Many thanks to my friends @prhaudio for the #gifted free audiobook.  

 

Wildly entertaining and impossible to put down.  This book was SO MUCH FUN.  (Yes, the hype is real!)  

 

I tend to have high expectations for con artist/cat and mouse thrillers.  Frank in Catch Me If You Can was my first and favorite.  Boy did he set the bar high.  

 

But this one… I couldn’t devour it fast enough! 

 

The storyline was expertly plotted, clever, and fast paced.  The main character was full of complexity… whip smart, brave, bold, devious, resourceful, charming.  I couldn’t help but like her and root for her.  The twists were surprising in a way that made sense to the plot and left me even more addicted.  

 

I had the best time unraveling this mystery.  I had theories.  LOTS of them. That’s one of the highest compliments I can pay a mystery/thriller.  I love when the wheels in my brain are spinning… plotting… reevaluating… And while I did figure out most of the closely held secrets, the journey to get there was a BLAST.  

 

And that ending.  Chef’s kiss.  Dare I hope that we might see more from Evie Porter?!

 

🎧 The audiobook is the way to go!  Saskia Maarleveld is one of my favorite narrators in any genre, and once again her narration really shined.  Not only did her portrayal bring to life the various shades of Evie, it also accentuated the tension and suspense throughout. I could not stop listening to this one.  

 

➡️ Worth noting:  This was a @reesebookclub for January

A revolutionary artist considered a master of his time and true genius in the field.  There’s much to appreciate when it comes to his craft.  

 

Ah…but his private life.  Known as a chauvinist and cad, Picasso regularly seduced women for his own pleasure and inspiration.  Never faithful, his abusive nature calls to question his allure and charisma.

 

Picassso’s lovers… and there were many.  In Mackin’s fictional rendering, she blends history with imagination allowing the women an opportunity to step outside of the paintings they inspired.    

 

Told in dual timeline, we see Picasso and his women at two different stages. In the 1920s, we follow Sara, who runs in the same social circle as Picasso. This timeline brims with fun… the dinners, the parties, the afternoons by the sea!  In the McCarthy era 1950s, we follow Alana, an art writer with deep connections to Picasso.  This timeline is more mysterious…but Alana might be the one most surprised by what she uncovers.  

 

The 1920s timeline was my favorite and easily pulled me in.  The scenes in Paris.  The time along the French Riviera.  Those are two of my favorite places, and this book set a vivid scene that took me back.  

 

While this book provided an interesting perspective on Picasso and his life, it’s worth noting that it included some of my least favorite tropes.  While one was apropos to Picasso’s history, the other didn’t feel necessary (especially twice).  Unfortunately, this diminished my overall enjoyment.  

 

I always appreciate a book with a unique bend, and Mackin’s shift to the women’s point of view does just that in Picasso’s lovers.  

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub @uplitreads and @prhaudio for the free #gifted copy of this book.  

 

Heartwarming and charming.  

 

With the cozy decorations put away, the beginning of each year begs for an extra dose of magic.  And Linden’s newest gem provides a sweet uplift able to combat those winter blues.

 

Georgia was living her dream, on the verge of reaching the very pinnacle… just when it all fell apart, forcing her to reevaluate everything… most importantly, her relationship with her long estranged mom.  

 

Key elements:

🥐Drool worthy recipes and food

✈️Vacation worthy settings: PNW and Paris

👩🏻‍🍳Pertinent advice from Julia Child 

✨Magical elements

🌿Personal growth

 

Part family drama, part romance.  The handsome and brilliant male lead was a delicious part, indeed.  Though I’m not sure the romance was necessary.  Where this book shined was in its exploration of reflection and growth.  It was a positive reminder of the power found in giving people second chances.  

 

This one felt very predictable but in the sense that the story brimmed with hope.  Seeing what was to come allowed me to cozy into the book, enveloped in its comfort.

 

This is a tasty read (pun intended!) perfect for dreary winter days.  

 

🎧 I combined the print and audio for this one.  While the narration by Traci Odom was easy to listen to, I found myself preferring to read my print copy.  The narration’s depiction of Georgia just didn’t seem to match my own.  

 

Many thanks to my friends at @bookclubfriends @simon.books and @simon.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

Wildly entertaining.  An epic adventure and dazzling saga.  This was my last read of 2023, and WHAT a way to send out the year! 

 

Banditos and gunslingers.  A train heist.  A disfigured man seeking both revenge and redemption. 

 

Ambitious in scope and rooted in her own family history, Gonzalez completely WOWed me with this genre-bending blend of action-packed Western, dramatic multigenerational narrative, and sprawling historical fiction.  

 

This book was utterly captivating.  Between the imaginative plot, the cinematic details, the evocative characterization, and the immersive storytelling, I found myself absorbed in the narrative and cheering for this anti-hero!  

 

Beyond the adventure, Gonzalez deftly reflects on generational trauma and the legacy of colonialism and racism along with border politics.  The questions posed are deeply meaningful and provocatively poignant.  

 

This sprawling saga comes in at just under 300 pages, making it apparent that Gonzales’ writing is highly skilled and masterfully honed.  

  

This is the kind of book I recommend with abandon.  It’s propulsive.  It’s addictive.  It’s a flawless blend of entertaining and impactful.  A must read, indeed.  

 

🎧  I partnered the audiobook with my print copy for a fully immersive read, which is the way to go.  The narration by Lee Osorio is exceptional.  His deep voice with its gravely texture brings both the language and adventure to life, as though Antonio Sonoro himself.  

 

➡️Don’t miss out on the author’s note at the end. 

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @avonbooks for the #gifted copy of this book.

