Book Review: Breathing Under Water

By Melissa Amster

The current is threatening to pull them under.

Berry thought she had it figured out—juggling her vice principal role while raising her sixteen-year-old autistic son, Leo. But when a promotion opportunity collides with her family's deepest needs, she must confront whether she's been fighting the wrong battles all along.

McKenna is drowning. Between caring for her grandmother with dementia, losing her swimming scholarship, and facing homelessness, the college student's carefully constructed world is crumbling. Her only lifeline? Teaching swim lessons to children with autism—including Leo.

As these two women's paths converge in the most unexpected way, they discover that sometimes the people who need saving the most are the ones who end up saving you. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I'm so glad I got an early opportunity to read Breathing Under Water! It was incredibly good throughout and I had a hard time putting it down. I cared a lot about both of the main characters, as well as Leo. 

This was a fast read for me as it was so engaging that I picked it up every chance I had. Even though Berry and I had more in common, I felt more of a kinship with McKenna. I did like Berry, but after a while, I felt like her energy and focus got transferred to Leo. I really liked Leo's connection with McKenna. There was also a Jewish aspect to the story that I appreciated.

There's a lot happening in this story and a good balance of narrative between Berry and McKenna. I don't want to say too much because I worry about spoiling something and I want it to unfold for you naturally. I will admit that I can relate to McKenna's anger, even though I'm not as likely to act on mine in a drastic way. However, I can understand why she'd make the choices she did, even if they weren't always the wisest. 

My only concern was that one aspect of the story didn't have closure and would have liked it to be resolved more.

If you're looking for a heartfelt and thoughtful read, pick this one up. I can't stop recommending it!

Movie casting suggestions:

Berry: Maggie Siff

McKenna: Lizzy Greene

Phil: Eric Dane

Yvonne: Lindsay Sloane

Coach Cat: Morgan Spector

Glory: Lily Tomlin

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Harper Muse for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jacqueline Friedland:

Counting Backwards

He Gets That from Me

That's Not a Thing

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TW: Alzheimers, homelessness, child goes missing, loss of job, marital strife.

Book Review: Destination Funeral

By Sara Steven

When Babe—the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers—dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.

Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again—along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.

What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.

Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Destination Funeral was like the contentious friendship’s version of Groundhog Day. You’ve got Didion, who swore she would never go back to Mercy Island, given the way things ended with not only her mother, Babe, but her friends and once-close sister, Sammie. You’ve got Matt, the happy-go-lucky guy who wants everyone to get along, despite his own detriment. Then there’s Austin, Didion’s ex–who totally wronged her while he worked hard to leave his past behind, and of course, the once-close sister, Sammie, who never wants to grow up. The four used to be inseparable, but now it takes Babe’s death to bring the four together.

And together they will be. What starts off as a quick weekend funeral, turns into the foursome reliving the same day over and over again. Through that, Didion has a chance to work through a lot of the resentment she has towards the people who used to mean the world to her, along with the disconnect she has with Babe. It’s hard not to understand and side with Didion when it comes to her reasons behind the separation. I think the situation that got to me the most is when Didion reflects on Sammie’s horrible ex selling off Didion’s beloved Jeep for money, with no thought to even consult Didion about it. And no one seems to bat an eye. It seemed like there were a lot of scenarios similar to that one, where Didion’s feelings and needs are completely looked over, while everyone coddles Sammie.

It hasn’t been all roses for Sammie, either. Didion learns that–along with finding out what’s been really going on for the others, too. Things haven’t been so happy-go-lucky for Matt, and Austin had to completely shelve the dreams he’d had since childhood. It’s obvious that honesty and transparency was never a driving force before, but through the endless Saturdays they live through, the chance and opportunity for that becomes apparent. The repeat days were cleverly written and a nice touch to the story. 

The biggest relationship to work through is the one Didion had with Babe. All four friends wonder if Babe herself had set some sort of spell over the family home (Birdsong), and maybe she did. I won’t discount that. I think the magic and wonder of childhood that dwelled within the characters might have been the real catalyst, but no matter where it had come from, it was sorely needed. There was strong character evolution for everyone involved, even the deceased, all told in a witty, acerbic way that made me want to keep reading. It was also extremely sweet and touching, making Destination Funeral a much-needed five-star read! 

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Paige Harbison:
The Other Side of Now
Anything to Have You
New Girl

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Book Review and Giveaway: The Women in White

Extrasensory perception.

The Gift.

A Sixth Sense.

Or something else….

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history.

Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. Riley steps into a home that is frozen in another era - no microwave, television, or cell phones, and Betty has never heard of the internet.

Why has Betty lived in such profound isolation for so many years, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across two timelines - Betty’s 1960s era of 5 o’clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley’s quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets rise to the surface. And the only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Jami Denison:

When I was fifteen, my father and I went to the Edgar Cayce Museum while we were on vacation in Virginia Beach. Edgar Cayce was a self-proclaimed clairvoyant and a founder of the New Age movement, and his museum had stations where people could test their own abilities. For a lark, Dad and I played a game where he picked a card and I tried to guess which card he was holding. I didn’t receive any visions or hear a voice whispering in my ear, but I guessed the majority of the cards. Maybe the museum set it up that way as a joke. In any case, I never heard anything back from them. 

