The Younger Wife - Sally Hepworth

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Stephen Aston is getting remarried, and to a woman younger than his adult daughters. But then something happens.
This is a book of secrets and dysfunctional family. And I was here for it.

The book switches perspectives at the chapter breaks. I didn't mind this. It was interesting to see each character's thoughts. While I didn't think it was incredibly suspensful, I liked the plot and pacing. And I loved to dislike several of the characters.

Content: I can't give any without giving away some of the plot. Just know that if you are a sensitive reader, this might not be the book for you.

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A Stranger's Game - Colleen Coble

A Stranger's Game by Colleen Coble
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Let me preface this by saying I love Christian fiction books. They are some of my favorites I've read through the years. I've even liked some of Colleen Coble's books. However, I have not found many to love in recent years. Especially by established authors. I feel like they are either 1) trying to push out books so quickly they lack a compelling, cohesive story line and/or a good editing process or 2) they feel like they have enough of a loyal following that they don't need to put out quality writing. Just my opinion. And this book is no exception.

I had read such great reviews on A Stranger's Game that I even moved it to the top of my TBR. From the start, I was baffled by how it's received an average of 4.14 starts on Goodreads. So I kept reading, thinking it surely had to get better. It didn't. At least not for me.

In A Stranger's Game, Torie Bergstrom is a hotel heiress who decides she needs to research her friend's death. So she goes undercover at the hotel her aunt manages and her father and she own to figure it all out.

Wait! What? Your telling me NO ONE on that island or at that hotel recognizes her through 300+ pages of this book. When she's the owner's daughter...on the board...in national newspapers. Oh, and spent summers/grew up (it was never clear which) on the island and in the hotel until she was 10. Apparently not. The only one who recognizes her is a guy who works in politics in DC.

So many plot lines. Definitely an instance of trying to do too much and none of it well. We're left floating on the war games/sub stealing plot. The Torie's mom's death plot is just like "meh...I pushed her; it was an accident."

So many loose threads. Who killed Bella? What business did the guy who "masterminded" this plan (or was it his mom's plan) have that failed that caused him to develop this elaborate plan to take out everyone in the Federal Reserve? It just...none of it made practical sense.

And, whoo. Don't get me started on Torie and Joe interfering with all the evidence all the time and the investigation. Shouldn't they be in jail too? There's no way a self-respecting police force would let that happen. And let's just talk about Joe. Really? How does he know how to do all the things in security and the military. He's a marine biologist who works 20 hours a month in security at the hotel??!?!

Why would the guy booby trap the tree house and lie in wait to abduct Torie and Hailey? How could he know they'd be there? Climb it? Not to mention the minor thing where Torie just climbed the tree the first time but uses the step boards the second.

Just so much about the entire book doesn't make sense. I could go on and on with holes and contradictions that should have been caught in editing.

I hate to say it, but I'm starting to give up on Christian fiction by well-rated authors. I've read fewer and fewer over the years and become more and more disappointed.

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This Wish - Nicholas Sparks

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book tackles many sensitive topics in a tender and understanding way. Was it predictable? Sure. Did I mind? No.

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Dear Santa - Debbie Macomber

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've long wanted to read a Debbie Macomber book. This might not have been a great choice for my first. Or perhaps I'm just not the right reader for her books.

In Dear Santa, Lindy returns home for the holidays after a rough year on both a personal and a career front. After reviewing letters she wrote to Santa as a child, she decides to write another letter to Santa this year. Will this this new letter be answered in the same ways her childhood letters were?

I think that I just wasn't in the mood for the sacchrine sweetness of this book. So I think my rating and review are probably more a refleciton of me at the time and not necessarily the book. However, the book itself had issues with inconsistencies and a lot of redundant information (sometimes even the exact phrasing). The pacing of the story overall was off - weird time jumps and other parts that dragged. Hopefully some of these things were taken care of in a final edit (I was reading an advanced review copy).

I wanted to like Lindy, and maybe I did. She just wasn't as fully developed as I would have liked. None of the characters were, but I at least hoped to have a more complete main character. The romance part was okay. Quick but understandable.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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Finally You - Debbie Macomber

Finally You by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So this is a two novella collection. The first one was decent. I enjoyed it. However, the second one...I wouldn't even give one star to. Nothing in it made sense. There were so many poor word choices. In no reality does it take three days to drive from Seattle to anywhere in Montana...especially when you're driving from morning to at least mid-afternoon. Every single character was a self-centered brat. The two main characters didn't have anything like a true relationship - just attraction fueled passion. Their interactions and "relationship" was both destructive and toxic right to the end. Hated it.

