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Category: Book Reviews

Published on Leave a comment on The Flip Side
The Flip Side Book Cover The Flip Side
James Bailey
William Morrow Paperbacks
November 17, 2020
Advanced reader copy
384
Free from publisher

To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad thought: Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single.

What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesn’t have anything to lose.

But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?

My review:

A super cute rom com that I actually enjoyed from start to finish. Here is what this book had that so many others I've read lately have not. There wasn't any graphic sex! I don't consider myself a prude, but when I'm reading what is supposed to be a light hearted romance, I'm not a fan of having to endure a detailed description of the hot sex between the characters. I'm perfectly capable of filling in the blanks myself, thank you very much. It seems all of the books that fall in this category (here's looking at you Brown sisters and too many others to name) have to throw in an aspect of romance I don't find necessary for the book to succeed. This book had just what I needed to buck the recent trend! It was funny, it had some great characters, a silly but totally workable premise, and a build up to a sweet romance. I could have done without the also typical break up (yawn), but this still kept me interested enough in the characters to follow them through to the end.

Definitely on the light and fluffy side, this one was a bright spot on the rom com scene. I think this one will be just the ticket to read during the hectic season soon to be upon us.

Published on Leave a comment on Little Wishes
Little Wishes Book Cover Little Wishes
Michelle Adams
William Morrow
November 17, 2020
Advanced reader copy
400
Free from publisher

On her favorite day of the year, Elizabeth Davenport awakens in her cottage on the wild and windy Cornish coast, opens her front door, and discovers a precious gift: the small blue crocus and a note that begins I Wish . . . They are not signed, but she knows they’ve been left by her first and truest love, Tom Hale. Each of these precious missives convey a simple wish for something they had missed, and the life they might have shared. She has kept them all.

But on this day, what should have been the fiftieth anniversary of their falling in love, the gift fails to arrive. Could something have happened to Tom? Elizabeth has always been plagued by thoughts of “what if?”. Propelled by worry and decades of pent up longing, Elizabeth packs a little suitcase, leaves Porthsennenon, and journeys to London . . . to find the love of her life once again, years after circumstances forced them apart.

Finding him, Elizabeth is faced with the desperate knowledge that any time they might have now is running out. Never before had she thought that she might truly lose time—forever. And now, knowing that life is too short, Elizabeth vows to fulfill as many of Tom’s wishes as she can. Yet she fears that her efforts may expose the shameful secret that, until now, has kept them apart.

Can she continue to hide the truth, or will she have the courage to reveal herself completely and finally make their dreams come true—before it’s too late?

My review:

Despite my cold heart when it comes to sappy love stories, this one was very sweet. Written in alternating chapters of then and now, we have the story of Elizabeth and Tom. They fell in love when very young, and circumstances forced them apart, but every year on the same day Elizabeth receives an anonymous note with a wish for what might have been experienced. When the note doesn't come one year, Elizabeth fears the worst and travels to find Tom. Weaving within this is the story of what happened to their relationship all those years ago. I really liked the format of this one, the back and forth stories worked very well. The writing flowed well, and the characters had you caring about them. I loved the Cornish coast setting as well. Of course, the love story was a bit much for me (cue cold romance novel heart), and it was super predictable, but nevertheless I did enjoy the read.

Fans of romantic novels will really like this one. While I don't think anything as the story unfolds will surprise you, it is a lovely little read with a sad, but sweet and satisfying ending.

Published on Leave a comment on Before She Was Helen
Before She Was Helen Book Cover Before She Was Helen
Caroline Cooney
Fiction
Poisoned Pen Press
September, 8, 2020
Hardcover
320
Purchased

When Clemmie goes next door to check on her difficult and unlikeable neighbor Dom, he isn't there. But something else is. Something stunning, beautiful and inexplicable. Clemmie photographs the wondrous object on her cell phone and makes the irrevocable error of forwarding it. As the picture swirls over the internet, Clemmie tries desperately to keep a grip on her own personal network of secrets. Can fifty years of careful hiding under names not her own be ruined by one careless picture?

And although what Clemmie finds is a work of art, what the police find is a body. . . in a place where Clemmie wasn't supposed to be, and where she left her fingerprints. Suddenly, the bland, quiet life Clemmie has built for herself in her sleepy South Carolina retirement community comes crashing down as her dark past surges into the present.

