(3.5⭐️) Many thanks to my friends at @knopf for a gifted e-copy of this book.  

 

A few years ago, I devoured Will Dean’s The Last Thing to Burn.  It is an intensely horrifying novel about abduction that made me feel trapped within its pages.  The trauma and tragedy were impeccably portrayed in the victim’s pov, and I recommended it to everyone.  (I still recommend it to everyone! If you haven’t read it yet, this is your sign.)

 

So when I saw the premise for this book… a serial killer/kidnapper and the 3 women surrounding him… I jumped in excitedly, expecting it to expound on Dean’s premise.  

 

But here’s the catch.  The Quiet Tenant is marketed as an intense thriller.  It’s not.  No mystery.  No suspense.  (The synopsis pretty much tells you everything.) There’s no sense of dread or looming danger.  My pulse didn’t race.  My heart wasn’t in my throat.  

 

Instead, this is a character study.  It’s an intimate look inside the minds of three women orbiting one nice-looking, well-respected man with sinister hobbies.  

 

Had I known that going in, I would have likely enjoyed this book much more.  

 

Of the three perspectives, the one most interesting to me was that of the kidnapped woman, Rachel.  The explanations of how she survived.  The constant anxiety over what was to come.  Her ongoing list of rules for not getting killed.  

 

The psychological impact of captivity is felt in Rachel’s portrayal of mundane life, often handcuffed to a radiator.  Maybe most interesting was the tangled web of emotions she began to feel for her captor, ranging from understanding to hatred, showcasing a degree of Stockholm Syndrome.  

 

But even after finishing this read, I was left with so many questions:  Why did he let her live when all the others died?  What were the things Cecilia had never told anyone but wanted to tell Rachel, though never did?  When did Aidan turn to murder…had he always been a killer?  

 

I liked this read.  But I never felt the deep emotional connection I expected.  

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

 

“But sometimes yuh gotta love even when it don’t make sense.”

 

Tender and absorbing.  Church’s debut is a beautifully written coming of age story with a thought-provoking message.  

 

Leah’s life was tinged with a bit of sorrow at birth.  And yet to her, that simple life in a rudimentary shack alongside her father never seemed lacking.  Brimming with love, her world felt full even as her father longed to give her more.  It wasn’t until disaster struck a second time, taking her father from her, that she was met with loneliness, longing, and the most unexpected life-altering tragedy.  

 

Some characters come along and simply steal your heart right out of your chest without warning.   With dirt between her toes and an old quilt wrapped around her shoulders, Leah was the embodiment of a free spirit, most at ease in nature.  

 

There was a specialness… a measure of whimsy... to her that first drew me in.  But it was Leah’s strength of spirit forged in hardship and atrocity that fully endeared me. She’s not a character I will easily forget.  

 

I love going into books blind…letting the surprises of the story unfold organically rather than spoiled by a synopsis or review.  But I think that worked against this book.  

 

I was wholly devoted to Leah and her coming of age journey. Then suddenly, as though an ear-piercing scratch in a record, eugenics was introduced. 

 

After reading the author’s note (which I wish I’d done prior to starting the book), I fully understand and support her desire to point out atrocities of the past.  But I do wish it had been introduced much sooner in the read, allowing it a full-fledged development rather than seeming an afterthought to the story.  

 

Therefore, I highly recommend starting out with the author’s note so that you can enjoy the book with a fullness to its messaging.  

 

As I closed the book, I was left pondering how Leah’s daddy always wanted to give her “more.” I think Leah learned that sometimes “more” is as simple as togetherness and acceptance.  

 

Grab a glass of sweet iced tea and a pimento cheese sandwich.  (Like Mrs. Griffin, I also have a secret pimento cheese recipe.) This book is a quick read that you won’t want interrupted.    

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @librofm for the #gifted audiobook.  

 

Completely charming and utterly delightful.  This book left a sweet smile on my face.  

 

A country still reeling from the aftermath of World War II, Britain finds itself with proper cause for celebration.  A royal coronation!  For many Londoners, including Edie, the proprietor of the Blue Lion, the merriment (and hopes of a turning tide) couldn’t come at a better time.  