 

Spicy and fun!  

 

One rockstar feud + the two children of the feuding rockstars determined to get the band back together = a rollicking good time live streamed for all to see.  But the question remains… can Beat and Melody get their mom’s back together for one more song?  

 

Tessa Bailey tapped into some Dr. Seuss type magic.  I’m not a Grinch about many things, but when it comes to insta love, I can be.  

 

Somehow, Bailey convinced me that the connection between Beat and Melody was pure fate, not to be denied.  The magnetic draw between the two had me cheering for them from the first time they met as teens.  

 

And that smoldering chemistry 🔥!  Whew!  I still feel the heat.  Mistletoe was not needed.  

 

The snappy dialogue.  The witty banter.  The quirky characters.  The fun “get the band back together” premise.  This was an all-around entertaining romance.   

 

 

 

Many thanks to my partner @simon.audio for the #gifted audiobook.

More times than not, when I’m sporting around town, an audiobook is keeping me company.  But given how much of that time my ten year old is with me, we need options that are age appropriate for him and fun for me too.  

So when I saw the new audiobook release of Spiderwick Chronicles, I immediately grabbed the first in the series.  With @markhamill as the narrator, how could we go wrong?!  {Spoiler:  we couldn’t!  Hamill is an excellent narrator.}

At only 1 hour 6 minutes, this was an easy and quick listen.  We both found ourselves lost in the magic, eager for extra time in the car for “one more chapter.”      

In the end, we were left with a deep longing for the next books in the series.  We needed more of that magical faerie world in all of its mystery and mischief.  

Luke is eagerly waiting for his library holds to come through for the next four books.  (WHY did I not grab all of the books when I downloaded this one?!)

This also turned out to be a great way to prepare us for the upcoming Disney+ series adaptation which just wrapped up filming.

Many thanks to my friends at @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

WHAT A GEM!!!

 

Most people mark time by dates on the calendar.  But for me, there are 2 definitive seasons: Christmas and summer.  And both are heralded by MKA’s latest book releases!  

 

With trusted friends raving about this book, I had no doubt it would charm me.  Ah, but Andrews outdid herself!  This was SO much more than a sweet holiday read.  

 

With Kerry’s father incapacitated, she must take his place in selling their family farmed Christmas trees in NYC.  Living in a vintage (decrepit?) old (older than her!) camper (with no running water!) for a month wasn’t in her plan.  But it just might bolster the changes she needs.    

 

Twinkling lights.  Falling snow.  Hot cocoa by a fire (in a trashcan).  I absolutely hate camping.  But there was magic in the way Andrews set this stage.  

 

I wanted to be there in NYC.  I wanted to smell of pine trees and sing Christmas songs loudly.  I wanted to pet the dog, draw with the boy, and learn lessons from the old man.  

 

The heart of this story is found in the intergenerational friendships and themes of caring for others and second chances.  The found family dynamic filled my heart and oozed joy.  While the plot had a romance storyline, I found it to be secondary.

 

Andrews seamlessly combined the festivity of the city and the charm of the south, making this an easy book to get lost within.  It brimmed with hope and embodied the very essence of the holidays.  

 

Teeming with Christmas spirit, this is a book that would make even the Grinch’s heart feel full.  

 

🎧 Equally enjoyable in both print and audio formats. Kathleen McInerney’s narration was an easy listen full of warmth and charm. 

 

With the holidays in the rearview, I’m eagerly awaiting summer and MKA’s next read!  

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @groveatlantic for the #gifted free copy of this book.

 

Poignant.  Heartfelt.  Nearly perfect.  

 

My favorite read of the holiday season.  This book begs the question: Is there any point to life if not in helping others?  Keegan’s writing, beautiful though simple, delivered a powerful message that touched my soul and well honored those that suffered the atrocities of the Magdalen Laundries.  

 

A must read any time of the year.

 

 

Many thanks to @atriabooks for the #gifted free copy of this book.  

 

Humorous and entertaining.  This cozy mystery was a fun, escapist read amid all the chaos of the holidays.  

 

The local theatre troupe, the Fairway Players, were hard at work in preparation for the upcoming Christmas pantomime.  But a dead Santa found amongst the set, upends the cheer and festivity.   

 

The formatting of this read, told through mixed media, was captivating and fresh.  It allowed the primary characters greater depth than is typical in a novella.  

 

And those dynamic characters, full of drama, snark and cynicism, kept me in stitches, solidifying this novella a delightfully amusing farce. 

 

I went into this read blind, not realizing I needed to read The Appeal first.  While I still enjoyed this novella completely, I do think the backstories found in The Appeal would’ve made this read even more enjoyable.  

 

Many thanks to my friends at @williammorrowbooks and @bibliolifestyle for the #gifted copy of this book.  

 

Fast paced and clever.  Merriment is swapped for murder in this holiday mystery told in epistolary format. 

 

Anna was hoping for an idyllic Christmas in the Cotswolds with her classmate and friend.  But when townspeople see her resemblance to a recently murdered girl, the holiday takes a sinister turn.  

 

The juxtaposition between the gothic atmosphere and holiday cheer is expertly crafted.  Reading by a roaring fire.  Visiting the local pub full.  I was easily endeared to the idea of Christmas at a country manor.  And yet there was a cold draft, coming from both the declining estate and its strange guests that created an ominous and foreboding sense. 

 

Swanson knows how to plot a mystery.  The mid-point reveal had me scratching my head.  But the master knew his craft.  That reveal allowed a perfect crescendo to a standout ending and all the questions it posed!  

 

This was my very first Christmas mystery, and it did not disappoint.  I’m hoping Swanson makes this a yearly tradition.