I hadn’t thought about that day for years until I picked up Sarah Pekkanen’s latest novel, The Women In White. Those cards play an important role in the author’s latest thriller.

When Riley Bell takes a job as a caretaker for paraplegic elderly new widow Betty, the connection between them is immediate. It’s like Betty knows things without Riley having to say anything. Even though Riley is bemused by Betty’s life and home—both of which seem stuck in the 1960s—soon the widow trusts her enough to tell stories about her past. And what stories they were.

In 1964, Betty’s husband worked for a parapsychology researcher at Marquis University. When Betty gets all the cards right in the card test, Douglas brings her to Dr. Trimble—a decision that will change many people’s lives forever. 

Trimble brings Betty together with three other women who seem to have cognitive abilities, experimenting on them and strengthening their gifts. But Trimble is a hard task master, and his demands wear them down. After the experiments ended, Betty lost track of her friends.

Now elderly Betty wants to know what happened to them. And as Riley researches the past, it becomes clear that there are still people out there who want to continue what Dr. Trimble started. 

Extra-sensory perception is an intriguing topic, and Pekkanen peppers her book with quotes from real studies on the subject, grounding the narrative in reality. The 1960s sections are filled with women who have no greater purpose than serving their husbands, who smoke and drink during pregnancy because “being calm is good for the baby.” Having been taught that their only purpose is to serve men, Betty and her friends are unable to fight back when Dr. Trimble’s demands become unreasonable and dangerous. Reading how they routinely put their own needs last, even as they were being given tools to grow their abilities, was heartbreaking. 

Riley, Betty, and her friends all come across as earnest, sweet women, and the reader roots for them to strengthen into their own power. Sadly, that does not happen. The present-day sections follow routine thriller plot points, with Riley dealing with her own issues as she closes in on what happened to Betty and her friends. 

In today’s world, where people can bet on the Superbowl coin toss and celebrities’ wedding dates, there are myriad options an author can take when writing a thriller about ESP. I admit I was a little disappointed about the track Pekkanen took. It felt predictable rather than surprising. (On the other hand, maybe it’s just hard to surprise me. The cards, after all.)

Still, Pekkanen deserves applause for introducing an element normally found in fantasy or science fiction and dropping it into female-led suspense. I just wish she’d let her women take their abilities and run. 

Melissa Amster:

I always enjoy a Sarah Pekkanen thriller and I couldn't get enough of her latest, The Women in White. It takes "psychological thriller" to a whole new level. 

I will just say that I was horrified and appalled by what was happening to the women in this novel. There are a lot of twists and turns and Sarah kept me guessing the entire time. I didn't know what to expect. The story was full of mystery and intrigue. I was trying to figure out why Betty still lives a 1960s lifestyle. That aspect made me think of the movie Blast from the Past.

Silas Trimble was horrible. I hated him so much. I wanted to reach into the book and communicate to the women to get away from him as soon as possible! 

One part of the novel felt a bit far fetched to me, but I definitely didn't see it coming either. 

Sarah did a lot of research for this novel and it shows. I found the women's abilities to be fascinating, especially since I've had many psychic moments (enough that one of my friends calls me a witch).

You will find yourself devouring The Women in White if you like a good thriller as much as I do. It is so addictive! Some parts of the story made me think of The Book Club for Troublesome Women, even though they are totally different novels altogether. Having said that, fans of historical fiction who also enjoy thrillers will appreciate this one.

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Betty (1960s): Oona Laurence 
Betty (present): Sally Field
Riley: Margaret Qualley
Kathleen: Isabel May
Ivy: Sadie Laflamme-Snow
Helen: Emma Myers
Dr. Trimble: Paul Dano
Douglas: Robert Capron

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy to give away!

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 9th at midnight EST.

More by Sarah Pekkanen:

House of Glass

The Locked Ward

Gone Tonight

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TW: loss of baby, kidnapping, sexual harassment, gambling addiction, paralysis, postpartum depression

Book Review: Murder at Christmas

 

By Sara Steven

Private investigator Dan Armstrong, accompanied by his wife and his canine sidekick, Oscar, are spending the days before Christmas in a luxurious Alpine chalet tucked away in a hidden valley. It should be the perfect escape, except the owner is in fear for his life.

A house full of secrets...

Amid perfect winter wonderland scenery, the more Dan discovers about his host and the other guests, he realises that all is not as it seems. What should be a happy family party is riddled with rancour, mistrust and hatred.

A killer in the snow?