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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably 3.5

This story in the vein of a Russian folktale really held my interest. Taking place in the cold Russian wilderness, young Vasilisa thrives despite her mother dying at her birth. Her older siblings dote on her, and she loves the woods and creatures surrounding and in her home. Things start to unravel when her father remarries and devolves further when another stranger comes to their village. Fairytale character like Frost and guardians are rampant throughout.

I enjoyed this book and will read the next one. I will say, for me, it was helpful to not know what the translation for some of the Russian creature names were as I tend to get a bit squeamish with some paranormal things. But since I didn't know until after, no harm.

As with much Russian literature, the many derivations of the name for the same person takes some getting used to.



View all my reviews King of the Friend Zone by Sheralyn Pratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Esme and Hunter have been friends pretty much since in utero. They have grown up alongside each other and share so much of their lives. So Hunter is thrown when Esme turns up engaged to a man no one has met yet.

This is the second book of this series I've read during this time of COVID19 quarantine. And they are perfect. Light. Clean. Fun. Engaging.

View all my reviews A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is probably one of the best retellings of Beauty and the Beast I've read. It is new and fresh.

Harper is magically transported from her home in DC to some other world and into the enchanted castle of Prince Rhen. Rhen is everything you would suppose a prince to be - arrogant, in charge, bossy - but harbors a secret. Harper is no damsel in distress though. She can take care of herself and doesn't mind going toe-to-toe with a prince when the situation calls for it. Add in a royal guard and an evil enchantress. Toss in some witty dialogue and some depth and character growth.

It's a great book. I can't wait to read the second in the series.

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Pay Attention, Carter Jones - Gary D. Schmidt

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Jones home is a bit crazy most days. That is, until The Butler shows up to take charge. But he has more lessons to teach than anyone expects.
I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining to read yet still tackled some pretty big issues. Definitely a great addition to any upper elementary or middle school bookshelf.
I, however, still have no understanding of cricket despite the information given at the start of each chapter. :)

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Of Literature and Lattes - Katherine Reay

Of Literature and Lattes by Katherine Reay
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In this book, we return to the fictional Chicago, Illinois suburb of Winsome. Alyssa has returned there as a last resort. The Silicone Valley company she worked for is being investigated by the FBI, and no other companies there will hire her. So, she returns to her childhood home and all the relationship issues included in it. At the same time, Jeremy has relocated to Winsome to open the coffee shop of his dreams and be closer to his daughter. All is not roses there either.

I was looking forward to returning to Winsome. This isn't necessarily a sequel to The Printed Letter Bookshop (which I really enjoyed), but it was helpful to have read that one to have more context for Alyssa.

I really wanted to love this book, and I just didn't. I didn't enjoy any of the characters, and there seemed to be a lot of repetition in informational details about some of them. Additionally, there were random characters that were just thrown in occasionally with very specific details about them. I'm assuming to set up for a third book in Winsome, but it just irked me a bit to have tidbits dropped and no follow through.

Also, the whole plot and relationships and drama seemed to happen really quickly. I did like some of the interactions between Alyssa and her mom, but then other interactions seemed to come from left field.

I felt overall there was a lot of telling and not so much showing when it came to everything in this book.

Not my favorite of hers. I loved some of here other books much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.


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The Woman in the Window - AJ Finn

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Probably more 2.5 stars for me. I'm not a huge fan of unreliable narrators (I think I'm just over it as I liked the first few I read) and saw several of the twists before they were revealed. That being said, several in my book club really enjoyed it.

Anna suffers from agoraphobia and spends her days watching old movies, watching her neighbors, drinking, and helping where she can on an agoraphobia chat room. One evening she glimpses a scene she shouldn't have through her camera lens and it all starts unraveling.

If you read this book, I recommend devoting at least a good hour to get into it. I was so confused from probably the first 60+ pages because I was reading in small chunks. Once I sat down and read for an extended time, it began to come together for me.

The old movie references meant nothing to me as I hadn't seen or heard of most of them. However, if you are a classic movie buff, I can see that having an appeal.

There were a few twists that I didn't see coming until right before they were revealed. However, others I saw pages and pages away. If unreliable narrators are your thing, you might like it more than I did.

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The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book was all kinds of messed up.

When Libby Jones turns 25, she receives notice of her inheritance from her dead parents: an empty mansion in an upscale part of London. It's all downhill and nuts from there. I particularly didn't like Lucy's point of view. I don't find that it added much to the overall story. So much in this book was disturbing and convoluted yet not much of it was really surprising or suspenseful. Thankfully it was at least a quick read.

