Phoebe’s life is falling apart. Her husband left her for an other professor at the university they both teach at, she’s stuck on her dissertation, and to top it all off her beloved cat Frank dies. So she checks into the Cornwall Hotel in Rhode Island, a gorgeous resort that she’s dreamed of staying at for years, and plans to kill herself. But as it turns out, the entire hotel was booked for a wedding. And as Phoebe gets swept into the wedding week and comes to know the wedding people, she sees her life anew through her new unsuspecting friends. 

Thank you @netgalley, @alison.espach, and @henryholtbooks for the ARC! This was a really genius and moving book that had so many profound things to say about life, expectations, relationships, and grief. It was somehow heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time and I loved that so much. Phoebe’s character was so richly developed and so layered. I loved her realness and how raw and honestly her emotions were depicted, but that the reader also got to see her come into her new self as the book progressed. All of the characters worked so deliciously together, even those that were more ostentatious and outlandish, because Espach did a wonderful job of humanizing each character and creating characters that were multifaceted. I loved the unsuspecting friendship that developed between Lila and Phoebe, and how they were both able to help each other find their voices. I also really enjoyed Gary and Phoebe’s relationship and how they were able to have so many candid conversations. And I loved that the book showed that even in the hard, messy times of life, there can still be love, growth, and hope. Great dialog, themes, and characters make this a must-read book in 2024! The Wedding People comes out July 30!

Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Usually, the letters go unanswered. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer Emma mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with her estranged grandson, Jack. When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before, and their connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their romance and his strained relationship with Emma. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own.

Thank you @netgalley, @penguinrandomhouse, and @emstonewrites for the ARC! Finally getting into some holidays reads! This was an emotional story full of both grief and hope. Holly was a great character and I really felt for her as she grappled with her guilt and her grief while trying to move on with her life and find joy. I appreciated her bluntness as I am also a very blunt person lol. I really loved Holly’s friendship with Emma and how they were both able to help each other confront the grief and harder things they were going through. I also really liked that the story focused on how people can feel alone over the holidays, especially when dealing with loss. There were definitely a few moment I got teary, especially towards the end of the book! But the story was full of heartwarming moments and overall had a hopeful tone so it was a great holiday story. Love, Holly is out now!

Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel, the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization. For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion.

WOW this book was absolutely incredible! I loved Yellowface by this author and was excited to read an other of her books. Babel is completely different than Yellowface but is still full of sharp writing and poignant commentary. This book was as much a love letter to language as it was a nineteenth century anti-colonialism manifesto, and I devoured it. Kuang has an astounding mastery of linguistics in multiple languages, and to use that knowledge to create such a unique and gripping tale is nothing short of amazing. The characters were all so complex, multi-faceted, and well developed. I loved Robin’s journey and his friendships with all of his classmates. The use of multiple languages, words and their various meanings, and how things get lost in translation in the magical silver bars was absolutely genius. The plot was gripping and I couldn’t put this book down. I absolutely loved this book! If you haven’t read Babel, what are you waiting for?!

⚠️cw: murder, torture, rape, kidnapping, and graphic descriptions 

Gina Royal has a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she remakes herself as Gwen Proctor―the strong, protective warrior mom. With her ex in prison, Gwen finds refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of internet stalkers who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace. But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new home, a body turns up in the lake―and threatening letters start arriving. Gwen must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed, or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her.

Girl gang book club December read! This book was an intense thriller and we all enjoyed it. A bit graphic and gory at times, the story follows a mom who was forced to become strong and independent to protect her children in the wake of the husband’s conviction for multiple murders. I loved Gwen’s character and her resilience. I also liked that the book took a unique approach to a serial killer plot line and focused on the unsuspecting family trying to rebuild their lives from the ashes of atrocity. The plot started off a little slow, but the suspense really came alive in the second half of the book and I was racing to the end to see what happened. The book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but there are six books in this series, so the story continues. Check trigger warnings for sure but if you’re looking for an eerie and suspenseful thriller, look no further!

Every time she meets a new man, Daphne Bell receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it—the exact amount of time they will be together. Daphne has been receiving the numbered papers for over twenty years, always wondering when there might be one without an expiration. Finally, the night of a blind date at her favorite Los Angeles restaurant, there’s only a name: Jake. But as Jake and Daphne’s story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper’s prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful.

Thank you @netgalley, @rebecca_serle, and @atriabooks for the ARC! Serle has a penchant for tying romance together with some of life’s tragic and more heartbreaking moments, and I love how real all of her characters and stories are because of this. There was a major reveal about 60% in that really shocked me and made me enjoy the book more than I did for the first half. The first half of the book was a little hard for me to connect with, and it think that was because Daphne’s character felt a little more detached until the plot reveal, which really explained a lot about her character and her motivations. The book heavily explores the theme of choice versus destiny. I loved Daphne’s bluntness and her ability to overcome adversity. I didn’t really care for most of the male characters and felt they were a little underdeveloped (perhaps due to the expirations dates), but overall the story had a happy and heartwarming ending. The book was a super quick read and Serle lovers should definitely pick this up when it publishes in March!