Then the snow falls – fast and heavy – and within moments, someone is dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? As the snow closes in, Dan has to work out if he's looking for a killer, or whether he and Oscar are barking up the wrong tree. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Ordinary, Dan is tasked with figuring out whodunnit, but this go around, his goal is to prevent a murder, which was an interesting change of pace for one of my favorite private investigators and his canine sidekick, Oscar! Another difference is the background scenery. While mostly all of this author’s stories takes place in fantastically sunny and warm locales that one can only dream of visiting someday, me included, this go around there is a lot of snow, adding a complex level for Dan when he tries to do some sleuthing. It’s remote and it’s far from modern civilization, the perfect place to commit a crime.

The primary question becomes: did a crime take place? The man he is set to protect becomes a tragic victim, all leads pointing to an accidental death or suicide. True to Dan’s nature, he sets out interrogating the other guests of the chalet, working methodically through his list in order to narrow down and figure out the truth behind the potential transgression. I’ve always appreciated the way Dan operates, showing his skill sets from his days as a former detective. It isn’t easy, and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way when one suspect comes up empty and leads turn into dead ends, making Dan question everything. It helped to keep the reader on the hook, too, never really knowing what was on the other end of Dan’s discoveries.

I say this a lot after reading a book from the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series, but Oscar is just the best partner for Dan, hands down! He is such a charismatic canine, always there to assist characters in their time of need, or to do all he can for Dan, whether it’s as a support system or at times, his protector. This go around, there was another dog for Oscar to play with named Winston, who was a sweet addition to the group. There was a pretty important moment involving Winston that really got the story moving forward.

The juxtaposition between the quiet, remote snowy Alpine chalet during a holiday no less, with the jarring events that take place there, really was a nice way to amp up the fear factor and add an element of mystery and suspense. Murder at Christmas was another great addition for Dan and Oscar and this series! 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Author bio (in his own words):

I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I studied languages at Nottingham University a long time ago and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to work in Italy for seven years. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire. I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only 13 years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.

I started off writing romances but after 28 of them, I knew I wanted to try something different, and so the first of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mysteries, Murder in Tuscany, was born three years ago. I’ve been having a lot of fun ever since getting to know the dynamic duo (and introducing them to people all over the world). These books are cosy crime [a genre I didn't even know existed when I started writing them). They are murder mysteries, but not gory, over-violent stuff, but stories designed to exercise the brain of the reader and to put a smile on their face. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations all over my beloved Italy.

Visit T.A. Williams online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram 

Sign up for his newsletter.

More by T.A. Williams:
Dreaming of Venice
What Happens in Tuscany
When Alice Met Danny

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Book Review: Time Travel for Beginners

By Allyson Bales

*Skip over the synopsis if you want to go in blind like Allyson did.**

On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?

The guidelines are simple: you can go whenever you wish into the past, and there’s no fear of altering the present. Have tea with Jane Austen, scream at a Beatles concert, witness the Olympics in ancient Greece. Perhaps a more personal trip? Visit your long-lost grandmother, recapture the heady days of your youth, return to the idyllic time when your teen was a babbling baby—or watch yourself make the one decision that changed everything.

Is it a hoax? And if it’s real, what’s the catch?

When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy’s a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope.

In Jaclyn Moriarty’s incandescent novel, Anna, Teddy, and Jade leap headlong into time, hurtling on a crash course toward one another. At turns entertaining and illuminating, Time Travel for Beginners explores the moments, big and small, that shape our destiny. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I went into this book blind based completely on the title, because I am a HUGE fan of time travel and magical realism in stories, and the author. I suggest you do the same if you’re a fan of those things too! 

BUT if you can’t, I’ll share a few things with you. 

This is probably one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year. When I wasn’t reading it, I couldn’t wait to be back with the characters. It almost felt like a show I was bingeing but had to stop to do life things and couldn’t wait to get back to it. There are multiple points of view, which is always fun. The story is very character-driven with deep development that is layered, vulnerable, emotional, and quite relatable. Lastly, I couldn’t get to the end fast enough! 

I really, really enjoyed this one and wish there was a Time Travel Agency in real life! 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Time Travel for Beginners here.

More by Jaclyn Moriarty:
The Year of Secret Assignments
Gravity is the Thing
A Corner of White

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Book Review: The Night Hunter

By Jami Denison

Last year, the manosphere erupted in fury when women who were posed the question “If you were alone in the woods, would you rather encounter a man or a bear?” almost always picked the bear. The logic behind the choice: Women knew bears were dangerous wild animals who would definitely try to kill them. The man could pretend to be friendly and helpful… and still try to kill them. 

In her gripping debut, Natalie Moss takes readers on a blood-soaked adventure in her ancestral country of South Africa. The Night Hunter proves that women are right to fear both bear and men in the woods.  

Danielle’s mother was a fierce conservationist, more devoted to protecting rhinos near her home in a South African preserve than caring for her family. Now that she’s dead, Danielle wants nothing more than to sell her mother’s house and get on with her life. But her younger sister, Grace, wants to keep the home and continue their mother’s mission. When the women decide to travel back to the house, each brings along two friends for the two-day safari. But Danielle doesn’t trust Grace’s friends, or Grace herself—she’s hiding a secret note her mother left for her eyes only. 