There was one quote I liked, and it even applies here:
"They weren't bad books," Phin countered patiently. "They were books that you didn't enjoy. It's not the same thing at all. The only bad books are books that are so badly written that no on will publish them. Any book that has been published is going to be a 'good book' for someone."

This book definitely qualifies as one I didn't enjoy.

Content Warnings: Language, abuse in many forms

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Never Have I Ever - Joshilyn Jackson

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars on this one.

Amy is happy with her life as wife, "stepmonster," and mom and doesn't think anything can shatter her peaceful existence...until Roux shows up in her neighborhood and on her doorstep. Roux brings with her information about Amy's past and objectives all her own.

I feel like Amy's character has depth and nuance but all the rest were pretty static. There were definitely some twists I didn't see coming, which I always appreciate in a book.

Content Warnings: language, violence, sexual content (of a disturbing nature)

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Follow Me - Kathleen Barber

Follow Me by Kathleen Barber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book takes a look at the potentially extreme costs of an online social media influencer. Audrey has thousands of followers on Instagram, sharing every aspect of her life with them. When a new job causes her to relocate to DC, she doesn’t realize the opportunity presented to one of her more obsessive followers

Probably a 3.5 for me, rounded up to a 4. I liked it. I was definitely interested in figuring out what was actually going on, although I had my ideas. It was compulsively readable. However, there were definitely some things about the book I didn’t like as well.

I like suspense books and always have in the back of my mind wonderings about what I share online, even though that’s mainly to friends and family. So when I got an email from NetGalley about reading/reviewing this book early (thanks, NetGalley and the publisher!), I jumped on it.

The characters were just not very likable…pretty much any of them. Which means that while I loved the plot and the suspense, I didn’t really like the characters.

Also, I was still left with some questions at the end where I felt like previous details indicated something else. So I might reread it for those clues. A few questions stemming from the ending itself as well. It ended rather abruptly.

Worth the read if you like suspense.

Content Warnings: Some language and slightly open-door romance.


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The Rest of the Story - Sarah Dessen

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Emma Saylor unexpectedly has to spend three weeks with her maternal grandmother and extended family, somewhere she hasn't been and people she hasn't seen since she was four. Once there, she realizes the opportunity to learn more about her mother and even herself.

Not my favorite of Sarah Dessen's novels. I actually have been waffling between 2 and 3 stars for this one. I think there were just several typos and so many contradictions in small and big things - including timelines - that each time it interrupted my enjoyment of the story itself. And those kinds of editing issues are just not something I expect in her books. Also, there were SO. MANY. CHARACTERS to keep up with. I think by the end I mostly remembered who was who and how they fit in. But the first half was tough going. The way her dad just changed so much at the end was a bit of a stretch for me.

Underage drinking was pretty consistently present but not always in a positive light.

I still liked the premise of the story and several of the characters. I just feel it could have been better executed.

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The River - Peter Heller

The River by Peter Heller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jack and Will are best friends who met in college and bonded over their mutual love of literature, especially the older naturalist. They embark on an adventure canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness where things eventually deviate from the plan.

I've waffled between 3 and 4 stars on this book. I really loved some parts whereas other parts seemed to drag or get bogged down in description. And since I read the book summary/blurb, I kept waiting for one of the pivotal scenes that ended up taking its time coming. And the fact that when Jack and Will were in their thoughts, I often had a hard time telling them apart.

Once the pivotal scene occurred, the story telling really picked up the pace from it's previous meander down the river and through times past. Then I had a hard time putting it down.

I don't get the "Thriller" label it has received so many places. Adventure, yes, but I didn't find it to be a thriller.

I can see why there's been so much buzz about the book this summer. And I liked it, but it didn't wow me.

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Five Feet Apart - Rachel Lippincott

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Stella is the model CF (cystic fibrosis) patient while Will is the rebel who just wants to *live* in the days he has left. This is the story of what happens when the two meet.

I'll preface this by saying were I not reading this for book club, I would have rolled my eyes and given up a couple of chapters in. Instead, I just rolled my eyes throughout.

I'm not sure if some of my issues stem from the story meant to be a movie and the book being based on a screenplay making it weird (or the screen play and book were written at the same time - I've seen both options when I was doing some quick research on the tie-in).

My first eye roll came from Stella's senior class taking a two week trip to Cabo. What kind of school takes that kind of senior trip?!? And had Stella been healthy enough to go, how would her parents afford said trip on top of a decade of hospital stays and major medical issues?

Where were timeline discrepancies, language, and talk of sex.

