? Obviously, being from NC, I'm sure he came on my radar much sooner than on a national scale, but MAN, can this guy write a story!!! In the case of this particular book, I am not a fan of sheriff/detective type stories, but because of who it was written by, I eagerly read it anyway. I'm so glad that I did, and it goes to show you that some writers really can make even the phone book come alive (I kid, but I was amazed that I liked a mystery/detective story)! While the mystery of a downed plane and a murdered man are at the forefront, there is so much more to love about this story. There is a part about race, the book takes place in 1984 on a small island off the coast of NC, the majority of residents are white, and the murdered man is black. There is a part about the haves and have nots, with expensive sub divisions going up, and some less than savory corrupt good ol' boys, one of whom is running for sheriff. There are the secrets that follow several of the characters, and have an effect on their actions as the book plays out. Then there is the heartbreaking story of the main character's daughter, who has come home to grieve the loss of her infant son. All of these characters are so well written, and the setting and time so well developed, it transported me into the story. I came to care so much for these characters, and definitely shed a tear at the sad, but also hopeful ending.

I cannot say enough about this one! If this author has not come across your radar yet, please give his books a try. Regardless of the topic, you can't help but be enthralled with this writing and characters. I am eagerly awaiting his next book already!

Published on Leave a comment on Apples Never Fall
Apples Never Fall Book Cover Apples Never Fall
Liane Moriarty
Fiction
Henry Holt and Company
September 14, 2021
Hardcover/Audio
467
Purchased/ALC from Libro-FM

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

This author never disappoints me. Many disliked her last novel (Nine Perfect Strangers), but while it was not my favorite from her extensive titles, I enjoyed it. I went into this one knowing that the plot was right in my wheelhouse, the family saga. I was correct in that this book is chock full of family drama, particularly when siblings have to take sides on whether their father could have murdered their mother! How's that for family drama? As is always the case, Moriarty develops her characters very well, and her writing makes a 467 page book fly by. You are kept guessing on what exactly happened to Joy Delaney, with alternating chapters from the time Joy disappears, back to the time six months earlier when a stranger appeared on their doorstep. I loved the conclusion of this story, most of the ends are tied up, but not to the point where it felt forced. The last couple pages gave me the creep factor, and put a nice spin on the book's closure. My one small criticism would be that it may have been a tad too long, but that's for the editor's to decide and is not a fault of the author. There was a nod at the end to the pandemic, which was a nice touch and made the time period current.

Lots of secrets, lots of drama, and great writing make this well worth the read, particularly if you enjoy family stories. I'd say if you were disappointed in this author's last novel, you will feel like she has returned to her roots in this one.

1

Published on 1 Comment on The Charm Offensive
The Charm Offensive Book Cover The Charm Offensive
Alison Cochrun
Fiction
Atria
September 7, 2021
Advance reader copy
368
Free from publisher

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.

Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.

As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find the happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.

Yes, I did just rate another book based on The Bachelor franchise five stars (see also One to Watch and If the Shoe Fits)! As I've said in my reviews for all three of these books, I'm not a viewer of this reality show (except in the very early seasons), but I think the timeline and setup just works for me. Not to mention, I have fallen hard for the main protagonists in every book! Charlie and Dev are no exception. While the previous two dealt with body positivity, this book deals with a gay romance, and also does a great job addressing mental health issues in a sensitive, but not overbearing way. Poor Charlie was so out of his element, and you could feel his anxiety ebb across the pages as he tries his best to be the perfect star of the show. There are so many sweet scenes in this one, but it doesn't come across as cheesy in anyway. The side characters are just as lovely as the main ones, and the portrayal of the "show must go on" cliche rings true each and every week.

I adored this cross between last summer's huge hit Red, White, and Royal Blue (which I also recommend) and the two books mentioned at the top of this review. I am predicting this to be the sleeper hit of the year, and I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!

Published on Leave a comment on The Night She Disappeared
The Night She Disappeared Book Cover The Night She Disappeared
Lisa Jewell
Fiction
Atria Books
September 7, 2021
Advance reader copy
416
Free from publisher

2017: 19 year old Tallulah is going out on a date, leaving her baby with her mother, Kim.

Kim watches her daughter leave and, as late evening turns into night, which turns into early morning, she waits for her return. And waits.