The contentious trip turns perilous when their guide is murdered, and a car crash means they need to continue on foot. As the group of five journeys through the brush, they must avoid wild animals who would definitely kill them and humans who might. While Danielle fights to survive, she ruminates on her contentious relationships with her mother and sister, her guilt over her sister’s childhood accident, and her inability to trust. 

Moss grew up going on safaris, and The Night Hunter shines with her attention to detail. The sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle are vivid and rich. Every description rings authentic and true. The story is completely Danielle’s, told in first person and present tense, and she’s highly believable as a competent guide through the brush and young woman conflicted about her relationships.

At its heart, though, The Night Hunter is a classic locked-room mystery. Fans of the genre know that Danielle is not wrong to be suspicious of someone in her group, although whom she should suspect will vary. The body count is deliciously high, and the twists are unpredictable and earned. By the end, readers will feel as if they just stepped off a roller coaster.

With her careful plotting and deep character work, Natalie Moss shines in her debut. I look forward to following the career of this talented author. 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Wild Goose Chase

By Allyson Bales

Antique store owner Callahan Leitner has an illegal taxidermy goose in his living room.

Why? It’s…complicated.

But it may end his career unless he finds a legitimate way to dispose of the bird ASAP. Except, there’s an unexpected wrench in his plans—the frustrating, effervescent Annie O’Neill.

Annie is happy to fill in for her uncle at his antique store; it’s the perfect opportunity to gain more experience before opening a shop of her own, plus she'll finally meet his handsome young business partner. Unfortunately, Cal is nothing like the charming man she expected. She’s tempted to take his apparent dislike personally, until she stumbles upon the source of his moodiness: the contraband waterfowl hidden upstairs.

When the goose goes missing, both of their professional reputations are on the line. As Cal and Annie attempt to track down the bird before it can be traced back to the store, their tentative alliance turns into something much deeper. Will the hunt for their felonious fowl lead to true love, or end in ruin? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I’m a pretty big Sarah Adler fan and will always read anything she writes! She had my heart with Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and has kept it with every book she has written since. Wild Goose Chase is no exception! 

Adler has a way with her romances and as someone that has grown a bit more picky with the genre, I am always so delighted by her stories and her characters. 

I loved meeting Annie and Callahan. They were both so quirky and I loved that they end up working together at an antique shop. I am a HUGE fan of antiques. There’s something so rewarding about shopping and I really loved their passion for it; who does love a little Antique Roadshow! 

Adler really knows how to write funny banter and this story is full of it! 

I also really loved the dual point of view and character depth. I really rooted for these two and had so much fun following along on their little goose hunt! 

This is the perfect quirky romance of summer that will definitely have you laughing out loud! 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Sarah Adler:
Mrs. Nash's Ashes
Happy Medium
Finders Keepers

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Book Review: Buyer Beware

By Jami Denison

In the state of Florida, a seller does not have to disclose if someone died in their house (unless the death was caused by a property defect). If you’re buying a home here, and you believe in staying away from bad juju, you’ll need to do your own sleuthing to find out if a tragedy occurred within your walls-to-be. Luckily, Florida’s As Is contract offers an inspection period in which the buyer can cancel for any reason. After that, good luck getting your escrow back if you find out where that stain on the garage floor really came from.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s new thriller, Buyer Beware, is a captivating page turner about a woman who rolls up an old carpet in her new home and finds a body-shaped stain underneath. But the title is a bit of a misnomer. The book isn’t so much about the danger of buying the wrong house as it is about the danger of choosing the wrong man. 

Ellie has just moved into 1 Delaney Row, a small home in a row of cottages in a desirable Irish town. With secrets in her past, she’s not eager to get to know her neighbors. But when strange and scary things start to happen—and she finds that unfortunate stain—she’s forced to ask questions. Trouble is, people have lots of questions for her. And then the break-ins start. 

Two storylines in the past add more mystery to Ellie’s situation. Erin, a smart and driven high school student, becomes entangled with Jason, a manipulative loser who seems destined to pull her down to his level. And Hannah, a thirty-something business owner, gets swept off her feet by a man who might be too good to be true. How these three storylines intersect is the meat of the book.

All three characters are incredibly sympathetic, but as Ellie’s point-of-view is the only one in first person, she’s the character readers will identify with the most. The narrative is somewhat frustrating, because Ellie has a secret that she’s hiding from the reader, and waiting to find out exactly what that secret is provides most of the book’s tension. And there’s so much build-up toward this reveal that when Ellie finally tells readers what she’s hiding, it’s a bit of a letdown. Had Howard come clean in the beginning about what Ellie had done, readers could have focused completely on the dangers she faced in the present and the mystery of the house. 

Erin and Hannah’s plots are more straightforward. It’s clear that they’re both headed for disaster with the wrong man, and seeing them get pulled in is like watching a car crash in slow motion. 