The prose was fairly dreadful. Mainly due to word choices like characters with CF "sprinting" and running up stairs regularly. Really? With 35% lung capacity?

But the characters are really what earned it my one start rating. They were just flat. Basic. One-dimensional. Even their "character growth" (if you can call it that) was predictable and plastic feeling.

The whole book was just too melodramatic and over-the-top angsty for me. And I've known some melodramatic, angsty teens in my time.

And what kind of ending was that?!?

Ending on a positive, I am glad for a book shedding light on CF and its treatments. I thought those pieces (hacking mucous, weight loss, etc) were important and some of the only realistic pieces of the book, despite how the characters acted otherwise.

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Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a "stay up too late reading" kind of book. Perfect for a binge.

Ayesha is a modern Muslim woman in Toronto. She works as a substitute teacher in a co-ed schoo. She wears her hijab but also more modern clothing. Her best friend isn't Muslim, and she's not a faithful attender of mosque prayers. Ayesha, meet Khalid. Khalid is conservative and fundamental. He wears his beard long as well as his robes. He looks to his mother to provide the perfect arranged marriage. But all is not as it seems in either of their lives.

So...I would say that the publishers did this book a disservice by calling it "A modern-day Muslim Pride & Prejudice." However, that is what compelled me to pick it up. So the marketing worked despite the fact there is little in common with P&P until towards the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Ayesha and Khalid. Even knowing they were going to get together in the end (not a spoiler due to the P&P connection), it was fun to watch them navigate it. I appreciated the nuance in pretty much all the characters. Except for maybe Khalid's mom. She wasn't a very nuanced villain.

Definitely worth a read, whether you're a P&P fan or not. I flew through it in less than 24 hours, despite my husband's grumblings about the light being on. :)

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The Forgotten Road (The Broken Road #2) - Richard Paul Evans

The Forgotten Road by Richard Paul Evans
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The second book in the Broken Road series, Charles James is continuing his walk along Route 66.

This book was more of a 1.5 stars for me. I didn't not like it, but I didn't really like it either. While Charles moved along his route, the plot didn't really move along much at all. It was more a list of towns and roadside attractions than the introspection I'm used to from Evans's books and characters. Even The Walk series, which this one is reminding me more and more of - just a different route, had a lot more character development and interaction.

I'll read the third book just because it's not a huge time commitment, but I'm hoping that one is more than the travelogue this one seemed to be. And not a very engaging travelogue at that.

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The Mother-in-Law - Sally Hepworth

The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lucas and her MIL, Diana, have always had a rocky relationship. So when Diana is found dead, suspicion abounds.

This book is told primarily from Lucy & Diana's perspectives, and alternates between past and present. I liked the back story pieces. It gave such understanding and depth to some of the characters.

Worth reading if you like domestic suspense.

I gave it 3 stars, but it was really more 3.5 for me. So take that with a grain of salt.

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Everything Here Is Beautiful - Mira T. Lee

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a book of lives intertwined. Sisters. Marriage. Lovers. Parents. Children. One's own self.

Lucia and Miranda Bok are Chinese American sisters who pop in and out of each other's lives. Lucia is free spirited and passionate while Miranda has always taken on the more protector, practical role. When Lucia starts hallucinating and hearing voices, Miranda tries to rescue her as she always has.

This book took many, many pages for me to get into. I think that had more to do with my brain space at the time than the book itself. I didn't become attached to any particular character but the highlight of the book for me was "watching" the ways the characters interacted. Not just their words but their internal monologues as well. I really wanted to not like Manny due to some of his choices. But even with him, you can see the reasons behind those choices because the chapters rotate through several alternating perspectives. It was well written overall. Choppy at times, but even that made sense.

Great for a book club to read together as there is a plethora of things to discuss and debate in this story.

Heads-up: language, sex

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The Chalk Man - CJ Tudor

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Chalk Man is told in two story lines: 2016 and 1986. The story revolves around a group of kids who were friends in the 80's and then focuses on one of those friends (Eddie) in the more present day. The book begins with a tragic accident that helps shape one of the key story lines.

The book was pretty interesting. A little too creepy at parts for me. Some of the story lines kept me guessing until they were almost revealed. Others I figured out early. Pretty much everything was revealed by the end.

Everyone in my book club liked it or loved it. For me, it's probably a 2.5. I didn't really like it, but it was better than okay.

Definitely try to read it in larger chunks. I started out reading just a few pages or a chapter at a time as that's what my schedule allowed. And I think that caused me to be a bit confused at time. Once I sat down and read the last half in a long reading block, things clicked better for me.

Head's Up: Abuse, abortion, violence that got a bit descriptive

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