 

The storyline rotates through three primary characters: Edie, James, and Stella.  With unique perspectives and richly detailed backstories, I found myself eagerly cheering for all.  But mostly, I enjoyed the way they began to coalesce into a supportive and encouraging unit.  (It’s no secret that found family is my catnip.)

 

There is a bit of a mystery at play as well.  Its execution allowed the themes of a post-war recovery to smoothly unfold.  

 

Don’t be misled, as I was, by the picture on the cover.  The queen plays but a background role.  Instead, this is a royal-adjacent story following the positive effects of progression after the drudgery of war.  

 

It’s not loss on me that this book’s release nearly coincided with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II’s successor.  How Robson managed that bit of magic is beyond.  And yet, I somehow believe it was in her prevue given how enchanted I felt with this tender story.  

 

🎧 This was an audiobook listen for me.  With a cast narration, the three characters were afforded distinct voices, enhancing the overall experience.  

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

 

Fantastical.  Thought-provoking.  

 

When inanimate objects teach the most poignant lessons on humanity, you know their creator boasts talent.  Oh! To have the sharp-edged imagination of TJ Klune.  

 

In an old and lonely forest… that’s where we meet this most unlikely yet devoted little family.  Tinkering, exploring, creating.  Gio and Victor lived a contented life alongside their robots, Rambo and Nurse Rached.  But when a new android is brought into the fold, danger lurks close behind ready to challenge everything they’ve known about connection and love.   

 

Written as an homage to Collodi’s Pinocchio, this new adventure of a creation breaking free has notes of nostalgia while also being something wholly original.  I actually found nods to one of my favorite childhood reads, A Wrinkle In Time, stronger than that of Pinocchio.    

 

As I’ve come to expect from Klune, his latest foray boasts vivid storytelling and distinct characters.  But it’s always the warmth with which he writes that endears me and ultimately breaks my heart a bit.  Thankfully, the abundant sarcasm and dark humor didn’t leave me dejected for long.  

 

While I enjoyed the overall execution, there were times the story lagged, which felt antithetical to adventure.  And I have to admit that the ending left me wanting.  The quick wrap-up (after such a lengthy investment in the characters) didn’t fulfill.  I would’ve greatly appreciated an epilogue that entrusted me with a bit of their future. 

 

🎧 Hands-down… the *very* best format for ingesting this book… the audiobook.  Narrator @danielhenningla is a one man “full cast” experience.  His execution radiates the quirkiness of each personality in a way that made me start to believe the actual robots were in my phone.  I  won’t be surprised if this isn’t an Audie Award winner for him.   

 

 

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

 

Brilliantly layered and full of intrigue. Hepworth delivers another page turner that I couldn't look away from.  

 

Two marriages.  On the outside, the very picture of perfection.  But secrets and betrayals leave us wondering: Are they truly soulmates?  

 

Compulsively readable.  With short chapters and alternating point of view, I found myself entrenched in this mystery, dedicated to unraveling the details.  The way Hepworth plays with perception is always a treat, and I found her skills superbly executed in this latest foray.  

 

And then there’s also something about the way she writes relationships and families.  The dialogue, the emotion, the miniscule details of home life.  There’s an authenticity to the characters as individuals as well as how they interact within the unit.  

 

I am a huge proponent of quality mental health representation, and in The Soulmate, Hepworth nails it.  There is a sensitivity to the execution alongside quality depiction of both illness and treatment.  

 

Hepworth knows how to captivate and never disappoints.  I’m confident The Soulmate will be eagerly welcomed by fans of domestic suspense.  

 

🎧 I enjoyed this one in both print and audio formats.  I must admit that I’m a sucker for a great accent, and the narration by Barrie Kreinik and Jessica Douglas-Henry was like music to my ears.  

Many thanks to my friends at @macmillan.audio for the #gifted audiobook.  

 

Rival journalists, a war between the gods, and an enchanted typewriter.  

 

The makings of a perfectly ethereal read.

 

This book fully charmed me.  I found myself lost in the nostalgia of bygone days.  (Can it be historical if set in a fantasy world?  I’m not sure, and yet the wistfulness I felt as I read indicated so.)  

 

The usage of typewriters.  Getting to know another person in an intimate manner through the exchange of written correspondence. And then, of course, I’m forever enchanted by wardrobes thanks to Mr. Lewis.  This read was wholly sentimental and redolent of the past.  

