Magic, mystery, and maybe even love?  This story charmed me and drew me in. Elsie is an orphan that has the ability to break spells, a powerful trait in this parallel Victorian society where magic flourishes. Elsie is enlisted by a secret group to use her spell breaking skills illegally for the good of the common man. But just who is this secret society, and is this mission really dictated by good? While on a mission, Elsie is discovered by Bacchus, a master spell maker. He’s bold and brash and hard headed. Yet they strike a deal. He will not turn her in if she uses her skills to help him. Their partnership challenges them both and reveals the power, both good and ugly, in magic. 

I found this to be a fun, light, easy read. I enjoyed the characters, especially Elsie, and this magical world was captivating. Goldberg uses immense creativity to create a magical system that seems believable. 

But the ending is disappointingly messy. And this isn’t so much of a first novel in a series as it is a partial novel. Knowing there’s a follow on book, I expected a “satisfying” cliffhanger. There was nothing satisfying in this mess. I would have rated this book higher had the ending been given more attention. 

This book was not at all what I expected. I expected a light and humorous novel about a woman fumbling through life, especially since it’s synopsis likens it to Brigette Jones. Instead this is a gritty, honest, and raw look at life as a modern woman who must learn to not to let the past dictate her future. 

Honestly, Queenie is not easy to like in the beginning of the book. She is a 25 year old black woman living in London, flailing through life, making the absolute worst decisions possible, and keen on self sabotage. But as Queenie seeks to undo these destructive behaviors, I saw a rawness to her and started to feel deeply for her. The author took me on a journey of empathy, acceptance, and grace as I got to know Queenie herself rather than judging her horrendous decisions. This book touches on many important topics: anxiety, friendship, dating, abusive relationships, and Black Lives Matter. 

Completely addictive, flirty, fast read. The temperatures are cold outside, but this book gave be a delightful escape to sunny, fun filled paradise where Henley and Graeme radiate some serious heat! 

Right from the beginning, you see where the book is heading. Henley is a smart, ambitious, albeit lonely, heroine. Graeme is the co-worker with snarky email replies and tantalizing eyes. As soon as they are pitted against one another for a job promotion, tensions and sparks begin to fly.  Although the enemies to lovers idea is somewhat cliched and overused, somehow Hockman made her take on it fresh and inviting. Maybe it’s because of the depth she puts into these flawed but loveable characters. Maybe it’s because she brings to life the magic of the Galápagos Islands, which leads you to wonder how Hockman manages to write a romance novel that also distinctively educates the reader on tender ecosystems and the necessity of conservation. I don’t know how she did it, but she certainly mastered both. 

I sailed through this completely enjoyable book (pun intended) in two sittings and was sad when it ended. If you’re feeling the need to beat the winter blues, this is your cure! 

Many thanks to Angie Hockman, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

We return to the Reekie family. This time in London and 21 years from where we last encountered them. And while the last installment was more of romance mixed with family drama, this one is much more old English soap opera. A new character, Rob’s supposed widow, is added in this sequel. And with her comes the cunning deception of any quintessential, duplicitous soap opera villain.... twisty, dark, misdirected, and far more interesting than honest. One thing that remains the same is the deep stubborn streak holding strong in both Reekie women. Is this stubbornness a matter of self preservation or if stupidity? It’s often hard to tell. 

I was pleased that this story takes place after the political strife which bogged down the previous book. Unfortunately it was replaced by Ned’s troubles in the New World. You learn of Ned living amongst the English and yet befriending the local “savage” natives. To me, this storyline had no place in the novel.  Aside from the fact that Ned is Alinor’s brother, these read as two completely separate entities. 

While I rooted for Alinor in the previous book, I wasn’t as strongly connected to any character in this book. I missed Alinor’s strong sense and charm, as she was mostly absent from this book. Overall, the story is fine.  But after the ending of the previous book, I had hoped for more than fine. 