The next morning, Kim phones Tallulah's friends who tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a party at a house in the nearby woods called Dark Place.

She never returns.

2019: Sophie is walking in the woods near the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started work as a head-teacher when she sees a note fixed to a tree.

'DIG HERE' . . .

A cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell's remarkable new novel.

The queen of the domestic thriller has managed to create yet another page turner of a novel. First let me say, as I do every year when I review books by this author, that her non-thriller book The House We Grew Up In is a must read! Now with that promotion out of the way, let's discuss this latest release. As is the case with all her novels, the author tells this story with multiple POV's (points of view) and a couple different timelines. As is also the case, reading a Jewell book takes me back to my Nancy Drew obsession. Remember when there was always a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter to make you want to continue on? That's pretty much how I feel when I read Jewell's books! The writing and storytelling is so compelling, you will want to keep your eyes glued to the pages to find out how it's all going to end. The mother character worked the best for me in this one, I'm not much of a fan of young people behaving badly, so those characters and their backstory were more secondary and a bit boring for me. However, the mystery aspect was what definitely propelled this one. I had some ideas, some I was correct on, some not, I always like to be right at least once in awhile, so I can appreciate the easy clues fed to the reader. I loved the conclusive ending, I'm not one to want to guess at what happened to the major players, so I appreciated the closure.

Another fast paced, riveting read from and author I know I can count on to provide a few hours of quality entertainment and amateur sleuthing. Definitely will be a hit for those who know this author, and hopefully will be picked up by others who want an immersive reading experience.

Published on Leave a comment on Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It Book Cover Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Elle Cosimano
Fiction
Minotaur Books
February 2, 2021
Hardcover
368
Purchased

Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

If you are looking for something completely different to read, you've come to the right place with this book. Despite what seems like heavy subject matter (a woman is mistaken as a contract killer and manages to agree to a job), it is hilarious in scope! Poor Finlay's life is a mess, she's a bit of a dimwit when it comes to shady dealings, yet she is definitely someone to root for! I found myself chuckling so many times over the situations she seems to fall into, without even trying to. The writing was on point, the story flowed very fast, and the main character and her sidekick nanny were so well formed. Despite the hilarity of the situations Finlay finds herself in, this book did have some side plots that were not all fun and games, such as a custody fight, mob influencers, spousal abuse, and harried motherhood. The plot was so clever, just when I thought there was no way Finlay was going to get out of a situation, the author came up with one. There are several twists woven through this one, and the ending was perfect. Speaking of endings, it was the perfect segue into what will be a new sequel coming next February. I for one cannot wait to read more of this character and her shenanigans!

A totally different kind of book, this one is technically a mystery, but it's not like your usual whodunnit tale. The humor was the spotlight. I can definitely recommend this, especially if you are tired of the same old worn out plots.

Published on Leave a comment on Damnation Spring
Damnation Spring Book Cover Damnation Spring
Ash Davidson
Fiction
Scribner
August 3, 2021
Hardcover
464
Purchased

For generations, Rich Gundersen’s family has chopped a livelihood out of the redwood forest along California’s rugged coast. Now Rich and his wife, Colleen, are raising their own young son near Damnation Grove, a swath of ancient redwoods on which Rich’s employer, Sanderson Timber Co., plans to make a killing. In 1977, with most of the forest cleared or protected, a grove like Damnation—and beyond it 24-7 Ridge—is a logger’s dream.

It’s dangerous work. Rich has already lived decades longer than his father, killed on the job. Rich wants better for his son, Chub, so when the opportunity arises to buy 24-7 Ridge—costing them all the savings they’ve squirreled away for their growing family—he grabs it, unbeknownst to Colleen. Because the reality is their family isn’t growing; Colleen has lost several pregnancies. And she isn’t alone. As a midwife, Colleen has seen it with her own eyes.

For decades, the herbicides the logging company uses were considered harmless. But Colleen is no longer so sure. What if these miscarriages aren’t isolated strokes of bad luck? As mudslides take out clear-cut hillsides and salmon vanish from creeks, her search for answers threatens to unravel not just Rich’s plans for the 24-7, but their marriage too, dividing a town that lives and dies on timber along the way.

Told from the perspectives of Rich, Colleen, and Chub, in prose as clear as a spring-fed creek, this intimate, compassionate portrait of a community clinging to a vanishing way of life amid the perils of environmental degradation makes Damnation Spring an essential novel for our time.

