Eerie and atmospheric.  

 

It should be easy for a daughter to welcome her dying mother into her home for those final days.  But this daughter was tortured and traumatized by her mother.  And this mother, there’s more to her than meets the eyes.  

 

What a chilling story!  The juxtaposition of the profoundly sinister during the Christmas season made for a truly horrifying dynamic.  Not many books leave me as unsettled as this one did.  The atmosphere and tension had me nervous and eager at the same time.  

 

My Darling Girl is a spine-tingling narrative, and that ending was the stuff of nightmares.  

"...𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞."

 

Whimsical.  Mysterious. 

 

The title promises enchanting, and in that, it delivers in spades.  

 

When young girls in the east go missing, Jack Tamerlaine is summoned home, a place he never planned to return.  There he must partner with his old menace to uncover the land’s long held secrets.  

 

Part adventure.  Part love story.  I found myself easily transported to Cadence, intrigued by the spirit world and dazzled by the Keltic lore.  

 

Once again, Ross excels at this craft.  From the lyrical writing to the cinematic scenescape to the brooding bond between Jack and Adaira, this was a deliciously dreamy tale.  

 

I’m thankful I don’t have to wait for the sequel because that ending left me with such longing!

 

Much like a warm and cozy blanket, this story enveloped me. It was just the comfort read that I craved.   

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

 

“We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.” 

 

Cleverly written and completely addictive.  This is Michaelides at his BEST!

 

Pull up a chair and grab a drink.  Elliot Chase has a yarn to weave.  It’s a tragic tale of Greek proportions about that weekend on a secluded isle with friends where comradery was traded for murder.  

 

Uniquely recounted, Chase talks directly to the reader as though an old, trusted friend.  This gave the read an immersive feel.  He’s chatty, snarky, and witty, which completely dazzled me even in the moments that he totally annoyed me.  

 

The mystery is meticulously balanced between intrigue and fun.  It’s dishy and full of drama with a gripping unraveling of secrets, schemes, and betrayal.  

 

There’s a real cleverness found in this execution.  As Michaelides extricates the motives of each character, the story shifts from the classic whodunnit to a much more intriguing whydunit. 

 

The small nods to his other books totally satisfied.  

 

And then there’s that ending.  THAT ENDING!  It solidified this novel as a favorite.  Chef’s kiss.  👌🏻

 

Smart and engaging from start to finish, Michaelides has mastered the art of the unreliable narrator.      

 

This book made for a great discussion with my friends @thebookend.diner and @stumblingintobooks.  I loved how our interpretations fit together, and that truly heightened the experience.  

 

 

 

Fourth Wing was exciting and explosive.  I still feel the overwhelming emotion it exuded.   

 

And so, I went into this sequel expecting the same.  Instead, I was met with a dense storyline (in need of a heavy edit) that couldn’t compete with the addictive nature of the first book.  Sigh.

 

It felt long.  Too long.  The plot was excessively (unnecessarily) detailed, and the violence overwhelmed the storyline.  And then Xaden and Violet… oh how frustrated I became.

 

“Tell me.”

“Ask me.”

 

The last 1/3 finally picked up pace and tapped into what I most enjoyed in Fourth Wing.  I flew through that section in anticipation of the end.  And the cliffhanger… UGH.  I do want to see how it plays out.  

 

Even so, this might be a case of “a little too little” and “a lot too late” for me.

 

The absolute best part of the book:  the dragons.  Tairn’s fierce nature and Andarna’s teenage drama.  The banter between them.  The roles they played.  The dragons carried much of this book and were indeed the winning aspect.  

 

Will I pick up the third book?  It’s hard to tell.  Probably yes… This storyline had good bones.  It just needed a better edit.  And ultimately, I want more from Tairn and Andarna.     

 

#dragonsforever

 

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

 

Fun.  Dramatic.  Heartfelt.

 

Two grooms and one mother of a problem.  No, I don’t mean a big problem.  The mother.  She IS the problem.  

 

Lane pens a completely over the top wedding story that is steeped in emotion.  I found myself laughing one minute and grabbing for a tissue the next.   

 

At its heart, this book is about being fully accepted and loved as is.  In what should be one of the happiest times of Barnett’s life, he’s met with resistance.  His mom still can’t fully accept that he is gay.    

 

There were many times that I was uncomfortable with Chrissy’s closed-minded ways.  But in the end, her growth led way for others to also evolve, and that made those earlier cringe-worthy moments worthwhile.

 

Pawpaw was THE standout character.  A zany old man with the best advice and the most loving heart.   Oh how I wanted to give him the biggest hug.

  

From the church wine to the special chocolate, there’s plenty of laughter to be had.  But it’s the heartwarming ending that lingers when I think of this read.   

 

 

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

 

Heartwarming. Adorable.  Uplifting. 

 

Sadie’s life is full of “the hard.”  A freak accident led to a blood clot, and the surgery to fix it led to face blindness.  Difficult for any person.  Impossible for a portrait artist.  Utterly tragic for a finalist in the life changing North American Portrait Society competition.   

 

Oh, how I rooted for Sadie!  I went through the gamut of emotion alongside her as she faced challenge atop of challenge.  And when she fell for two guys?  I wanted to roll my eyes.  Instead, I felt my heartbeat pick up.  

