This is for everyone who dreams about vacations roaming the Italian countryside (but also do not willingly leave their house), want to eat allllllllllThis is for everyone who dreams about vacations roaming the Italian countryside (but also do not willingly leave their house), want to eat allllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the pasta and cannoli (but are actively trying not to be the next person on My 600 Lb. Life), and fantasize about a slow burn turn hot and heavy romance with a new beau (but have been married nearly 30 years).
Olive’s father always chose “Nicky’s” - the restaurant he owned - over their family. It was the catalyst of her mother finally deciding to divorce him and strained her own relationship with him to the point where they shared only occasional phone calls. When he dies and leaves Nicky’s to her with a final request she finish penning the cookbook he had been working on – which she must do by traveling to the final three destinations of Sicily, Catania and Liguria with Leo, the restaurants sous chef – she has to deal with not only the grieving process, but whether to sell/not sell the restaurant and some unexpected feelings she finds herself catching for Leo.
I loved last year’s trip to Scotland where Birdy had to fake it ‘til she made it as a sommelier in The Summer Job. Being that I’m not a wino, but DEFINITELY an eatie, I loved this trip to Italy even more : ) Lizzy Dent is must read for fictional summertime getaways. Oh, and by the time I was done with this one I was all . . . .
I am always down for some "maybe you can go home again" family drama which is totally what I was expecting to receive here. What I got instead was a pretty comprehensive explanation of OCD that presents itself in the form of intrusive thoughts, along with the story of the Beck family who were always fairly dysfunctional, but who truly haven’t been the same in over a decade when Henry died. Told through the voice of youngest daughter Eliot, this is a story of first love, of family, of grieving, and of The Worries that plague her mind.
I don’t know that this will be for everyone. I understand “Boose’s” brain could be triggering for some and potentially exhausting for others. But I hope people give it a chance.
4 Stars
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
When Isabelle’s mother passes away and leaves a gift that only she is supposed to be privy to, the aspiring author (whose father is a national treasurWhen Isabelle’s mother passes away and leaves a gift that only she is supposed to be privy to, the aspiring author (whose father is a national treasure of literary fiction) has some decisions to make . . . .
Okay so I’m really not trying to spoil this, but you might want to just click out of here if you don’t want to ruin your time if this is on your to-read pile. The whole “gift” seemed super obvi to me, but maybe it won’t be to others????? Having that hunch didn’t really ruin anything for me, though, it’s just a storyline that has become extremely popular the last few years and unfortunately no one is ever going to do it better than John Boyne. This also got lost in the weeds a bit with a totally unnecessary timehop/narrative by the decease mother (seriously a letter accompanying the gift would have sufficed and saved my eyeballs from reading all those extra pages). Also, the superbadawful thing that happened to Isabelle when she was a child that was hinted around about for eternity before finally being divulged wasn’t needed either.
TLDR: Basically, not terrible, but it didn’t knock my socks off either. Read A Ladder to the Sky or Yellowface if you want to be blown away. 3.5 Stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
The Jacobson siblings (all previously known as the “Fantastic Foursome” by their dearly departed mother) have been thick as thieves despite
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The Jacobson siblings (all previously known as the “Fantastic Foursome” by their dearly departed mother) have been thick as thieves despite age gaps, tax brackets, parenting styles, career paths, etc. But when they take a gamble and buy a few lottery tickets for a Megamillion on a whim . . . and then WIN . . . the newly coined “Jackpot Jacobsons” find their relationships put to the test.
I almost read this in time for Pub Day, but alas I still suck. Good news is it’s now out so if you were just waiting with bated breath to see my opinion, you can go pick up a copy now ; ) I love a good family story. I don’t care if it’s full of stabbies, full of drama or just a feel good one like this – I’m always down. Each sibling has various chapters dedicated to their individual goings on, they were all well developed and each charmed a place in the black pit which is my heart. I also just now realized I’ve read this author several times and have enjoyed every one of her books so consider me a fan (if my old lady brain can remember her name next time). Oh, and there was a house on the cover + it was "cartoony" so DUH of course I was going to read it.