This was not only a well written and engaging story, but one that sheds light on the growing environmental concerns we face. The use of regular pesticide sprayings, and the effects it has on this small logging town in 1977, is the main focus of the story. From the salmon, to the drinking water from the creeks, to the myriad numbers of birth issues, the welfare of these people becomes of grave importance to the reader. Add to the growing environmental issues, two sides form to argue over the spraying, and there is a lot of tension between neighbors, families, and friends. The loggers need the excess brush cleared in order to work, but there are those who want to know at what cost is this work to their community? There are definitely two sides to the story, and even though I knew which side I should take, the author skillfully makes you look at both sides and the effect on the town's economy. The story is told from three viewpoints, Rich (a logger), his wife Colleen (a midwife), and their son Chub. If I was going to nitpick the book at all I would say that I wasn't a fan of the son's chapters. I felt that they didn't really ring true for what a five year old would be observing or saying. I loved him as a character, just not as much as a narrator. I felt that despite sadness toward the end of the book, it overall left you with a hopeful feeling for the family. This is one of those books that you worry about what happened to the characters and how everything turned out.

A wonderful story about a small logging town dealing with the environmental effects of pesticides. I don't know much about the regulations placed on these chemicals today, but I certainly hope they are far removed from what was happening in 1977. Richly crafted characters, many of them deeply flawed, propel this story into one that will stay with you a while.

Published on Leave a comment on If the Shoe Fits
If the Shoe Fits Book Cover If the Shoe Fits
Meant to Be
Julie Murphy
Fiction
Hyperion Avenue
August 3, 2021
Hardcover
304
Purchased

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn't expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's time to design your own.

This book was a Disney princess dream come true! I had read a couple of this author's young adult titles, and while they were good, that genre just isn't really for me. What I did love about them though was that the protagonist was a plus size girl, and they radiated plus size positivity, SO important especially in the YA community. I loved the premise of this new adult series based on fairy tales, in this case Cinderella. It was so fun to interpret the different nods to the original story, I won't spoil them all here in case you want to find them yourself. The fact that this story is once again based on a facsimile of The Bachelor makes it the perfect fit for finding Prince Charming. Side note that this is the third book I've read loosely based on the popular tv reality show, and I've given them all five stars! I watched the show way back when it first aired, but haven't seen it for years, yet here I am gravitating and giving all the stars to books with this theme. I'm wondering if it's because the book follows a really linear timeline as each week is planned out and the timelines don't skip around? I honestly don't know, but I can tell you I was all in for Cindy and whatever outcome she had, I just wanted her to be successful and happy. I absolutely adored Cindy, and there are a couple other characters who also had standout roles. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Cindy ends up at a designer clothing studio, where there is (of course) nothing in her size. I loved this quote:

Yes, clothes can be art, but they're also a necessity. So many people in this industry act like clothing is for everyone, but fashion is only for a select few. The truth, though, is that clothing is fashion and fashion should be for everyone because clothing should be for everyone. And clothing for everyone is a first, small step to equality for everyone.

As a plus size woman, I say AMEN to that!

This is such a heartwarming story, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it. With a heroine to root for, little nods to Cinderella, and plus size positivity throughout, I highly recommend you pick up this lighthearted read.

Published on Leave a comment on The Turnout
The Turnout Book Cover The Turnout
Megan Abbott
Fiction
Penguin
August 3, 2021
Hardcover
352
Purchased

Ballet flows through their veins. Dara and Marie Durant were dancers since birth, with their long necks and matching buns and pink tights, homeschooled and trained by their mother. Decades later the Durant School of Dance is theirs. The two sisters, together with Charlie, Dara's husband and once their mother's prize student, inherited the school after their parents died in a tragic accident nearly a dozen years ago. Marie, warm and soft, teaches the younger students; Dara, with her precision, trains the older ones; and Charlie, back broken after years of injuries, rules over the back office. Circling around each other, the three have perfected a dance, six days a week, that keeps the studio thriving. But when a suspicious accident occurs, just at the onset of the school's annual performance of The Nutcracker, a season of competition, anxiety, and exhilaration, an interloper arrives and threatens the delicate balance of everything they've worked for.