 

This is a refreshingly unique tale brimming with humor and heart.  It reminded me to always be on the lookout: “The more good things you look for, the more you find.”

 

Like every other book I’ve read by Center, this one radiated joy.  Her writing is laced with comfort and hope, which allowed a supported exploration of the hard stuff.  And in so doing, her books reach into the soul, delivering the warmest of hugs every time.  

 

There’s no doubt in my mind, @katherinecenter wields pure magic.  Her author’s note at the end reminded me of this.    

 

“Romance novels all run on a blissful sense that we’re moving towards something better.”

 

I vividly remember the overwhelming JOY that reverberated in my soul after reading my first novel by Center.  Happiness.  Bliss.  Delight.  I found myself completely surprised by the mood lifting power she wielded with her writing.  

 

It was like crack. I needed more.  

 

And that feeling of BLISS is why I keep returning to her novels year after year.  Each book is like a warm hug.  Always uplifting.  Exactly what I need.   

 

🎧 Patti Murin excelled in depicting Sadie and her wide range of emotions.  But it was her portrayal of Joe’s snarkiness that made me swoon.   

 

 

 

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

 

Scary.  Unnerving. 

 

You know how you mention Ugg slippers, and then your social media feed is suddenly full of adds for them?  

 

So annoying.  Big Brother is always watching and listening.  

 

You can thank Hank Asher, the Dark Lord of Data.  

 

A self-taught mathematical genius, Asher pioneered data fusion technology with innocent notions- wanting to find missing children- only for it to morph into a powerful tool able to track each aspect of life.   

 

In Funk’s extrapolation of this “madman” and the computers he empowered, we see the far-reaching, often nefarious modern implications.

 

Interesting, albeit dense, it’s apparent this non-fiction thriller is well researched.  Even so, I found myself needing breaks from the immensity of information, particularly regarding the science around data collection and computer usage. 

 

Oh, but those jaw dropping moments always pulled me back in.  Here’s an example:

 

“In early 2019, Dr. Laura Gottlieb published a peer reviewed paper… that reminded readers how… life insurers had used social determinants data…. Ownership of an Oldsmobile Cutlass Cierra correlated with poor health… while Toyota Highlander owners topped out the other end of the spectrum.”  

 

YIKES.

 

It’s a scary look into the synthesis of aggregated data.  Asher’s legacy will be felt long into the future.   

 

 

 

 

Last year I was fully charmed by Molly in The Maid, solidifying her as one of my favorite characters of 2023.  

 

And now she’s back in a cozy new mystery.  

 

The Regency Grand, once a state of perfection, is again mired by murder.  World renowned writer, JD Grimthorpe, had a big announcement.  But before he was able to utter a word of such, he dropped dead. 

 

Ah, but this isn’t Molly’s first foray with Grimthorpe.  Told in dual timeline, the key to his demise might just be found in their connected past.  

 

Where the modern storyline sometimes fell a bit flat for me, the past timeline excelled at tapping into what first endeared me to Molly.   Getting to know her as a precocious young girl.  Watching the tender ways Gran guided her.  💗  

 

Prose truly captured the essence of charm in those sections., and the novel shined brightest in its execution of Molly’s backstory. 

 

Though the intrigue is light, the book brims with heart.  This isn’t a story you go into for the mystery.  Rather, this is a warm and endearing, feel-good read.

 

Prose hints at a possible change for Molly. So, I am hopeful we’ll be seeing much more from her.  

 

🎧 Lauren Ambrose reprises her role of Molly in this audiobook narration, and it makes for a quick and easy binge.  

 

 

 

Completely delightful and hard to put down. This romantic spin on Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with a strong nod to The Grinch kept me in stiches and made my heart grow three sizes.

 

Witty and full of longing.  This second chance romance capitalizes on the fun while tapping into real emotion.  It's a perfect holiday read!

 

🎧 The audiobook, narrated by Brianna Cohen and Tim Paige, is THE way to go.  The narration exuded tenderness and delivered on the comedic elements.  

 

 

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

 

Dark.  Intense.  Fast paced.  

 

“You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”  

 

As Rowan arrives on the scene of a new murder investigation, she’s haunted by the last words her daughter said.  Rowan and her detective husband, Tom, often struggle to balance family life with the demands of career.  When Chloe goes missing, everything, even the job, turns personal.  

 

Not for the faint of heart, this is a disturbing narrative focused on the brutal murders of teenage girls.  Set during Halloween, the plot is fittingly dark and gruesome.

 

The standout element in this book (and the series as a whole) is the rendering of the town itself.  A crime ridden, dying place everyone longs to escape, yet within the read, it’s a living component that haunts every part of the plot.

 

With the storyline revolving around a family—daughter missing, mom and dad working a connected investigation— it’s a tangled web of duty and devotion.  The personal connections upped the stakes and amplified the anxiety-ridden search. While this did require some suspension of belief, the emotional complexity heightened the intensity, making it a worthwhile tradeoff.

 

I read this one just before Halloween, and it set the perfect tone.  I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Black Harbor.  

 

🎧 Narrated by a full cast, the audiobook was hard to put down.  It created a distinction between characters and oozed with suspense and emotion.  XE Sands’ performances consistently deliver.  Yet within this cast, her sections were imbalanced, both faster and quieter.  This was a small frustration, but it interfered with overall continuity.