3.5 Stars and rounding up.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
This last hurrah at summer camp for these now grown-ups is full of Broadway musical and Young Adult bestseller namedrops that will take many a reader This last hurrah at summer camp for these now grown-ups is full of Broadway musical and Young Adult bestseller namedrops that will take many a reader on a trip down memory lane as the two narrators attempt to save their “Chicka-awesome” teenage getaway while rekindling respective romances with their old crushes (please be warned the smexuals are most definitely not in the fade-to-black category). Unfortunately for me, I never attended a sleepaway camp so there was no nostalgia to be had. My only experience came from watching the CITs of North Star on an endless loop during my pubescent summers off . . .
I will die on the hill that no fluff piece like this will EVER require 450 pages so this was a true 2.5 Star for me. Alas, no halfsies on the Goodreads so I’m rounding down rather than up.
Good news is, if this doesn’t work out for you, maybe The Beach Trap will be a better fit like it was for me : )
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Let me start by saying I will continue to pick up whatever Sidney Karger lays down because his stories are thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to turning me into a superfan. Unfortunately this one had a main plot point that simply was not for me.
In this latest release you tag along with Wyatt and Biz on their “Babymoon” while they make their way cross country for the birth of their new baby via surrogate. The problem here is the two’s relationship was already on the rocks on page one and then ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER they are having a baby while having the exact same problems when in all actuality they should have probably broken up and definitely should have put the babymaking on pause.
I love a road trip and rekindling romance stories, so this would have 100% been my jam if the whole baby thing wouldn’t have been a part of it. A baby doesn’t save a relationship and they should not be brought in to a toxic environment. Having just binged all of Flipping Out recently, these two were reminiscent of . . . .
I know I didn’t read the blurb before taking the advanced reader opportunity here – if I like a cover and it gets presented to me generical
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I know I didn’t read the blurb before taking the advanced reader opportunity here – if I like a cover and it gets presented to me generically as “mystery” or “thriller” I’ll read the book. I also don’t know why my hopes were so high for this one, but they were. Maybe if I had lower expectations it would have worked better for me.
I thought the story here was about a young doctor whose body is found hanging in a remote area only accessible by water and the attempt to figure out if it was suicide or murder (and if murder, the whodunit). And it was about that, but it also timehopped right away to some teenage love story that I absolutely was not digging whatsoever. I’ll blame myself for not being aware of the “Crawdads” comparison (a book which I loved, by the way, but either because right time/right place is everything for me or because it was “fresh” enough that I got absorbed). This love story portion did not seem particularly fresh, nor did all the "homesteading" about a boy who returns to his small hometown after failing as a novelist who knows all about how to not only forage everything edible off the land as well as how to can veggies and make homemade jams and preserves, but somehow doesn't think about fishing until he has a real Homer Simpson "DOH!" moment and wishes he knew how to make a pancake. Srsly? Not to mention the real rush towards justice at the end with a nearly zero page trial thrown in complete with surprise exhibits and witnesses that 100% does not happen in real life. And don't even get me started the big “twist” when it came to the reveal. Chrissy Teigen eesh face for sure.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for faili
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If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for failing to read/review an advanced copy within a week of receiving it, then maybe I should be burned at the stake for this one since it was released in 2021, I received it as an ARC and three years later I just now finally got around to it. And to be 100% honest, I probably wouldn’t have even then if I had not been looking for a murder show to binge on the television and saw this title pop up which led to “hmmmmm, don’t I have a book by that name????” Also? I didn’t even read it. This was my latest “walk ‘n talk” that I finished during my lunch hour just now that I checked out via audio from the library.
But I digress . . . .
I REALLY appreciated the way this was delivered. I’m not a big true crime reader, but this approach to tell the VICTIM’S story with the perpetrator only coming in at the end to wrap up how he was caught and for him to get his comeuppance was such a change of pace.
This story of a serial killer literally didn’t even have a Wikipedia page before the book was written was one that had already been mishandled for eternity, so I appreciated the sensitivity with which it was told. I also “enjoyed” (wrong term, but I’m no tortured poet so you get what you get) the history of the hole-in-the-wall sort of gay bar scene in NYC during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s instead of only ever hearing about the Stonewall Riots, the terror of the AIDS epidemic, and how newfound technology so often cracks the cold case (like the new way of lifting fingerprints here or “23andMe” with the Golden State Killer).
If you are looking for a gory detailed sort of bloodbath serial killer book, this won’t be for you, but I thought it was so well done and the narration was great. Orrrrrrrrr, if you have Max you can simply watch the docuseries.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
Clare Pooley might just be the gal for you. All of her books sort of follow the same thing – a ragtag bunch of folks finding unlikely friendship and a common cause. The cause this time around is saving the local community center from demolition. The ragtag friend group starts with some senior citizens and the woman who has been hired to run a social club for them. A high schooler, his baby, the kids from the nursery school and a dog eventually get added to the mix to bring on the saccharine sweet feels.
