booklistqueen's Reviews (634)

Every time Daphne dates a new man, she receives a piece of paper telling exactly how long the relationship will last. Until before a blind date at her favorite LA restaurant, Daphne's paper just says "Jake" with no end date. As Daphne and Jake date, she begins to question whether this relationship really doesn't have an expiration date. For Daphne knows something that, if she told Jake, it could ruin everything.

Rebecca Serle has been a hit-and miss author for me and I am glad to say that Expiration Dates was a hit. Similar to In Five Years, Serle delivers a lighthearted romance with an intriguing dash of magical realism that side swipes you half way. With a clever twist, Expiration Dates introduces more complex themes that make you feel, make you think, and make you want the story to never end.

During the pandemic, Lara's three grown daughters are all living at the family's orchard in Michigan. To pass the time, they beg Lara to tell them about the summer she dated current movie star Peter Duke while they performed at the Tom Lake Theater Company. Slowly, Lara tells them about her earlier life as an actress, pondering on the joys and folly of youth and making her daughters consider their own choices.

Everyone should listen to audiobook version of Tom Lake narrated by Meryl Streep. Streep perfectly embodied Lara, delivering an outstanding performance where you can hear the wistful reflection and the amused nostalgia in every line. Tom Lake's beautiful narrative proceeded slowly by steadily through Lara's life, reminding you that the most exciting parts, at least to Lara's daughters, ended up mattering very little to Lara in the long run. 

After taking a wrong turn on their honeymoon, April and Eddie stumble across a lone hitchhiker on a deserted road. Soon they realize that she's bleeding and as they drive to the hospital, a truck barrels after them. After the hitchhiker dies, April and Eddie find themselves the only witnesses, and prime suspects, in a series of murders along that deserted stretch of road. As they try to clear their names, they realize something supernatural is taking place in this town full of dark secrets.

Simone St. James is known for her creepy thrillers full of ghost vibes and Murder Road fit has a similar premise but with lackluster results. St. James hooks you early with a gripping beginning but wasn't able to finish strong. Sadly, the book faded into an underwhelming read. Although the characters were extremely likable, the scenario felt clunky and a bit cliché.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

Tommy Orange returns with a new book release that is both a prequel and a sequel to his bestselling novel, There There. In 2018, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield struggles to hold her family together in the aftermath of her grandson Orvil's shooting at the Oakland Powwow. In Wandering Stars, Tommy Orange takes you through Opal's family history, as each generation faces discrimination and addiction.

Although I enjoyed There There, I had a difficult time reading Tommy Orange's sequel/prequel, Wandering Stars. The first third of the novel showcased disjointed snippets of Opal's ancestors which are told as reflections on their memories. Then the novel settles into the present day, following Opal and her grandchildren in the aftermath of the shooting at the end of There There. Overall, Wandering Stars was too disjointed and high brow for my taste, mainly focusing on each character's internal thoughts.

 At the Three Pines' annual curling tournament, CC de Poitiers is electrocuted in the middle of the frozen lake. The whole town was there but no one seems to have seen anything. Just days after Christmas and a year after his first visit, Inspector Armand Gamache returns to the sleepy Quebec town to investigate the murder of the one woman everyone seemed to hate.

I took longer to get into the second book of the Inspector Gamache series. A Fatal Grace gets off to a slow start, introducing new characters and immersing you back into life at Three Pines. Once the murder occurs and Inspector Gamache arrives, the story settled into the familiar feeling of the first book, a charming cozy mystery set in a small town. A small town that apparently attracts a lot of murder. 

On Thanksgiving weekend, an elderly woman is killed by an arrow in the sleepy town of Three Pines, outside of Quebec. Why did Jane Neal never let people into her house? Could her newly released painting of the local inhabitants be connected to her murder? Called in to investigate, Inspector Armand Gamache quietly observes the secrets of the small town in the first book of the Three Pines series.

Readers have been raving about Louise Penny's latest Inspector Armand books, so I though it was time I checked out the hype. Although I was warned that the series takes a few books to get into, I was hooked right away by this cozy mystery. Expecting an action-hero style detective, I was delighted by Inspector Gamache, a wholesomely polite yet observant older investigator. The quirky small town was full of charming characters. I'm not sure how such a small town could produce enough murders to sustain the series, but I guess I'll have to keep reading to find out. 

A year after her aunt's death, Mira is headed home to spend Christmas with her grief-stricken mom. When her flight is cancelled, Mira decides to hitch a ride with four other strangers from her flight. Yet as they travel through a blizzard, Mira begins to suspect that her fellow travelers are all hiding things. Worse, someone might even be actively trying to sabotage their trip.

If you don't think about it too much, Five Total Strangers is a great read. In this fast-paced young adult thriller, anything that can go wrong will. The constant twists make for an exciting pageturning read. Unfortunately, once you pause and start to think about the premise in the slightest, the glaring plot holes leave you scratching your head. As long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief, Five Total Strangers is a quick enjoyable read. 

Florence Day is a ghostwriter for one of the most popular romance writers of the day. But after a bad breakup, a disillusioned Florence struggles to write about love. With a new book due and her editor refusing an extension, Florence's career is all but over. When her father dies, Florence returns to her sleepy Southern hometown only to be shocked to find the ghost of her editor, whose unfinished business has her second-guessing everything she knows about love stories.

Upon hearing "ghost romance," I opted to skip this 2022 bestseller but, after loving Poston's time-travel romance The Seven Year Slip, I knew I needed to circle back. Poston charmingly pens a story about finding love while grieving death. The supernatural premise was delightfully done, adding heartwarming levity while exploring grief and loss. An all-around joy of a read, The Dead Romantics is the perfect cute romance you didn't realize you needed. 

 In a sequel to Divine Rivals, Iris Winnow returns from the front bruised and battered. With Roman missing, Iris and Attie head west to report on Dacre's movements. Meanwhile, Roman awakes in Dacre's realm with his memory wiped clean. Thankful to the god who healed him, Roman agrees to write articles for Dacre, until mysterious letters appear under his wardrobe that make him question where his loyalties lie in the war between the gods.

Divine Rivals hooked me with its historical fiction feel, adorable enemies-to-lovers story, and hints of fantasy. Instead of building on readers' expectations, Ross overdelivers the world-building fantasy and underdelivers the romance. Although a main focus of the book, the war between the gods wasn't particularly interesting. While I still enjoyed the characters, Iris and Roman's letter writing dragged on too long, feeling like a repeat of the first book without the same charm. 

 In 2019, Kate flees London and her abusive partner to settle in the broken-down Weyward cottage. Inherited from an aunt, Weyward cottage seems to be hiding secrets that go back centuries. In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft; her extensive knowledge of the natural world has the villagers on edge. In 1942, Violet feels trapped in her family's crumbling estate, searching for any clues to better know her deceased mother. Weaving three stories together, Weyward tells of the transformative power of female resilience.

Reminding me of Kate Morton and Sarah Penner's The Lost Apothecary, I can see why Weyward won the Goodreads award for best historical fiction. Hart beautifully weaves together three generations of Weyward women; adding witchy vibes and a gorgeous connection to the natural world in each timeline. Each story holds a unique atmosphere but all add to the feminist tone of the novel, showcasing the fierce determination each woman must hold through her adversities caused by the fear and limitations placed on them by men.