When her boss's florist company gets bought by Dallas's premier boutique event firm, Lottie Jones finds herself through into the thick of planning million-dollar weddings. With the possibility of a promotion when a new office opens in Atlanta, Lottie throws herself into the job, even if it means planning her ex's wedding or flirting with the cute but cynical photographer. The character development in Without a Hitch is lackluster, but the hijinks are at least entertaining in this cutesy Southern romance that has absolutely no steam at all.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Muse. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Up-and-coming British actress Mia Eliot heads to Hollywood to get her mind off her recent shocking breakup. While auditioning, Mia does a favor for another actress which turns into much more of a hassle than she expected. Yet, the next time they meet, Mia swears that Emily is a completely different woman, and no one believes her. My surprise pick for the best psychological thriller of 2021, The Disappearing Act knows exactly when to hold your suspense and when to pivot with an engaging story that keeps you guessing.

When a young man is murdered on a London houseboat, police investigate his troubled one-night stand, Laura. Yet, Laura is not the only damaged one in Daniel's life. Between his grieving aunt and famous uncle, his nosy houseboat neighbor, and his mother's elderly neighbor, everyone has secrets to hide.

With multiple points-of-view and unlikeable characters, A Slow Fire Burning is an overly complicated slow-burn mystery that's not nearly as good as The Girl on the Train but at least better than the nightmare that was Into the Water. I personally didn't mind the story, but I think the lack of suspense will irritate many readers.

Technology reporter Sarah Frier gives an in-depth look at the social media giant Instagram. When creating Instagram, founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger wanted to blend art and technology. From its founding days to its explosive growth and purchase by Facebook, Frier shows how Instagram became an unlikely success story that has changed how we perceive social media.

As a blogger, I found Instagram's history and push-and-pull with Facebook interesting, but I think some readers will find the story dull since there is no inherent drama in the telling. Frier does raise some thought-provoking philosophical questions about how social media shapes our world but leaves it to the reader to consider what, if anything, can be done about them.

When her classmates call her out for exaggerating, Aru Shah takes a dare to light the cursed Lamp of Bhrata at the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture her mother runs. When the lamp releases the Sleeper, an ancient demon set on awakening the God of Destruction, Aru finds herself on an epic quest to save the world.

The Aru Shah series is the equivalent of the Percy Jackson books, but with a female protagonist and Hindi beliefs and mythology. You get the same snarky teenage wit which drives me crazy, but I know kids love. I wouldn't recommend it for adults to read unless you enjoy middle-grade fiction. However, I think it's a great series to buy for your kids.

The summer Opal and her father, the Preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the local Winn-Dixie supermarket and comes out with a dog. Quickly, Opal and everyone else fall in love with the enchanting stray with a big smile. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal breaks out of her shell, befriending both children and adults in her new hometown. Mixing deeper themes about life with charming childhood antics, Because of Winn-Dixie is a classic children's book perfect for a read-aloud.

Stanley Yelnats's life is cursed all thanks to his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. When he gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit, he finds himself at Camp Green Lake. Under the eye of the ominous warden, the boys are required to spend each day digging holes in the dry lake bed, looking for treasure. Instead, Stanley instead up digging up the truth of his past in this silly children's story full of dark humor.

I think Holes to be better suited to older children. When I read it aloud to my kids, my older two enjoyed it, but my six-year-old quickly lost interest.

For centuries, rumors have been told of a tremendously wealthy lost city in the heart of the Honduran jungle. In 2012, using advanced lidar technology to map the jungle terrain, a team of scientists found not one, but three ancient cities buried in the jungle. Preston's first-hand account details the search for the lost ruins - exploring unspoiled wilderness and finding evidence of a vast unrealized culture - and the horrifying disease that strikes the explorers afterward. Although The Lost City of the Monkey God was an interesting and informative read, the book never really captured my imagination. 

Left behind when a worldwide crisis strikes Earth, aging astronomer Augustine finds himself all alone in an Artic observatory with only a forgotten little girl for company. Having run from responsibility all his life, Augie struggles to adapt to caring for Iris while being completely cut off from the world. Meanwhile, a group of astronauts returning from a mission to Jupiter are frightened when all communication with Earth ceases. Slow and enveloping with a focus more on feelings than plot, Good Morning, Midnight is a literary look at the desperate need for connection in a post-apocalyptic world.

On the cusp of turning thirty, dating columnist Cleo is sent on assignment to a remote Irish island to marry herself. Instead of solitude, a mistaken double booking forces Cleo to share the cabin with Mack, an American photographer mourning the end of his marriage, while they wait a week for the next ferry.

Romance isn't generally my genre, but I found Josie Silver's previous books, One Day in December and The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, to be sharp and nuanced in a way most romances are not. Sadly, One Night on the Island didn't reach the same level. Although the characters are mature and the writing is easy to read, the romance felt tired and predictable.