3.5 stars

I had a hard time rating this book, so I'm settling on half way between good and really good. I wasn't a huge fan of the first half. While I did enjoy all the dance school parts, the plot points surrounding sister Marie were just icky and I didn't enjoy her character at all. By the end of the book you realize why she acts as she does, but it took the second half for that to manifest itself. The second half of the book was a complete turnaround. It was fast paced, the flaws of all the characters come to light, and I was fully immersed in the whole story. The ending was fantastic, and I never saw any of the twists coming! Overall the writing was good, I just wish the pacing in the front half could have been better, but I fully understand that the beginning had to be written that way to set up the ending. I did fully enjoy the dark uncomfortable vibe felt throughout the book with regards to the family dynamic. And the descriptions of the ballet world were a nice reminder (especially as I read this during the Olympics) of the sacrifices all athletes make to be good at their sport. Plus, I now know what a ballet turnout really is, and what it takes to achieve one (ooooff)!

This book is definitely a slow buildup to an implosive ending! If you can muddle through the first half, I think you will enjoy the last part.

Published on Leave a comment on We Are the Brennans
We Are the Brennans Book Cover We Are the Brennans
Tracey Lange
Fiction
Celadon Books
August 3, 2021
Advance reader copy
288
Free from publisher

When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it's not easy. She deserted them all—and her high school sweetheart—five years before with little explanation, and they've got questions.

Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family's pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets—secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes—and ultimately find a way forward, together.

This book was compared to Ask Again Yes, and while I don't usually take much stock in those (think of the myriad misses with Gone Girl wannabes), I think in this case I can definitely see it. Both books deal with families, and the fallout of secrets within them. In the case of this book, the big question is why Sunday Brennan ran away from her family five years ago, and has had minimal contact since? Now she's back to help her brothers with their families' Irish pub, and Sunday isn't the only one with a secret. I loved the family drama in this book, and the characters were well written and seemed authentic. The youngest sibling has a disability, and I always appreciate a book that can be inclusive like that. Of course the Irish pub was fun to read about, especially given the behind the scenes look we have of the day to day running operations, and the fact that it was located in a place where I worked for a time. I thought the family dynamic was well portrayed, everyone was flawed, but they didn't want to talk to each other about their problems. The chapters were well set up, each one narrated by one of the characters. As a chapter ended, the person interacting with the narrator, takes up the next chapter, leading to the perfect segue between them, and providing a seamless reading experience. I definitely found myself rooting for this family, even though lots of communications mistakes are made along the way.

Just an enjoyable family drama, set amidst the running of a pub in New York. This one has relatable characters, and the hope that things work out for all in the end.

2

Published on 2 Comments on 56 Days
56 Days Book Cover 56 Days
Catherine Ryan Howard
Fiction
Blackstone Publishing
August 17, 2021
Advance reader copy
305
Free from publisher

No one knew they'd moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder?

56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin the same week Covid-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests that Ciara move in with him. She sees a unique opportunity for a new relationship to flourish without the pressure of scrutiny of family and friends. He sees it as an opportunity to hide who - and what - he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?

There has been lots of discussion in the book world about whether it's too soon for a Covid book? When I read the synopsis for this one, I immediately knew that I was here for it! Be aware that this is not really about the horrific realities of the disease or death toll, but actually focuses more on the lockdown aspect (so more circumstance vs. depressing statistics). I loved the fact that you never really know who to trust in this book. Both of the main characters seem to be normal people who are in the early stage of a relationship when lockdown happens, but you know there are secrets hidden in Ollie's past. You are left wondering what these secrets are, and would they cause him to kill someone? And what about Ciara? She seems like an innocent caught up in the throes of romance, but then her motives start to get sketchy. Meanwhile we know from the get go that someone has been murdered, so we have the detective working the case with not a lot to go on (no one knows who was living in that apartment.......hello, lockdown!). I will admit that the timeline drove me a bit crazy. We have the story told starting from 56 days ago in both Ollie and Ciara's words, as well as the present day with the detective after the body is found. Sometimes it wasn't even in chronological order. I could definitely follow it, but if bouncing timelines are an issue for you, this may effect your enjoyment. There were some major twists in this that I didn't see coming, and the ending was really eery and unsettling.

I flew through this book, and I think the author did an outstanding job of capturing a story based off a lockdown situation! I think thriller aficionados are really going to enjoy this one.