My review:

I just adored this story of Clemmie and how she attracts trouble like a magnet, while not even asking for it! I've seen some up and down reviews for this one, so let me preface this review by theorizing that perhaps you need to be "of a certain age" for it to resonate as much as it did with me. The stories about the retirement community where Clemmie lives, along with the goings on of her neighbors, had me laughing out loud and nodding my head. I should mention that I am not in a retirement community (yet), but there are several around where I live, and the observations from what I've gleaned were spot on. Of course, while I may have been chuckling at the antics, this book does have a mystery side, which is not at all funny. A dead body shows up in the unit next door to where Clemmie lives, and of course she may be a suspect. Then that will bring to light her involvement in another death that occurred back in her hometown decades before. Lots of moving parts and characters kept me guessing as to who committed the crime in this one, and I had a ball witnessing Clemmie get out of one scrape after another!

This is a really fun one! I'm not sure that the word fun is appropriate when it's a book about a couple of murders, but I was so entertained throughout, that is what I'm calling it. Highly recommend, especially for those in "that age group" 🙂

Published on Leave a comment on The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop Book Cover The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop
Fannie Flagg
Fiction
Random House
October 27, 2020
Hardcover
304
Purchased

The beloved author returns to the small town at the heart of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe with a heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and everyday magic.

Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, with his mother Ruth, church-going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell-raiser. Together they ran the town's popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its friendly, fun, and famous "Fried Green Tomatoes." And as Bud often said to his daughter Ruthie, of his childhood, "How lucky can you get?"

But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and the town became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.

Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see where his beloved Whistle Stop used to be. In so doing, he discovers new friends, new surprises about Idgie's life, and about Ninny Threadgoode, Evelyn Couch, other beloved Flagg characters, and also about the town itself. He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others. Could these events all be just coincidences? Or something else? And can you go home again?

My review:

What a delightful respite from the worries of the world right now. It was wonderful to be back with this continuation of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe! While I don't think it is necessary to have read that title (I really didn't remember much but the main characters), you are missing a good read if you don't go back to that one (the movie is also a gem!). The author does a great job of catching us up on the history if you don't remember much (like me), or if this is your first time with these characters. While there are quite a lot of characters, and the story does move back and forth in time, it doesn't take long to hit your stride with this one, and just enjoy the ride. I'm not going to tell you that there is a ton of plot to this, but the characters are what make this one come to life. It makes you want to jump into the story and meet them to enjoy a cup of coffee and some fried green tomatoes (which I've tried, and don't particularly care for, but I'd eat some anyway!). The writing was lovely, the story just flowed, and the ending was just what you would expect from Ms. Flagg.

A perfect book to read if you want to go back to a simpler time, with a great down home feel. I really enjoyed my time spent with this one. Excuse me while I go try to dig up a copy of Fried Green Tomatoes to read or watch.

Published on Leave a comment on Don’t Look For Me
Don't Look for Me Book Cover Don't Look for Me
Wendy Walker
Fiction
St. Martin's Press
September 15, 2020
Hardcover
352
Purchased

One night, Molly Clarke walked away from her life. The car abandoned miles from home. The note found at a nearby hotel. The shattered family that couldn't be put back together. It happens all the time. Women disappear, desperate to leave their lives behind and start over. She doesn't want to be found. Or at least, that's the story. But is that what really happened to Molly Clarke?

The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man in a truck offering her a ride to town. With him is a little girl who reminds her of the daughter she lost years ago. It feels like a sign. And Molly is overcome with the desire to be home, with her family—no matter how broken it is. She accepts the ride. But when the doors are locked shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.

When a new lead comes in after the search has ended, Molly's daughter, Nicole, begins to wonder. Nothing about her mother's disappearance makes sense.

Nicole returns to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to find the truth. The locals are kind and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and she comes closer to the truth about that night—and the danger surrounding her.

My review:

Of course I had to share a thriller on the day before Halloween. However, this is not just any thriller, this one earned 5 stars from me! I can count on one hand the number of times I've given that rating to a thriller, I usually really enjoy them, but they don't knock my socks off. This one did just that! Told from two perspectives, we have that of Molly, who runs out of gas on her way home from her son's football game, and her daughter Nicole, who won't give up the search for her mother even after a 'don't look for me' note is found. Molly is seen as the perfect type to want to walk away from her life. She accidentally kills her younger daughter, and neither she nor the rest of the family have ever gotten over it. Does her feeling of shame and being blamed cause her to want a new life away from it all? While both narrators were important to the story, the Molly parts were what completely set me on edge. I don't read a lot of scary stories, but this was sooooo creepy and edge of your seat good! Lots of going back and forth on which of the secondary characters were good guys or bad, keeps this book moving at a quick pace. And I absolutely never saw the major twist coming, but it was a good one!