Buying the wrong house is a huge mistake that can cost a person dearly, both literally and figuratively. But houses can be sold. Choosing the wrong man can ruin your life. 

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Catherine Ryan Howard:

The Nothing Man

Rewind

Run Time

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Book Review: Once and Again

By Melissa Amster

Lauren has spent a lot of her life waiting. She spent her childhood on her surfboard, waiting to catch the perfect wave. She waited a long time for her husband Leo. Now she and Leo are together waiting for those two lines on a pregnancy test that will tell Lauren she’s finally pregnant.

But many women wait for those things. Lauren has also spent her life waiting to use the gift that only the women in her family have: the opportunity, just once, to turn back time and reverse a bad decision, or a moment of catastrophic luck. When Lauren was fifteen, her mother Marcella reversed the car crash that killed Lauren’s father, and ever since then, both Marcella and Lauren have been extra cautious around Dave, and perhaps extra brittle with each other. Even though Dave is alive and healthy, and out on the Malibu waves every day.

Lauren and Leo’s marriage has been rock-steady for the three years they’ve been married, but their fertility journey is starting to wear on both of them. When Leo takes a six-week job in New York, Lauren temporarily moves back to her childhood house. She’ll spend time with her dad, spend time on the water, and try not think about the relationship with her mother she wishes she had. What Lauren doesn’t expect is to run into the love of her youth: fellow surfer Stone, back home for the first time in ten years. Since he left and broke Lauren’s heart. Now Lauren’s thinking about all the choices that have brought her to this moment in her life—and wondering if one of them should be undone. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Once and Again is Rebecca Serle's latest venture into surrealism. This time around, the women in her story get one chance at a do-over. Think Twice (by Mitch Albom), but it can only happen for them one time and that's it. What these women decide to do has a huge impact on their lives. It's very thought-provoking and explores relationships, marriage, family, and motherhood. I love the L.A. beach setting too. The 

While the story and premise were interesting overall, there were times it moved a bit slow. It flowed well for the most part though. Lauren's narrative was in first person and her mother's was in third. However, the grandmother's narrative was also in first person, which made things a little confusing. She didn't have that many chapters, but I felt like she should have been in third person too. I also wasn't thrilled with the last moment of the story. Sometimes the math didn't add up right in regard to how old the characters were at different points in the novel. I know I had an advanced copy, so I hope this got ironed out for the final publication.

The story kept me intrigued because I didn't know what was going to happen and how, when, or why Lauren would use her one do-over. So that definitely surprised me. Some other secrets were revealed throughout the novel that threw me for a loop. The dialogue was genuine the entire time, which I appreciated. There was a nice balance of emotions, as well.

It's a worthwhile read and it makes you wonder what the one thing you would do over is and how far back in time you'd go to change things for yourself.

Movie casting suggestions:

Lauren: Dianna Agron

Leo: Julian Morris

Stone: Finn Wittrock

Marcella (mother): Judy Kuhn

Dave (father): Robby Benson

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Rebecca Serle:

In Five Years

The Dinner List

Expiration Dates

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TW: Infertility, infidelity, death of spouse/parent, death of child, health emergency

Book Review: Somewhere Only We Know

By Becky Gulc

‘She thought their love story was over.

The world had other plans…

When Magnolia Jones finds her daughter’s travel journal, she can think of no better way to honour her life than setting off on the gap year trip that twenty-three-year-old Brontë had dreamed of taking.

It was meant to be Brontë’s adventure, but perhaps following her daughter’s footsteps around the world is exactly what Magnolia needs to piece her broken heart back together and begin to heal.

As her travels take her further away from home, memories of a long-ago summer come flooding back. Magnolia barely recognises that girl she used to be – the dreams she had, the freedom ahead, the midnight kisses on the beach with curly-haired, brown eyed Jackson.

Maybe, just maybe, in this magical place that is somewhere only they know, Magnolia is about to discover that her journey isn’t over – it’s just about to begin…’ (Synopsis courtesy of Cathy Bramley's website.)

In summary, I loved this book! For a while now I’ve been gravitating to psychological thrillers, but I felt like a change and this book really stood out to me. It promised emotion and adventure, and since I do love a book that makes me feel like I’m travelling and experiencing new places, it certainly delivered on that front!

Magnolia (Maggie) Jones finds her late daughter’s travel journal, covering the gap-year she planned to take but sadly was never able to. When she’s told to take a break from work, Maggie ultimately decides to honour her daughter’s life by taking the trip herself, using the journal to map out where to go and the experiences she should have. What was meant to be her daughter's adventure turns into a journey of healing and self-discovery, taking in some amazing locations along the way.

I love a character-driven story and this was spot on. I felt I knew Maggie, but also her lovely daughter Brontë and the other characters so well. Cathy handles the heavy, raw themes of grief and loss with grace and warmth, while also providing plenty of lightness to keep the story uplifting even in its saddest moments. There is sunshine and adventure aplenty, too!

