Ingrid Yung, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, is a rising lawyer at a prestigious firm in NYC. Up for a potential spot as partner at her firm, this book focuses on Ingrid’s journey to achieve her goal of making partner while navigating racism and sexism in her profession.

I haven’t watched the series, but found the book enjoyable and read it in a day. Ingrid was easy to cheer for and I wanted her to reach her goals so badly. I didn’t find any of the legalese difficult to understand or so overbearing that it distracted from the plot, but I am a lawyer so non-lawyer readers might feel differently. The ending seemed to wrap up things a little too neatly (read: unrealistically) but overall the book was a fast and fun read!

Salama was a pharmacy student when war broke out in Syria; now she volunteers in a hospital helping those wounded in the war while trying to find a safe way out of the country for her and her pregnant sister in law Layla, the only remaining member of her family. Her fear takes form in Khwaf, who haunts her every move, making her ever vigilant and paranoid about her safety. Torn between loyalty to her country and wanting to survive, Salama meets a boy who she was supposed to have met before war broke out, and she must choose between country and self.

I’ve had quite the backlog of Book of the Months books on my shelf that I’ve been trying to get through, and I’m kicking myself for not getting to this one sooner. This was an incredibly poignant story of love, revolution, survival, and overcoming trauma. There was a BIG plot twist that I did not see coming that made me literally gasp out loud. Katouh’s debut novel is a beautiful love story to Syria while showcasing the brutal impacts of the ongoing revolution. This was my first five star read of the year, and such an important book that I think everyone should read!

Meg is a con artist, fitting herself into people’s lives almost too perfectly, and extricating herself before ever getting caught. But journalist Kat, whose life was changed by the result of one of Meg’s cons, is on to her. Kat befriends Meg when she resurfaces in LA. But as the two women become closer, Kat realizes that Meg isn’t who she thinks she is, and we are left to discover Meg’s motivations and who Meg’s true victims really are.

This was a fast paced domestic thriller with an enjoyable plot line. And I always love strong female protagonists! The narrative switched between Meg and Kat, which I liked as it was great to hear both their sides of things and learn about their motivations. The characters were flawed, but Meg and Kat were both relatable in their quests for Justice, though they both took different approaches to achieving their goals.

Group therapist Mariana Andros travels to Cambridge, where her niece Zoe is studying, after Zoe’s roommate is murdered. At the center of Mariana’s suspicions is professor Edward Fosca, a handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor who leads a secret group of female students called The Maidens. Sure of Fosca’s guilt, Mariana quickly becomes obsessed with proving it. During her investigation, secrets are unraveled, threatening her credibility and her life.

This book was wild, I had a hard time putting it down! Without giving the ending away, it definitely was not at all what I expected. I love when a thriller’s plot twist truly surprises me. The suspense in this book kept me hooked along with its cast of complex, flawed, and intriguing characters. I loved the way Greek tragedy was tied into the book.

One of 2023’s most anticipated new releases, Age of Vice is an epic and action-packed novel that focuses on the Wadia family’s wealth, corruption, power, and violence. The novel shows the points of views from three main characters: Ajay, born into extreme poverty who becomes a servant for the Wadia family; Sunny, heir to the Wadia family fortune who wants to step out from the shadow of his father; and Neda, a curious journalist enchanted by Sunny.

This novel was very hyped up before it’s release, and I think it lived up to the hype! The plot was fast, exciting, turbulent, and pulled me right in. The novel did not have a linear timeline. The book was SO well written and the characters very complex. It was hard to put this one down. I was a little disappointed by the ending—it felt like a lot happened so quickly and left me with more questions than answers and there was no resolution but at the same time it wasn’t a cliffhanger. But apparently this is supposed to be the first in a trilogy so I’m happy for that!