If you are someone who wants your creepy reads to have a more realistic vibe (as opposed to ghosts, vampires, and that sort), I highly recommend picking this one up. It will keep you on your toes, and probably keep you reading beyond your usual timeframe. And public service announcement.....NEVER run out of gas!!

Published on Leave a comment on House of Correction
House of Correction Book Cover House of Correction
Nicci French
Fiction
William Morrow
October 27, 2020
Advanced reader copy
528
Free from publisher

Tabitha is not a murderer.

When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She’d only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?

She knows she’s not.

As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized —her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha’s own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks she’s not.

From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she’s a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if she’s only lying to herself?

My review:

This husband/wife writing duo has a slew of books in their resumé, but this is the first I've read. I don't think it will be the last, because I really enjoyed not only the plot, but the writing style. The words just flow together to propel the story along. I would find myself sitting down to read a few pages, and a hundred pages would fly by! This was basically two simultaneous stories, on the one hand we have incarcerated Tabitha heading up her own defense of a murder charge (from prison no less), while also trying to figure out who the real murderer is (thus providing the easiest route to her innocence). Tabitha was a great character. At times I found myself thinking 'no no, don't do that', while in the next moment I would be cheering her on 'you go girl'! As is my usual custom when a mystery is a good one, I didn't figure this one out until the very end, but that didn't keep me from trying through all 500 pages! Never has there been a better case for CCTV cameras to be installed everywhere 🙂

Another story about people being judged without concrete proof, and fabulous readability make this a court case whodunnit well worth the read. I think I've found a new author duo!

Published on Leave a comment on Troubles in Paradise
Troubles in Paradise Book Cover Troubles in Paradise
Paradise #3
Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
October 6, 2020
Hardcover
352
Purchased

After uprooting her life in the States, Irene Steele has just settled in at the villa on St. John where her husband Russ had been living a double life. But a visit from the FBI shakes her foundations, and Irene once again learns just how little she knew about the man she loved.

With help from their friends, Irene and her sons set up their lives while evidence mounts that the helicopter crash that killed Russ may not have been an accident. Meanwhile, the island watches this drama unfold -- including the driver of a Jeep with tinted windows who seems to be shadowing the Steele family.

As a storm gathers strength in the Atlantic, surprises are in store for the Steeles: help from a mysterious source, and a new beginning in the paradise that has become their home. At last all will be revealed about the secrets and lies that brought Irene and her sons to St. John -- and the truth that transformed them all.

My review:

First things first......be aware that this is book #3 in a trilogy! I would highly recommend reading the series in order. The author explains briefly the gist of what is happening at the beginning of this book, but I think the reading experience will be diminished if you have not followed the story from the start. Having said that, I do feel that this book was probably not necessary. The major reveal with what was going down with Russ is explained in a few paragraphs, probably could have tacked on another fifty pages to book two and called it a wrap. I did still enjoy the descriptions of St. John, and it was fun to "catch up" with the characters a year later (each book in the trilogy was published a year apart, so I began it back in 2018). I do really like Hilderbrand's writing style, I find myself taking very little time to devour her books no matter the length. My favorite part of this one is when a character from a former book makes an appearance (no spoilers!)! A satisfying ending was the icing on the cake for this series.

Although I wanted more from this book, I still enjoyed my time with these characters and the island of St. John. If you are torn with which series to read though, I would definitely recommend the Winter series over this one. Although if you live in a snowy cold climate, you may just want to escape to the islands and dream!

Published on Leave a comment on I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Book Cover I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Erika L. Sánchez
Young Adult Fiction
Alfred A. Knopf
October 17, 2017
Hardcover
352
Purchased

Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.

But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.

Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.

But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?

My review:

I picked this book off my shelves for LatinX month. Despite the fact that it was a National Book Award finalist, I was hesitant because I'm not a big fan of young adult novels. They always seem geared on a relationship, and while I'm sure that appeals to many, I just feel like I'm being hit over the head with the obligatory romance. I'm not going to say that there wasn't a romance in this one (because there is), but it was not the focus of the novel, and for that I was grateful. What is the focus is the effect extremely strict parenting can have on a child. While I never really loved Julia's (in my terms) bratty teenage behavior, I got it, and understood why she was that way. Put together her repressive mother, her desire to go to college, and the death of her 'perfect' sister, and Julia is torn between what is right in her family and culture, and what is right for her. I got a good sense of the Mexican experience in this book. From the descriptions of the food, to Julia's visit with relatives in Mexico, along with her parents immigrant experience, the author does a nice job of weaving these pieces into the story seamlessly. I wasn't a huge fan of the mystery surrounding her sister, or the teen romance, but I did really like Julia's friends and especially her teacher who encourages her to reach for her dreams.