Watching Maggie break out of the shell and safety nets she constructed around herself in the midst of her grief was beautiful. The writing flows effortlessly, drawing you straight into Maggie’s internal world as she confronts memories of a long-ago summer, youthful freedom, and a past romance. I felt for Maggie every step of the way, nodding along with her reflections on ageing, wisdom, and what it truly means to make the most of the life we are given. The supporting characters she meets along the route were great and added so much.

I really enjoyed how the narrative shifts between past and present. Maggie’s memories of Jackson and the way her travels stir up emotions she thought she’d buried give the novel a nostalgic, romantic thread that complements the central story so well.

Somewhere Only We Know is more than a standard escape-to-faraway-places novel; it is all about resilience and is a tribute to mother-daughter love, and a gentle reminder not to be afraid of starting a new chapter. I know this book will be one that stays with me for a long time—highly recommended!

More by Cathy Bramley:
The Sunrise Sisterhood
The Summer that Changed Us
My Kind of Happy

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Book Review: The Freshman Parents

 

By Sara Steven

Single parent Heather isn't neurotic (honest!) — she's simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university — so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice from a parents' forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad, whose "helpful" statistics and assertions about "helicopter parenting" leave her fuming.

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren't just room-mates — they're self-declared best friends for life.

Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing Heather and Scott together, making it increasingly difficult to ignore each other...  (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Heather and Scott are complete opposites; Heather needs mass amounts of control in her world in order to feel safe, and Scott claims he doesn’t need to be in control at all, although the verdict is out on that. To him, Heather is a helicopter parent who has too much say in how her daughter Georgia lives her life, and for Heather, Scott has been a total hands-off parent with his daughter Brianna, convinced he’s taught her how to be self-sufficient and independent that way. Truthfully, both parents are dealing with their newfound empty nest situations–and both are struggling with it in their own ways. 

The need for control (or lack thereof) comes from the experiences both characters have had in their pasts. Heather has seen a lot of absence, and Scott has dealt with a lot of loss. Despite how completely different they are from one another, there are plenty of ways they meet in the middle and can understand what it feels like to lose someone they loved and cared about. It causes Heather to cling too tightly to her daughter and not let anyone in. For Scott, he wants his daughter to take care of herself at all cost, creating a bit of distance from her. It’s like the best of both worlds for parenting would be to meet in the middle of those parenting styles, which starts to happen the more time Heather and Scott spend together. 

There are chat messages in The Freshman Parents between Scott, Heather, and the rest of the freshman university parent group, and I could really relate to the dialogue there, having my own child who is in college, with another one right on their heels in high school. While both of my kids still live at home, I imagine the day either (or both) of them move out will be incredibly hard for me, and such a huge adjustment. The various questions asked and the advice given in the parent group is reminiscent of what I’d imagine for my own support group, should I need that someday. It takes a village to raise a child, but what happens to the parents once that job is done? 

Both Heather and Scott have some hidden secrets they’re keeping from one another, mostly in an effort to lay low and not succumb to drama. But in not being completely honest, they put a lot of doubt on their budding relationship, which makes them wonder if it’s even worth getting involved. Over time, they see more than what they’d originally assumed–maybe Heather isn’t such a control freak. And Scott cares a lot more than he lets on. The high dive into what it takes to try to heal from the proverbial empty nest syndrome and come out at the other end mostly unscathed was fun, touching, and a worthy five-star experience! 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.  

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.  

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.  

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.   

Ko has been married for 25 years, has two children, and is now navigating her own empty nest.  

The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.  

Visit Ko on Facebook and Instagram.

Visit all the stops on Ko's blog tour:

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Book Review: How to Kill a Crime Writer

By Jami Denison

Some writers say the characters they create dictate the plots to them. That they figuratively sit on these authors’ shoulders as they type, spelling out what happens next. They can barely type fast enough to keep up. 

I am not one of these lucky writers—it’s as hard as giving birth for me—but author Sarah Lotz may be. Her latest book, How to Kill a Crime Writer, features a living, breathing, wisecracking muse who dictates the protagonist’s actions. The kicker? Niamh, the protagonist, is not the muse’s creator. Rather, her mother Annie created hard-bitten PI Leah—and now Leah needs Niamh to prove that Annie didn’t die by falling off a ladder, but was murdered. But is Niamh, a grief-stricken Millennial who failed to launch her own writing career and suffers from an anxiety disorder, up to the task? 

Private investigator Leah Rebecca Overton is the best part of the book, even if she’s the figment of Niamh’s imagination. Leah is a combination of all the toughest female PIs, from V.I. Warshawski to Kinsey Millhone to Veronica Mars. Even though Niamh helped Annie create Leah, she still feels inferior to her. Leah is active when Niamh is passive, strong when she’s weak, brave when she’s scared. Leah is the daughter Niamh fears that Annie wished she had. And when she shows up in Annie’s kitchen, Niamh hides in the bathroom for two days. 

