I read this one many months ago but never reviewed it. I enjoyed this fast-paced book on audio as a mother desperately searches for her missing collegI read this one many months ago but never reviewed it. I enjoyed this fast-paced book on audio as a mother desperately searches for her missing college-aged daughter. ...more
I read One Golden Summer….well, last summer, but never wrote a review. Shame on me because it was delightful with engaging characters, witty banter, aI read One Golden Summer….well, last summer, but never wrote a review. Shame on me because it was delightful with engaging characters, witty banter, a fantastic setting, and a couple I was rooting for from beginning to end.
I had never heard of Jen Hatmaker, but I kept seeing this book pop up everywhere. The premise sounded like something I’d like since someone I love verI had never heard of Jen Hatmaker, but I kept seeing this book pop up everywhere. The premise sounded like something I’d like since someone I love very much navigated the same scenario (although in my case it was a male who was cheated on).
I sympathize with the author’s plight. I’ve seen intimately what it does to a person when they discover their spouse is cheating. It’s a story as old as time, regardless of gender.
The faith aspect of Jen’s story is not one I can relate to, as I’m not a part of the evangelical community, and my experience of church was, and is, far different. But it’s her journey and her story to tell, not mine.
While reading, I checked out her social media pages. Had I taken a look before I picked up the book I would have skipped it.
This book highlights her life as one of enormous privilege: month long vacations, “Me-Camp”, and hordes of wealthy friends to gather round her, gift her time in their vacation homes, and show up in ways that are above and beyond. Good for her. Again, it’s her story, but few people can relate.
It’s her life, her story, her memoir. This review is simply my experience reading her book. It was not for me, but I wish her well....more
I enjoy an occasional rom-com and I saw this on several best of lists, so decided to give it a try.
It has a strong Sleepless in Seattle vibe in the bI enjoy an occasional rom-com and I saw this on several best of lists, so decided to give it a try.
It has a strong Sleepless in Seattle vibe in the beginning, a movie I love btw, but it quickly went downhill.
I can’t tolerate angst in any age group but when the angsty one is a 30-year-old guy, and the mature one is his love interest’s 12-year-old daughter, it’s intolerable. Add in a book that is too long and too open door, and I’m done. ...more
Eden Fox, an artist, sets off on a run only to return to her home, Spyglass, to find herself in an alternate universe. Her key doesn’t fit the lock anEden Fox, an artist, sets off on a run only to return to her home, Spyglass, to find herself in an alternate universe. Her key doesn’t fit the lock and the woman who answers the door, claims SHE is Eden Fox.
6 months earlier, Birdy discovers she has inherited her grandmother’s home, Spyglass, in the town of Hope Falls. She had recently received a devastating diagnostic s and when she arrived in Hope Falls she finds a letter from a clinic that claims to predict one’s date of death.
Eden and Birdy weren’t the only ones confused! In the first 50% of the book I wasn’t sure what was going on but I was definitely intrigued enough to keep going.
In the 2nd half all is made clear, including why Alice Feeney is called the Queen of Twists!
To say any more would involve spoilers. But if you are tired of the same old thrillers/domestic suspense stories, this just might be the book to end your slump!
* I received an audio digital copy via NetGalley * The narrators, Bel Powley, Henry Rowley, and Richard Armitage, all did a great job ...more
A “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party ends with a literal bang, leaving one dead, and many more injured.
Agent Jamie Saldano is called in to inveA “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party ends with a literal bang, leaving one dead, and many more injured.
Agent Jamie Saldano is called in to investigate. He has a long history in this town, with a tragedy that was never solved.
It is soon clear the explosion at the gender reveal party was no accident . As expected, there are secrets and simmering resentments behind the tragedy long ago as well as the current one.
Unfortunately, I found the story predictable, slow and uninspiring for the genre. I read every page to 60% (which took me over a week) then skipped ahead to 95%. Turns out I hadn’t missed a thing.
My reading buddy soldiered on to the end and was just as disappointed as I was.
Checking my Goodreads history, I tried 2 previous books by this author. One was a dnf and one a 2 stars. It seems this is not the author for me.
* I received a digital review copy via NetGalley...more
Simon Latch is a down on his luck small town lawyer. His marriage is failing, he’s barely scraping by financially, has a little gambling habit, and isSimon Latch is a down on his luck small town lawyer. His marriage is failing, he’s barely scraping by financially, has a little gambling habit, and is spending his nights on a cot in his office.
Then in walks Eleanor. She is 85, a multi-millionaire widow, heiress to a fortune that no one else knows about. She has no family, no friends, and she wants Simon to draft her will.
His heart is in the right place, but with more dollar signs in his eyes than common sense, Simon sees an opportunity to turn his luck around and Eleanor is his ticket to the good life.
Well, nothing is as it seems and soon Simon finds himself the only suspect in a murder investigation.