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The concept for this book is a new take on a very old idea. Does my life have meaning? What would my family/social group look like without me in it? Am I really loved? How do I confront the regrets that continue to mount up? All of these themes are central to life in general. (It is, after all, why Scrooge and It’s a Wonderful Life are top rated movies year after year.) And this book touches on those themes with great quotes (seriously thought provoking quotes! I couldn’t stop highlighting!) and a quick study in philosophy. This book reads like a good tune up with your therapist. 

But. What this book achieved in great quotes, it greatly lacked in depth. While I understood Nora’s troubles, I didn’t connect with her. Given everything she went through, I should have felt immense empathy for her. But for me, the emotion just didn’t translate through her or her story. Nora felt very one dimensional. And while many books can be quite successful without strong character development, this one didn’t have a the depth of storyline to overcome that. Within the first 50ish pages, I knew exactly how the story would end. I understood the end game from the very beginning. And yes, it did stifle the magic for me. Honestly, there was no magic. 

The focus this book puts in mental health is to be applauded. And for that reason alone, this book is worth a read.

This is a fast paced, disturbingly sinister thriller about lies, obsession, and grief. As a mom, I felt deeply for Marin, whose despair over her missing child is immense. To say her actions are questionable is a gross overstatement. Yet I found myself pondering the question, just how far would I go to in her shoes? The one aspect of the story that I couldn’t connect with was Kensie and the affair. It didn’t hold my interest the way Marin did. The book may be called Little Secrets. But in reality, they are big secrets revealing the ugly underbelly of humanity. 

“It’s confusing how love and hate can exist at the same time, intertwined and tangled and messy and confusing.”

(4.5⭐️ rounded up) This poignant story breaks your heart and then reminds you of the resilience of love and the human spirit. Alina lives in war torn Poland in 1941. She’s young and wide eyed, not yet aware of the depth of sorrow she would face and the gravity of the decisions she would make that would impact her and her descendants. Alice lives in modern day Florida and is flailing through life as a stay at home mom in a struggling marriage when her grandmother has a stroke and entrusts her with a dying wish. This powerful book is about loss, love, resiliency, and learning to live life to the fullest even when it’s hard. If you need a reminder that life is indeed beautiful no matter what the circumstances are, this is your book. 

I’d also add that we visited Krakow over Thanksgiving 2010. Rimmer’s beautiful descriptions of Poland returned me to that trip and the landscape like she had sent me through a time capsule. 

This is a brooding book that brings a vividness  to life on a reservation and the trials faced by indigenous people. Virgil, a vigilante who takes matters into his own hands when police and FBI won’t, is an incredibly flawed main character with a painful past. When his nephew almost overdoses and finds himself in the middle of drug bust, Virgil is forced to face his demons head on. This book is labeled a thriller, but I found it to be more of a crime novel with a strong character study. While I didn’t always like Virgil and the decisions he made, I did strongly root for him as he fights for his nephew and to overcome old patterns. I also found this book to be a much needed social commentary.  

Nostalgic and endearing. Samantha Silva reimagines the inspiration for Dickens’ famed Christmas Carol. In her vision, Scrooge might not have been just a miserly figment of Dickens’ imagination. As the holidays approach, we see Dickens under pressure, tormented by a tribe of his own dependents, and the lesson to be learned is his own. Just as A Christmas Carol leaves you uplifted in the end, so too does Silva’s take on how it all came to be. If you need a good reminder that Christmas begins in the heart, this is your book for the season! 

This is a captivating and moving  memoir about growing up in the white working class of Appalachia and Ohio.  This book gives you the opportunity to “walk a mile” in JD’s shoes as he struggles through the legacy of violence, addiction, and poverty of his childhood.  With a raw honesty, JD reveals his deep inner struggles to conquer the demons of his childhood even after achieving success and upward mobility, referring to himself as a cultural immigrant.  I found this to be a beautiful story of overcoming brokenness and finding one’s self.