The story here jumps off with the community center van being pulled over by the cops who are looking for one suspect in particular. Nearly every occupant begins confessing to why they are the one the police are looking for – while the actual suspect is making a break for it. Then it does a rewind to introduce you to all of the characters, their backstories and eventually ends back at the beginning.
If you’re a fan of the Thursday Murder Club folks (particularly Elizabeth) and want to have some more fun with geriatrics, but without a body count, this one might work for you.
3.5 Stars and rounding up because it’s nice to smile sometimes : )
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
EDIT: After blocking this author here and Instagram he has now taken it upon himself to find my WORK email address to "apologize" for "pestering me" (EDIT: After blocking this author here and Instagram he has now taken it upon himself to find my WORK email address to "apologize" for "pestering me" (while also repeatedly informing me I read this wrong) after soliciting my advice multiple times on why no one is buying this (ummmm, I don't work in publishing or marketing so how would I know?).
EDIT #2: He has now posted a "review" - not about his own book, but about ME:
I was offered a review copy of this book directly by the author because I really dug his previous novel The Girl on the Pier. Generally I don’t take direct requests, but figured what the heck and accepted without reading the blurb. I sat down to read it a few Saturdays ago and have been struggling with writing a review ever since because this really was not for me, but I didn’t want to hurt any feelings.
The Goodreads’ blurb calling this “ambitious” is most definitely true. This is a story that jumps from narrator to narrator, place to place and time hops forward and back and forward again (all of which can be problematic for me personally). Tomkins’ previous book fell into the mystery/thriller umbrella (of which I am obviously a fan, if you know me). This was historical fiction – which I don’t often pick up. If you have someone in your life who enjoys the aforementioned storytelling methods or books about aviation, this might work better for them.
Copy provided by the author in exchange for a review . . . which I have been pestered about to the point where I had to block him. Careful what you wish for . . . . ...more
Seriously, though, when I saw this cover I was like what in the effing artificial intelligence generating software is THIS? Which was enough to get me to read the blurb – something that doesn’t often happen.
The story here is about Dolores who discovers her husband’s new “friend” Zoey in the garage. When David moves out for a bit of a trial separation, Dolores maintains custody of Zoey and the two develop an actual sort of friendship of their own that ends up making Dolores come to terms about many things when it comes to her relationship and past.
Okay, I freaking loved this. It won’t be for everyone and if you are a person who doesn’t like things that go unexpectedly darker than you anticipate from the synopsis, you might want to steer clear. I obviously don’t have an issue with most any subject matter as long as the storytelling is quality and a billion bonus points are awarded to books like these that offer maybe a familiar plotline in such a unique manner of delivery. Plus, it’s also sometimes pretty funny . . . .
“What if I fall in love with Zoey?”
“That won’t happen.”
“I’ve fallen in love with less interesting people.”
“Well then I suppose that would certainly be a twist, wouldn’t it?”
Recommended.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
The story here is about the Larkin family. We start in in the Summer of 1951. Eldest daughter Myra is dabbling with her first taste of freedom as a young teen and is allowed to go to the diner after Sunday mass for a couple of hours before coming home to assist with family chores. On this given Sunday, Myra meets a young man who says his name is Mickey Mantle and that he is a rookie with the New York Yankees who has been sent back down to the minors for the time being. He offers Myra a ride home since it is raining outside and even gives her one of his baseball cards to remember him by . . . . and then that night neighbors down the street are victims of a grisly murder in their own home with the main suspect being a young, male, blonde stranger.
The story is then a SWEEPING narrative spanning sixty years and told by multiple members of the Larkin clan. Hot button headlines of the day are mentioned (such as the assassination attempt on Ronald Regan and Rock Hudson’s AIDS diagnosis), but also there are a couple of near-misses by notorious serial killers. And then. WHOA BOY OH BOY AND THEN! The Larkin mother begins receiving bizarre postcards from the only surviving son of the family, Alec, consisting of simple “hello and goodbye” messages – accompanied by the name and age of a child.
This was perfection. Family saga plus serial killers? Talk about my bucket list dream novel. Every Star.