The last 50% of the book is a whodunit as well as a legal thriller. The courtroom scenes were tense and riveting. This is trademark Grisham at his finest with a great setting, well-developed characters, and a compelling mystery. Excellent!
The ending was brilliant and could be a ripped from the headlines scenario. It confirmed why I’ve been a Grisham fan for decades.
The audiobook narration by Michael Beck is excellent.
* I received a digital review copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own...more
This is an exhaustive history of the dietary habits of children but there’s nothing here to help parents who struggle on a daily basis with p2.5 stars
This is an exhaustive history of the dietary habits of children but there’s nothing here to help parents who struggle on a daily basis with picky children,
I have (now adult) children who have an adventurous healthy palate for a wide variety of foods. So why are my grandchildren Picky McPicky? I don’t know? I was hoping to glean helpful tips. But there’s nothing here that isn’t widely available with a quick google search.
If you are interested in the palates of children in previous generations, this is the book for you.
If you are looking for helpful tips, there’s nothing here that you can’t find in a Google search.
The last 50% of the book is a bibliography
I received a digital review copy via NetGalley All opinions are my own...more
I love it when an author pivots from her usual hard-hitting gritty books and takes a more light-hearted path.
In this case it’s Muriel Blossom, the sidI love it when an author pivots from her usual hard-hitting gritty books and takes a more light-hearted path.
In this case it’s Muriel Blossom, the sidekick to the author’s Tess Monaghan character, who gets her own book.
Muriel was a delight from the first page to the last. A widow at 68, she’s a lottery winner who decides to take the trip of a lifetime to Paris along with a cruise down the Seine with her best friend, Elinor.
Things start to go sideways when a gentleman she meets on the overseas flight turns out to be part of a larger international mystery that Muriel finds herself embroiled in.
And of course, add a dead body. More cozy than hard-boiled thriller, there is a murder mystery to be solved and who better than Muriel to solve it, an older somewhat larger sized woman, and thus, invisible to most.
This was a delight! I absolutely loved Muriel, and the mystery took a back seat to her character. The author put a spotlight on second chance love, aging, body image, and the invisibility of older women, but in a lighthearted way. Her humor and observations were spot on and it was a delight to see her blossom (ha, pun intended).
Did I care about the mystery? Not really. I just wanted more of Muriel.
Muriel is a hoot and I loved the author’s note, where she explained why Muriel was given her own book. I hope this is the start of a new series, because I could not get enough of Muriel.
Fun & delightful! The audiobook narrator, Kimberly Farr, was excellent and had a lot to do with how much I enjoyed this book.
* I received a digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own...more
I have an intimate knowledge of a divorce and custody battle with someone I love deeply. To say I have deep thoughts and feelings is an understatementI have an intimate knowledge of a divorce and custody battle with someone I love deeply. To say I have deep thoughts and feelings is an understatement. So I wasn’t sure how this book would land.
In the author’s clear concise language, she highlights the injustices of the judicial system in the 1980s, and the far-reaching consequences on the family.
The pendulum has swung very far. Our family’s situation is very different than the situation in this book. In this story, they were good people caught in a time and a system where there is no solution possible that would have benefitted all involved.
Dawn, the wife of Heron, and mother to Maggie, fell in love with a woman, which in the court’s eyes made her an unfit mother. The family is ripped apart.
Decades later, Heron falls ill and Maggie discovers the family secrets that upended her life.
How can the ‘80s seem so long ago in the dark ages, when to me the 80s seems like yesterday?
The author’s skill in telling this story made this a compelling read which led me to feel sympathy for all involved. This is the writing style that i absolutely love.
Do dreams come true? Are they manifestations of your subconscious or are they premonitions?
Annabelle and her husband, along with their two children, aDo dreams come true? Are they manifestations of your subconscious or are they premonitions?
Annabelle and her husband, along with their two children, are living the good life when Annabelle begins to have dreams which seem to be premonitions of horrible things happening to her family.
As she scrambles to intervene to prevent these things from happening, there are hints that she’s the hysterical victim of an overactive imagination. Or is she? There are signs that point to either explanation.
Told in alternating timelines, and multiple viewpoints this was a fun read that kept me flipping the pages to find out what happens next. ...more
One of the authors earlier books. Enjoyable but a bit too convoluted for my tastes. Still, it was a fun audio to wile away the hours when busy mult3.5
One of the authors earlier books. Enjoyable but a bit too convoluted for my tastes. Still, it was a fun audio to wile away the hours when busy multi-tasking. ...more
Maybe this is a testament to the dumpster fire of my life lately, but this was EXACTLY what I needed!
It was fun, and I needed fun.
The books MC, MargoMaybe this is a testament to the dumpster fire of my life lately, but this was EXACTLY what I needed!
It was fun, and I needed fun.
The books MC, Margo, is dealing with infertility, living in a one bedroom apt with her husband, and trying to find a house in the wildly competitive DC housing market.