Eventually, though, Niamh comes out of the bathroom and listens to Leah’s argument about why she thinks Annie was murdered. And since Leah only exists in Niamh’s mind, Niamh is the only one who can investigate and put the clues together. Leah’s prodding forces Niamh out of the house, out of her shell, and into the world. As they get closer to finding out the truth about Annie’s death, Niamh starts to rely on Leah… and realizes the PI might not be as tough as she acts. But when Niamh realizes the killer might be closer than she thought, she has a painful decision to make. 

With its supernatural concept and submissive but humorous protagonist, How to Kill a Crime Writer should appeal to fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Auntie series and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. While the plotting is strong, the pacing is a bit slow, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the different characters.  

How to Kill a Crime Writer has much to offer. For fans of cozies, the book takes place in a small English hamlet with the usual collection of wacky British neighbors. For crime readers, there’s a convention like Bouchercon and insider gossip about agents and reviewers. For pet lovers, there are cats. And for anyone dealing with grief, Niamh’s heartbreak over her mother’s loss and reluctance to move forward will ring true. Lotz’s author’s note at the end of the book gives readers a sad insight into her motivations here. 

Lotz may have written her as a parody of fictional series detectives, but I’d love a book starring Leah Overton. In the meantime, is Veronica Mars streaming anywhere? 

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Sarah Lotz:

The Impossible Us

Missing Person

The White Road

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Book Review: Everything We Found

By Melissa Amster

On the outside, Nadia Jacobs is a cool, confident architect at the top of her game. But for the past decade, she’s been quietly building walls to keep the people she loves most at arm’s length. All because of him.

Thomas Donato sacrificed everything when he forced Nadia to keep a dangerous secret from everyone they knew. He did it to protect his family. But it cost him the woman he’s secretly loved since they were kids.

Now he wants back into Nadia’s life. Nadia’s heart does a familiar skip-and-stumble when met with his hesitant smile, but she sees through his bravado: Thomas is achingly alone. And letting him in risks losing everyone and everything she holds dear.

When his past abruptly crashes into their present, they are both suddenly on the run. Not only are they forced to confront the price of a secret they’ve kept for a decade, but a truth even more treacherous: their feelings for each other.

With time running out and nowhere to hide, will their love heal what darkness broke in them all those years ago, or will it shatter them forever? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I'm so glad Kerry Lonsdale wrote another novel for her Everything series. I first read Everything We Keep ten years ago and fell in love with it (reviewed here). Since then, I have read all of Kerry's novels. 

Everything We Found is an explosive finale to the series and ties up some things from the first book, just through different lenses. It can be read on its own but I highly recommend reading all of the books as you will feel even more connected to the supporting characters this way. They're all great so it's worth a binge read until this one arrives in early August! I appreciated that Kerry included some refreshers from the first book so I could see exactly when and how everything fit in from Nadia's side.

There's romance and high-stakes suspense involved in this one, so be prepared not to leave your seat for a while! A lot of danger and intensity throughout, some of which I wasn't expecting at all. I was definitely along for the ride in hopes that good would prevail over evil. There are some parts in this story that are sad, especially when you think too much about them. I just wanted everything to be okay for Thomas and Nadia and I was definitely worried for them.

Be sure to add this one to your TBR right away. (There will be spoilers for the other books and you really won't want to ruin those experiences for yourself, so read the rest of the series first!) 

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions (most are from previous books in the series):

Nadia: Karen Gillan

Thomas: James Wolk

Aimee: Hallee Hirsh

James: Skylar Astin

Kristen: Kristin Cavallari 

Ian: Emile Hirsch 

Cammy: Gloria Estefan

Thanks to Kerry Lonsdale for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kerry Lonsdale (outside of the Everything series):
Falling for You Again
Side Trip
No More series 

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TW: Hostage situation, murder (also gruesome descriptions of murder), being chased by criminals, gun violence, poverty, child abuse

Book Review: An Infinite Love Story

By Allyson Bales

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This is my first Chanel Cleeton novel and I have already looked into her whole blacklist and my next read by her! If you have a favorite, please share!

When I read the synopsis of this one I couldn’t wait to get my hand on it and I was not disappointed!  

I absolutely devoured the combination of romance and historical fiction with a little splash of science fiction, and really, really enjoyed all the knowledge that I gained about the space program and race of the 1960s.  You also get a dual timeline where you get to follow along as Vivian and Joe get to know one another and flash forward to what is happening in their relationship in the future. 

I enjoyed the deeper themes of eternal love, the cost of being an astronaut's wife, and how friendship can really ground us.  I found many of the side characters really added to the story and I could not get to the end to find out what happens fast enough.

Thanks to Penguin Random House audio, I was able to read with my ears for this one and Kelli Tager and Barton Caplan narrated the book beautifully.

If you are a fan of the movie Interstellar, I really think you are going to enjoy this one!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase An Infinite Love Story here.