 

But the true magic is found in Ross’ subtle writing.  It’s a quiet prose which permitted a coziness and drew me in. Lyrical and yet not over so.  She pens the tale with an ease that made me feel lost within its margins.

 

Astonishingly, this book evoked such tender feelings, even set amongst the horrors of wartime battle.  The atmosphere was meticulously depicted, and there were intense scenes showcasing the atrocities of conflict. 

 

But in those darkest moments, light shone through maintaining the overarching themes of hope and love which endeared me to the plot time and again. 

 

I confess to closing the book with a fierce hatred for the ending.  Ross, HOW COULD YOU?!!!  The next installment cannot come quickly enough.      

 

It’s worth noting that I went into this book completely blind and was highly rewarded for doing so.  The official synopsis provides many spoilers for things I enjoyed experiencing through the storyline’s unfolding.  

 

This made for a great discussion with some of my favorite buddies:  @bookmarked.by.becky and @thats.one.for.the.books.  Between favorite scenes and predictions for of the future, our chat was 👌🏻.

 

🎧 I will be adding a physical copy of this book to my shelves, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one in audiobook format.  The dual narration by Alex Wingfield and Rebecca Norfolk excellently portrayed the two main characters and added something special to the letter exchanges.   

 

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @harperperrenial and @tlcbooks for this #gifted copy.  

 

The baby is here!  We’ve journeyed with Tab through relationships, fertility, career… and now we get to meet the little bundle.  The next generation of Black Girls has arrived.  

 

This last installment of the series takes on a different style than the previous two.  In the trenches of new motherhood, much of the storyline is an internal dialogue as Tabby finds her footing.    

 

First time moms will find Tabatha’s struggles deeply relatable, especially ones grappling with an ever evolving career scene.  Even ten years after the newborn timeframe, I was easily transported back in time, remembering the overwhelming love alongside the challenges and doubts.  Walker well captures the nuances of being a first time mom.  

 

While relatable, the new mother inner dialogue displaced some of the things I loved in the previous two books.  The other two in the series read more like a slice of life… walking in Tabatha’s stilettos as she navigates girlfriends and community.  

 

In my opinion, this book boiled her life back too far, and it made me long for the Tabitha I had come to know.  I particularly missed the deep threads of sisterhood and comradery within her girl gang (Alexis and Laila) in this book.  Where this book excelled at being inside Tabby’s head, it lacked in relationships and dialogue.  

 

If you haven’t started this series yet, make sure to begin with book one.  This series needs to be read in order for maximum enjoyment.  Also, Granny Tab is not to be missed.  

 

While this isn’t my favorite of the series, it’s definitely worth reading.  I’ll be interested to see what Allen does next.  

 

This made for a fun discussion and buddy read with my friend @wellred.bookclub.  

 

 

 

Many thanks to my friends at @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio

 

Southern gothic horror but make it equal parts creepy and laugh-out-loud funny.  

 

This is my third read by Kingfisher, and it’s safe to say that where ever she leads I will follow. 

 

Apparently, that now includes a house haunted by ancestral secrets and guarded by vultures.  Open up the boxed wine.  I’m in. 

 

“Mom seems off.”  On furlough, Sam returns to her childhood home and realizes her brother wasn’t exaggerating.  But her mom isn’t the only thing that’s worrisome.  Among the variety of noticeably unsettling household modifications, there’s now a vulture perched on the mailbox.    

 

Ever the scientist, Sam tries to make sense of what’s going on.  But as she unearths long-held family secrets, dark magic, and generational curses, it becomes obvious that logic won’t get to the bottom of this.   

 

Disturbing yet highly entertaining, I found myself completely engaged in this bizarre storyline, and by the end I started to ponder the benefits of a vulture for a pet.  If that isn’t an endorsement for a southern gothic horror story, I don’t know what is.  

 

Sam won me over from the beginning.  Between her penchant for old British detective shows and her love of bugs (she’s an archaeoentomologist), she felt both relatable and oddly loveable.  She’s my favorite kind of heroine: smart, witty, fierce.  And her droll inner dialogue made for a compelling narration.  