All in all this was a really solid young adult novel about a Mexican immigrant family, and a girl trying to assimilate into American culture, despite her family's wishes and norms.

Published on Leave a comment on The Big Door Prize
The Big Door Prize Book Cover The Big Door Prize
M. O. Walsh
FICTION
G.P. Putnam's Sons
September 8, 2020
Hardcover
384
Purchased

What would you do if you knew your life's potential? That's the question facing the residents of Deerfield, Louisiana, when the DNAMIX machine appears in their local grocery store. It's nothing to look at, really--it resembles a plain photo booth. But its promise is amazing: With just a quick swab of your cheek and two dollars, the device claims to use the science of DNA to tell you your life's potential. With enough credibility to make the townspeople curious, soon the former teachers, nurses, and shopkeepers of Deerfield are abruptly changing course to pursue their destinies as magicians, cowboys, and athletes--including the novel's main characters, Douglas Hubbard and his wife, Cherilyn, who both believed they were perfectly happy until they realized they could dream for more...

Written with linguistic grace and a sense of wonder, The Big Door Prize sparkles with keen observations about what it might mean to stay true to oneself while honoring the bonds of marriage, friendship, and community, and how the glimmer of possibility can pull these bonds apart, bring them back together, and make second chances possible, even under the strangest of circumstances.

My review: I read this author's debut novel, and just didn't get the hype it received (My Sunshine Away). As I mentioned in that review, I did really like the writing style, so was anxious to try another book. I am happy to say that the content of this one was much more to my liking. It's basically a story about a small town, with a great cast of characters, who we follow once they learn what their destiny is supposed to be. Some are believers in what the DNAMIX machine in the local supermarket spits out, some are skeptics, but all are changed by what is written on the tiny scrap of paper. While everyone else is getting exciting predictions of magicians, cowboys, and even royalty, poor Douglas gets a prediction of exactly what he is already doing. Is that a good thing, or not? We follow all the residents as they navigate their mundane lives with their newfound knowledge, and what this means for them and their relationships. Once again in this novel, the writing is stellar. The buildup of the town and characters was very engaging, and the book kept me interested from start to finish. I loved that this was a story that I have never encountered before, and with all the books I read, that is a high compliment!

A novel about people's potential, and how knowing that can impact your dreams and decisions. What would you do if you knew you were destined for something else?

Published on Leave a comment on Invisible Girl
Invisible Girl Book Cover Invisible Girl
Lisa Jewell
Fiction
Atria Books
October 13, 2020
Advanced reader copy
368
Free from publisher

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

My review:

I've enjoyed many books from this author in the past. Every time I write a review I feel that I have to mention my very favorite, The House We Grew Up In. That book was published before the author started down the mystery/thriller pathway, but I feel it's important to point to that book to understand the way Jewell can develop her characters. That favorite was most definitely a character study of a novel, but thankfully that ability to make characters come alive on the page has not left once she switched genres. That is also not to say that I liked all the characters in this particular book. I think there will be a lot of opinions on Owen, not all of them positive, but I'm in the Team Owen camp! I felt bad that he was cast as the creepy person on the block, and therefore was the obvious fall guy when a teenage girl goes missing. This book teaches a valuable lesson about how your impression of a person doesn't always correspond to what is going on  behind closed doors. While Owen was my favorite character, I was rather ambivalent about Cate, and not really a Saffyre fan. As usual for this genre, there are lots of secrets going on with the main three who narrate the story (Owen, Cate, and Saffyre), as well as lots of the supporting characters. This one is not fast paced in the beginning, the author takes her time setting the stage, but it picks up dramatically in the last third when we can't wait to see how things really unfolded the night Saffyre went missing. I think a line from the press release sums this book up nicely:

A story of secrets and injustices, Invisible Girl evaluates how we look in the wrong places for the 'bad people' while the real predators walk among us in plain sight.

A solid read for the mystery/thriller fan. I loved the character development and central message to the story. However, I would be remiss if I didn't (once again) put in a plug for my favorite Jewell novel, The House We Grew Up In 🙂