More by Chanel Cleeton:
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
The Cuban Heiress
The House on Biscayne Bay

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Book Review: Salt Sisters

By Sara Steven

Twin sisters Jocelyn and Maddy Marx grew up in a tight-knit family on Cape Cod, but they couldn’t be more different. Jocelyn, laid-back and dreamy, still lives in their hometown as a Realtor. Maddy, intense and ambitious, left for New York after college and never looked back. Until the summer they turn thirty-one.

After a dramatic fall from grace in her career, a pregnant Maddy returns to the Cape with her husband and announces she’s back for good. For Jocelyn, it’s less a reconciliation than a reminder of a life that was ripped away from her and the deep grief she’s carried ever since. Back in each other’s orbit, the sisters reopen old wounds and are forced to confront what it will take to heal.

Salt Sisters is a moving exploration of sisterhood and motherhood, and the courage it takes to face the past, forgive, and finally let go. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

This is the third book I’ve read by this author, and it was just as engrossing as the first two! I felt that the grieving process was captured perfectly, and understandably, from the perspectives of twin sisters who view the same tragic events in vastly different ways. For Jocelyn, it hit the hardest, while Maddy is more of a bystander. It creates a large divide between the two women, further complicating a relationship that has always been difficult. 

Giving outlooks from both women in the past, then returning the reader to the present time, really helped me to better understand where each one is coming from. Jocelyn views Maddy as selfish and uncaring, while Maddy sees Jocelyn as rigid and unforgiving. Really, neither can really grasp the full extent of what the other is going through, allowing for the opportunity to give both characters more grace within their experiences. There is some honesty to both suppositions; Jocelyn finds it hard to give anyone some slack, while Maddy seems to view the world from a more internal perspective. But with time and experience, maybe they can see things from the other’s viewpoint.

When a triggering event occurs between the two sisters, it sends ripples through families and their town. I don’t think Jocelyn nor Maddy could have imagined the fallout, and while I understood that it wasn’t meant to be so upending, I can’t blame either sister for their reaction. I questioned if they could come back from the fallout, and what would happen moving forward. If they could rebuild the trust. With so many years of discord already, it was hard to imagine there could be any coming back from the event. 

I appreciated that both women change and grow through their experiences, the ones they face together, and the ones they have apart from one another. Having twins be the main character was really clever, too, because it’s assumed that twins have an internal connection to one another, but for Maddy and Jocelyn, it’s anything but. There were some moving, touching moments that brought me to tears, still others that made me angry, first siding with one twin, then the other, realizing no matter who you believe the most in, they both deserve a second chance at happiness. Salt Sisters was a definite five-star experience!

Thanks to Lindsey J. Palmer for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Lindsey J. Palmer:
Pretty in Ink
Otherwise Engaged
If We Lived Here

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Book Review: Tropesick

By Allyson Bales

Katie Caruso is a completely normal twenty-five-year-old girl. At least, for the past eight years, she’s tried to be. She likes glitter and sequins and flirting with cute boys at New York City bars. She’s also a ghostwriter for Meredith Bradford, the bestselling romance novelist of all time. But then Tyler McNally walks back into Katie’s life, and that bedazzled facade crumbles at her platform-sneakered feet.

Katie and Tyler haven’t seen or spoken to each other since the overdose death of Katie’s older brother, a standout MLB pitching prospect. Tyler was her brother’s best friend, and Katie—naturally—was the girl next door. But now, Tyler is a sleeve-tattooed, Ivy League–educated aspiring literary fiction novelist, nine years sober . . . and Katie’s writing partner for the summer.

As genre conventions require, Katie and Tyler soon find themselves removed from Manhattan and instead writing their love story in “forced proximity” at Meredith’s isolated Southampton home. As the summer unfolds, the tropes Katie and Tyler have written into their novel begin to play out in their own lives. Call it destiny, fate, or magic itself: it’s clear their love story isn’t finished. This time, though, they’ll work through the pain that tore them apart—and fight for their happy ending. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This is my first Lauren Okie read and it definitely won’t be my last. 

I was  immediately hooked when I read this synopsis of this story and really couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I have found as the years go by that I love a romance that is more deeply layered with more going on with the characters than just a love story and this book delivered that ten fold. 

You get to meet Katie and Tyler, two childhood friends that come together to ghostwrite a story and while there is light and laughter, there is also more seriousness and darkness. I think this type of love story is so relatable, so real, and vulnerable. I found myself frustrated with the characters at times and also so proud of them in others which is…well…life. 

I don’t want to give too much away. You obviously know you get a bunch of tropes. You know you get a love story. There are things you don’t see coming, characters that you’ll miss dearly, and one side character who is going to steal your heart. I loved the dual POV as well as the dual timeline. I also loved the book within a book vibes! 

This is the perfect summer romance and one where you’ll be gripped until the very end! 

Thanks to William Morrow for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Tropesick here.

Also by Lauren Okie: The Best Worst Thing

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