 

But…  it was Gail, the eccentric (witchy?) vulture owning neighbor that I constantly wanted more of!  She was elusive and unconventional, and I know there’s a wealth of secrets within her walls.  A potential spin-off novella???  One can wish. 

 

I don’t typically think of southern gothic humor as being comical.  And yet, Kingfisher has created a read that is both intense and laugh-out-loud funny at times.  With hilarity deftly woven throughout and playing such a key role, I found this to be a much more accessible horror-lite read.  

 

🎧 Never wanting to set my book aside, I utilized the audiobook while on-the-go.  And while I enjoyed the narrator’s depiction for most characters, I found the execution for Phil to be a bit cringy and almost comical.  If you’re on the go, definitely utilize the audiobook.  But if you’re able, I’d recommend the print version. 

 

 

 

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

 

“Women with nothing to lose are dangerous.” 

 

Atmospheric and reflective.  Disconcerting yet empowering.  

 

Castro delivers a unique look at generational trauma as she blends Mexican folklore into a mashup of women’s fiction and horror.

 

We meet Alejandra in the darkest recesses of postpartum depression.  Marriage and motherhood have created a void, leaving her lost and unable to connect.  In the midst of her struggles, an apparition of woman in white, similar to La Llorona, suddenly appears.  

 

Creepy and gruesome, this is a journey through Alejandra’s lineage and the trauma that has been passed down through the ages.  Recognizing the power this torment has wielded over her and her ancestors, Alejandra wages battle, unwilling to allow the curses to be passed on any further.

 

Castro explores the female experience with an honesty that will feel deeply relatable to many.  There is a rawness to her examination of womanhood and motherhood.  How generation after generation, trauma is passed down through biology and experience. 

 

As Alejandra took on literal demons, I was reminded of the power wielded by our common figurative demons: self-doubt, fear of failure, fear of being unlovable, negative self-talk, etc.  

 

Looking beyond the horror aspects of this novel, Castro has created an important narrative regarding mental health and overcoming that which holds us back from flourishing.    

 

While, at times, I found myself wanting (stilted dialogue, confusing transitions between POV), I ultimately found this unique premise worth the read.  

 

🎧 Narrator Raquel Beattie brought an authenticity to Alejandra while also creating a distinct voice for each ancestor.  However, there were times I felt the need to grab a print copy to clarify certain plot points.  I recommend a combination of the two formats.  

 

 

 

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

 

Messy.  Vulnerable. Relatable.  

 

Growing up watching Disney fairytales, I used to think the kiss indicated the end of the journey.  We see the embrace, fireworks erupt, and then they ride off into the sunset.  <end scene/curtain call>

 

But as a grownup, I quickly learned that wasn’t true.  The kiss is only the beginning.  

 

It’s rare that I watch fairytales anymore.  These days, I tend to find more satisfaction in authenticity.  And that is why Keane’s newest novel, The Half Moon, worked so well for me.  

 

We meet Malcomb and Jess in the midst of crisis.  Failed dreams, inordinate debt, and poor decisions have left deep cracks in the foundation of their relationship.  

 

It’s a book about a bar that’s really about a marriage.  (Ironically, bars and marriages have a lot in common.) Set amongst the backdrop of a life-stopping blizzard, we ponder the frozen status of a husband and wife, wondering if the temperature of their union will thaw alongside the weather outside. 

 

Reading The Half Moon, I was deeply drawn into the predicament Mal and Jess faced. 

It felt so REAL.  It’s not indicative of my life.  And yet, the decisions that pile up…the way small cracks can become something more if not properly handled…  I’ve known this to be so true.  

 

There’s a universality to the crisis Keane pens between Malcolm and Jess.  An authenticity that I connected with, even in the characters’ most *unlikeable* moments. 

 

And while I think the humanity in this story will find its home with many readers, I also recognize that many plot points will be hard to swallow for some.  

 

As someone who walked the road of infertility, it’s important to note that it plays a big role in this story.  More than a decade after my experience, I still felt a bit of a twinge when reading it here.  

 

This made for a terrific buddy read with one of my favorites, @rachellelovesbooks. I loved seeing this book through a different set of eyes as we contemplated the mistakes, the options, and the outcome.