Endless thanks to Little Brown for a copy in exchange for my honest review. ...more
This selection is another example of why everyone should have a ride-or-die, NetGalley addicted book bestie like Shelby in their life. Neighborhood WaThis selection is another example of why everyone should have a ride-or-die, NetGalley addicted book bestie like Shelby in their life. Neighborhood Watch was her most recent recommendation to me. She said to ignore the ugly cover and go request a copy pronto before reader copies got pulled from NG and since I am her minion I did exactly what she asked of me. And I do agree the cover is fug, but put “neighborhood” in a title and Imma be down to clown.
This puppy was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo Desperate Housewives - fully of rich beetches in their McMansiony hood. Everyone is up in each other’s bidness courtesy of the local “book club” – and then the body count starts rising. Good news is . . . .
(And yes I already know I’m going straight to H-E-Double-Hockey Sticks for continually thinking of the old Chris Rock special every time getting “high” on Robitussin was mentioned in this book.)
I am an O.G. James Renner fan. Despite my hatred for most covers not house related, I snatched up a copy of The Man from Primrose Lane (which, ironically features a main character who wrote a true crime novel) after some Goodreads friends dug it and then was lucky enough to get a reader copy of The Great Forgetting which earned all the Stars from my stingy butt too.
Imagine my dismay when Renner started writing true crime novels rather than fiction. You see, I’m a girl who loves to take a deep dive into all things murdery and culty on the boob tube, but aside from the occasional Ann Rule, only dabble in the written version. I made an exception with True Crime Addict because, once again, I was offered an early copy and also at that point I might have been somewhat addicted to Websleuths and the crazed keyboard commandos that could be found there. And it was good, but still the fact remains that I read garbage so this latest release has been sitting gathering dust for an age.
Buuuuuuuut, then I was looking for something to listen to on my “walk ‘n talks” and this was available in audio format from the library so I figured, why not? For audiobook listeners, the author has a great reading voice that should generate zero complaints. And as far as the subject matter? I had zero problems walking five miles while listening and was completely invested in this story of “crazy little children” who spent their free time having “Robitussin parties,” sex and sleepovers all in the suburb of Shaker Heights with apparently none of their parents all the wiser.
Renner’s version of true crime is different than a lot of authors. His stories are not well known and he sticks close to home with those that took place in Ohio. But he’s two-for-two when it comes to me getting totally caught up in the telling.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more
When I tell you I was willing to shove people out of the way to get my hands on an early copy of Abbi Waxman’s latest release – I’m probably not exaggWhen I tell you I was willing to shove people out of the way to get my hands on an early copy of Abbi Waxman’s latest release – I’m probably not exaggerating much. That’s why it sucks so bad that I didn’t really love it.
I thought this was going to be a “maybe you can go home again” sort of story with an obvious addition of an unrequited love who now gets to be “quited” (I know that’s not a word). And the storyline of an “Amelia Earheart” or “D.B. Cooper” sort of long-thought dead dad returning from the wild had my attention. Sadly, nothing much even happened with the dad stuff until nearly 70% and I didn’t know I was signing up for a porny so that wasn’t really my idea of a great time either.
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut I still HIGHLY recommend Nina Hill or The Garden of Small Beginnings or Other People’s Houses or I Was Told It Would Get Easier. They all just made my chick lit loving heart go cluck cluck cluck.
2.5 Stars
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
Ol’ Momma Nature has been teasing my part of flyover country with near 80 degree temperatures some days (followed by snow and single digits the next, Ol’ Momma Nature has been teasing my part of flyover country with near 80 degree temperatures some days (followed by snow and single digits the next, but we’ll pretend those aren’t happening). When those hints of springtime occur my TBR immediately turns toward beachy reads like Elin Hilderbrand or rom coms.
I actually knew this was about an influencer who would fall for some gruff and grumbly lobsterman and I’m happy to report if you’re thinking about picking this one up because it reminds you somewhat of It Happened One Summer, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. The bit of blurb I read had me thinking this was going to be a grumpy/sunshine, but it turned out it was more of a fake dating (or engagement, as the case was here) trope instead with teeny little shoutouts to favorites like . . .
Along with some Hallmarky good vibes about a small town where everyone knows/likes each other and a dilapidated B&B with plenty of potential. Per usual, I skimmed all the smexuals because I really have to be in the mood to get down with the dirty talk and I could have really lived without the brother subplot, but all in all this was a cute one.