How far would you go for the house of your dreams? It seems Margo will go very far, which was a wild ride for this reader. The humor kept me from taking it too seriously.
Give me a MC who is witty and snarky and you’ve won me over. This book had all that and more. Even better, Margo had mad skills as an investigative journalist. A smart witty protagonist absolutely ticked all my boxes.
I listened to the audiobook, and it was unputdownable. The narrator, Cia Court, nailed Margo and elevated the experience of reading this book. Audio is the way to go and this gets my highest recommendation!
* I received an audio digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own ...more
I’m certain I’ll be on Outlier Island with this review, but here we are.
What didn’t work for me: - Spending major portions of the book in the past whenI’m certain I’ll be on Outlier Island with this review, but here we are.
What didn’t work for me: - Spending major portions of the book in the past when Mabel was a young girl. I found it boring and predictable. It completely took me out of the present day story which I found more compelling - The bad guys, of which there are many and they are actual guys, men, of course. I’ve said it 1000x but I’m tired of this theme - The bad ones are almost laughably bad. They were cartoonish and the only thing missing was a twirling mustache - Many of the situations strained credulity past the point where I can accept it - The bullying by children and adults when she herself was a child, again, was overdone and silly - Many plot holes and unexplained situations - Lack of depth & character development - The ending - The police…oh my give me a break. That situation caused my eyes to roll.
What I liked - I love an older MC, especially one who is witty and snarky. I would have liked more wit & snark though - The little girl Persephone stole my heart but there simply wasn’t enough of her in the book to sway my overall feelings - The dog - Despite these things I just failed to find the story charming or funny or even heartwarming. The character development was lacking to make me feel much of anything.
A buddy read with Marialyce, be sure to look for her review and see if we agreed.
I’m a fan of the author’s, all but one of her previous books was awarded 4 or 5 stars from me. This wasn’t for me, but I’ll read everything she writes and I look forward to her next book
* I received a digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own ...more
The snarky humor had me laughing out loud but then this story grabbed me by the heartstrings and I read (listened) with tears streaming down my face. The snarky humor had me laughing out loud but then this story grabbed me by the heartstrings and I read (listened) with tears streaming down my face.
Bud is down on his luck, an obituary writer who had more lofty aspirations. His personal life is in a shambles through no fault of his own. Combined with a traumatic event from his past, Bud is depressed. Yet somehow still hilarious.
One night, in an alcohol induced haze, he penned his own obituary….and oops, published it.
What ensues is a comedy of errors which I found delightful.
Bud is now in limbo. He can’t be fired, he’s dead in the system and they can’t fire a dead person.
Bud uses this newfound freedom and free time to connect with his good friend Tim. Tim lost everything in an accident, including the loss of his legs. He now lives his life in a wheelchair. Bud’s workplace friend, Tuan, also stands by Bud and is the source of much of the humor.
Bud meets a young woman, who has a habit of attending funerals, whether she knows the person or not. Funerals give perspective on life & living. He begins to tag along.
Bud has much to learn about friendship, living, love & loss. As we all do. Those of us who have had the privilege of living long enough have known loss and heartache. How to go on living in the face of overwhelming grief?
I hesitated to write as much as I did because it sounds like just another “heartwarming” read about life lessons.
This is so so much more than that. It’s nuanced, and the humor kept it from being maudlin. The author never hits his reader over the head, he never preaches.
I grew to love these characters and would love to hang out with them. Their brand of humor is my catnip.
The writing, the structure, the story arc, is all perfection for this reader. Wit and humor, while remaining refreshingly original, it has it all. I don’t have the words to do it justice.
I’m a picky chick, and this is a book I won’t soon forget! 5+ stars.
A buddy read with Marialyce, it ended our book slump and is one we both wholeheartedly recommend.
A favorite of 2025! Don’t miss it!
(The author’s previous book, Talk To Me, was another 5+ read)
The audiobook narrator captured the authors voice and the character wonderfully. He was perfection!...more
I went into this with high expectations (which is a silly thing to say because don’t we all crack a spine with anticipation of a great read?)
A tradwifI went into this with high expectations (which is a silly thing to say because don’t we all crack a spine with anticipation of a great read?)
A tradwife thriller would be fun. And influencer culture is fun. Right? Silly me.
Don’t get me wrong. I was completely invested in the mystery and the dynamics between the characters. Until I wasn’t and then I was too far along to dnf.
But, after the big reveal, which I admit was unexpected and shocking, the story devolved into a trope that is tired. Very tired and I’m sick of it. I’m sick to death of demonizing a certain gender (note I didn’t say which one. Considering the topic, it could go either way. No spoilers). Maybe this is a me issue.
I had to suspend disbelief with the reveal, the evilness that bordered on caricatures, and the dramatic Scooby-Do ending, but I can easily do that if I’m having fun with the story/themes/tropes. I wasn’t, so I’m giving it 3 stars. ...more
Loading...