How far would you go to shape your own destiny? This moving and thought-provoking story about race, class, identity, and family follows three generations of the Chen family.  Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a media company, meets Matthew, who is easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster, andheir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Despite their differences, Lily and Matthew fall in love. In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated Washington island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. He can't shake the sense she's hiding something. When Nick sets out to find his biological father, the journey threatens to raise more questions than it provides answers, and leads him to his mother’s mother.

Thank you so much @netgalley, @rrrrrrrachelkhong, and @aaknopf for the ARC! This was a beautiful and incredibly well-written story that gripped me from the start. With a touch of magical realism and foundations in science, the book raises important questions about choice and identity. The story also addresses the moral boundaries of gene modification and whether you can truly ever change who you are. The theme of trust and forgiveness was well explored in all of the relationships between the different characters, and they were each so well developed. The prose was powerful and pretty, and really set the tone for each character and their inner thoughts. I definitely recommend adding this to your 2024 TBR! 

Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.

Buddy read with @frillsandchills.bookclub! I love Jane Austen and I think this may be the only book of hers that I haven’t read before, so I was happy to change that. This wasn’t my favorite book by Austen but it was definitely enjoyable and full of humor mixed with Austen’s usual commentary on society. As always, Austen masterfully explored of themes of class, greed, wealth, and women in society. I think part of the reason I wasn’t as impressed by this book as I was by her other works is that I struggled to connect with most of the characters. Colonel Brandon was definitely the best character of the entire book and deserved so much more. Marianne’s character was prone to fantasizing and impulse, which made her come across as flighty and inconsiderate. Elinor’s character was fine but she didn’t stand out to me as Austen heroines usually do. And Fanny and her mom were total bitches. But Austen’s clever writing made up for this, and overall it was an enjoyable read.

When a scandal shakes popstar Aspen’s carefully constructed life, she’s forced to return to her small Pennsylvania hometown, where she reconnects with her first love, Roman. Aspen knows they must keep their relationship strictly platonic. But their chemistry is undeniable, and amidst rumors and drama, the bright lights of Hollywood begin to pale in comparison to the dark brown eyes she fell in love with all those years ago. Could Aspen be willing to give up everything she’s ever wanted for the best thing she’s ever had?

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC! This was a quick read that I was able to get through in one sitting on a flight home from visiting my in laws. It was a little cheesy at times but overall a cute and sweet story that lovers of second-chance romance will enjoy. And it was full of Taylor Swift references, which is always a treat!

No one expects the police to knock on the door of the perfect housewife. But Lara Love Hardin has been hiding a shady secret: she is funding her heroin addiction by stealing her neighbors’ credit cards. Lara is convicted of thirty-two felonies and becomes inmate S32179. She learns that jail is a class system with a power structure that is somewhere between an adolescent sleepover party and Lord of the Flies. But Lara quickly learns the rules and brings love and healing to her fellow inmates and ultimately to herself, and is able to overcome addiction and set herself in the course for a better future through the power of books and writing.

Thank you to @netgalley and @laralovehardin for the ARC! Lara has an incredible gift for storytelling and it really shone through in this memoir. Her life has definitely been a roller coaster and I admire her resilience and the emphasis she places on how education gave her the ability to overcome addiction and take charge of her life. Sometimes her account came off as a bit factual and detached in tone, and I would have liked to hear more of the emotional side of certain events that were explained. I’m also curious to know more of her upbringing as it wasn’t really discussed. I really enjoyed the role that writing and reading played in her getting her life back together. Overall this was a captivating memoir and I’d recommend it!

Juliet Lansdown moves to London to be the deputy librarian at Bethnal Green, and has to prove to the men in charge that she can do the job. Katie Upwood is off to university in the fall, but finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help after her fiancé dies on the front lines. Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, fled Germany on a domestic service visa only to find herself working for a man who treats her abominably, and escapes to the library every chance she can with hopes of finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe. Together, the three women find friendship and connection to other women in their neighborhoods, and amidst the Blitz, they relocate their library underground where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up.

Thank you to @netgalley, @randomhouse, and @jennifer_ryan_author for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book! Sofie, Katie, and Juliet were wonderful characters, and I loved their relationships with each other and with the other women in their community. I especially loved Sofie and her journey, it was especially moving and taught me a lot about what Jews fleeing Germany went through. The book was based on a true story and I loved learning more about the history of the library system during the Blitz, as well as how women were able to step into jobs previously reserved for men. The author’s note at the end had a lot of good information and backend about the inspiration behind the story. The book had a very feel-good ending with all of the story lines being nicely wrapped up.