And if you’re REALLY looking for some fun – try Woke Up Like This by this author. Oh be still my 13 Going on 30 ever loving heart!
3.5 Stars
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
This isn’t a particularly new sort of mystery plot: It starts with a party, someone gets murdered, everyone is a suspect and then you spend the rest oThis isn’t a particularly new sort of mystery plot: It starts with a party, someone gets murdered, everyone is a suspect and then you spend the rest of the book figuring out the whodunnit. Good news is, I generally love this storyline. Bad news is this one wasn’t much of a stand-out.
The specifics here are the Calhouns are having their annual Cherry Blossom party . . . and the police are there are on page one. By the 20% mark you know who the victim is and then you get to find out exactly what skeletons are hiding in the closets of each family member (as well as a neighbor or two). Things play out via sort of an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach and you really have to throw all common sense out the window when it comes to things like police procedures or legal work – not to mention that no one is likeable or more than a cardboard cutout as far as character development. But it’s getting real high ratings, so what do I know?
I’m going to steal from Rotten Tomatoes and certify this one as fresh.
When Hannah’s most recent soulmate ghosts her and her BFF gets engage
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I’m going to steal from Rotten Tomatoes and certify this one as fresh.
When Hannah’s most recent soulmate ghosts her and her BFF gets engaged, Hannah takes her obsession with true crime to a whole different level and starts looking for love in all the wrong places. Specifically, as a pen pal with a suspected serial killer who has been charged with murdering four women and dumping their bodies in a ravine. What’s the harm, right? I mean all signs point to a conviction so it’s not like she’s actually at risk of being victim #5. That is until an actual fifth body is found while William is on trial which obviously makes him not guilty, he gets released and is ready for his happily ever after with his new girlfriend. Then it becomes a question of did he or didn’t he . . . or maybe more appropriate, will he or won’t he?
Simply put, this was a lot of fun. From the “Burn Book” style of cover art to the new take on “romance” in your 30s, I had a ball. The whodunit won’t be much of a shocker, but this made for a most enjoyable day out on the deck soaking up some unseasonably warm weather here in flyover country.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
To all my gals (and guys, if you are in to Chick Lit) who live in the land of third winter and have experienced the brief hint of what is t
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To all my gals (and guys, if you are in to Chick Lit) who live in the land of third winter and have experienced the brief hint of what is to come as far as weather goes and now anxiously await summertime – boy do I have a book recommendation for you.
The story here is told from Julia’s perspective right after she has succumbed to a brief battle with cancer. Her husband has fled the expected seven day Shiva to hide out at their beach house on Fire Island. It is there Julia gets the opportunity to spend one final Summer as an observer before officially passing to the other side. Not only will she watch over Ben and their neighbor Shep as they navigate their way through the grieving process as recent widowers, but she’ll witness her best pal Renee heal her own broken heart after being cheated on by her husband and have a little summertime fling, see Matty and Dyl attempt (and fail) to procure a condom in order to officially come of age before Dylan heads off to college, and see if Bay Harbor can finally beat Oceanview in the end of season baseball game now that Renee’s ex isn’t eligible to play and be the strikeout king.
This one is perfect for fans of Kristin Higgans. A beachy read with tons of feels that most definitely won’t leave many a dry-eye in the house upon wrapping up the final pages. It felt like a warm hug and made me eager for those first days of sitting out on the deck with the sun kissing your shoulders. Every Star.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
If you’re old here, allow me to apologize for the umpteenth reminder that I am not a blurb reader. If you’re new here – I am not a blurb reader. I am If you’re old here, allow me to apologize for the umpteenth reminder that I am not a blurb reader. If you’re new here – I am not a blurb reader. I am addicted to a cartoony cover and a catchy title so that’s what hooked me here. I’m also always looking for the next . . . .
Or what I like to call the “Mom Com,” and from the title/cover art I thought maybe that’s what this would be. I probably would have skipped it over had I read it was about a very young and ill-prepared financially new mom who takes to Only Fans as a source of income with her fresh-out-of-rehab father as her roommate. That just sounds like A. LOT.
Turns out I sort of loved this one. I guess I’ll always be a fan of an underdog story. And while there were most DEFINITELY times I wanted to shake the shit out of Margo for being so naïve, the way the author broke the fourth wall and had Margo recognizing her errors in hindsight was a smart way to keep me invested.
Maybe venture out of your comfort zone and give this one a whirl in June.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
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