At first glance I thought this was going to be a thriller but it’s much more than that, it goes deeper and darker in ways I wasn’t expecting. Unexpected is always good for me though, I love some surprises in any genre and beyond June being missing there are additional turns here. This is told from both Ben and June’s point of view and you learn about where they are in the present day as well as in the past from when they first meet and beyond. I thought the author did a fantastic job of tapping into sides of motherhood that aren’t often discussed, she wasn’t afraid to go dark and gritty and I was here for it. So many important conversations about mental health were had here and this story will definitely stick with me. I listened to this one and just have to say if you’re a Brittany Pressley fan she narrates part of this and she’s as amazing as ever! 

I’ve read a few books about generational trauma recently and there is something completely fascinating about this concept to me. This is the part of the synopsis that got me 👇🏻

Spanning five generations of women, Five-Part Invention wrestles with the question—if trauma echoes through generations, can love echo, too? Is the love we transmit enough to undo the trauma of the past that we unwittingly carry with us and often re-enact in the present?

It starts with Lise in the 1920’s and 1930’s the in subsequent chapters you hear from four other women in the next generations. I really liked the way this story unfolded and slowly told a tale. There was something both quiet and intimate about both the writing and the format and it really captivated me. I don’t always mesh well with literary fiction as sometimes it’s too wordy and flowery but this one really worked well for me. It was a complex story with many triggers and some disturbing content but I also found it to be oddly inspiring and at times wise. I loved the focus on art in various forms and found myself forming connections with all five women in some manner. Overall it was profound, deep and really beautifully written. 

Do you believe in reincarnation? What would you do if your young son told you that he knows you’re his mom but he has another mom from before? A whole other life in fact? The whole idea fascinates me and that’s the basic premise here. 

From the synopsis: A seven-year-old boy inexplicably recalls the memories of a missing 22-year-old musician in this psychological thriller about the fierce love between mothers and sons across lifetimes, a work of gripping suspense with a supernatural twist that will mesmerize fans of Chloe Benjamin and Lisa Jewell.

This was such a unique and engrossing read and I was hooked as soon as I started it. While yes it’s a thriller and yes, there’s a mystery it’s so much more than that too. You have two mothers, Helen and Lucie and there is so much to explore here with motherhood, grief, loss, past generational trauma and unlikely connections. Definitely a thought provoking read and one that I think will stick with me. The characterization was as strong as the plot for me, I truly related or really liked every single one and thought the author did a really good job at crafting them and making them seem genuine and authentic. As a debut novel this impressed me and I can see this being a fantastic choice for a book club. 

Going into this one I thought it was a romance but I realized soon enough that it definitely leans more to just straight up fiction than a true romance novel. No big deal but I hate when my expectations are off so figured I would share that. This follows Carli, whose 9-5 job pays her bills but gets in the way of her real dream of being a songwriter. When she meets Tau, who is a rising star in the music industry, her life gets shaken up. My favorite part of this one was the behind the scenes look into the music industry in NYC and LA. I find that so interesting and thought it was showcased well here. It did have a bit of a slow start and I wasn’t fully invested until about halfway, but then my interest was piqued and I was into it. As I said before this was more fiction than romance and any romance there was was pretty tame and definitely felt like a secondary plot. The focus was more on Carli and her personal issues and while that was cool I think there was potential to do more with the romance. The ending was also super abrupt, I actually went back a chapter in the audio version because I was like, no way it just ended like that, right?? Speaking of the audio the narrator, Angel Pean gave a fantastic performance and I credit her with keeping me engaged. As a debut I would definitely read the author again, the writing was good and this was entertaining enough I just wish there was a bit more romance and closure in the end. 

I really enjoyed the authors debut last year and have been looking forward to her next book ever since I finished it and I’m delighted to say this was just as sweet and charming! I loved the premise with Winnie being a playwright and having to travel to London for work, a nice escape for me. I know next to nothing about the theater scene so I found the behind the scenes aspects of that interesting and I was totally charmed by Liam almost instantly. He had that dry British humor and the way he and Winnie bantered back and forth was so fun. Natalie Naudus is one of my favorite narrators so listening to her performance was amazing as always, overall a fun and light read.

When I first started this one I was thinking, ok this is gonna be kind of a light read, definitely some drama but nothing too deep. Well I was wrong, this absolutely went darker and even though it wasn’t what I was expecting I ended up really liking it. It’s told over the course of just one day and you get three perspectives. Zanne, a personal assistant to a Hollywood power couple, Phoebe who was business partners with Zane’s boss Ted years ago and Holly who is married to Ted. It pulls back the curtain and gives you a glimpse at the dark side of fame when Zanne uncovers some shocking accusations from the past. I’ll stop with plot details there and just finish by saying that if you want a book that feels like a summer read but still has depth and dimension give this a try. It would also be a great book club pick as it brings up a ton of questions too. 

This is the third and final book in a series and it’s a must to read the first two books before this one. I don’t want to say anything about the plot in case you haven’t read the previous books and still want to, but I can say that this was one hell of a cat and mouse game with so many turns my head was spinning at times. I called the last book bat shit crazy and that works again here haha! I love my thrillers on the wild side and if you do too, try this! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a marriage as messed up as Peter and Ainsley’s, it was wickedly fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve read one of the authors previous books and while I didn’t love it, I usually give an author two chances before I decide they’re not for me, do you do this too? Anyway, I switched between audio and print and mainly stuck with the audio (thanks @berkleypub and @prhaudio ) because there were several viewpoints and timelines and the multiple narrators actually made more sense for me being able to listen. There was actually almost too much going on here for me and it was also a really slow burn so I think that combination just held me back from ever fully settling in and enjoying it. I do like her writing and the end was pretty good but overall this one just wasn’t a win for me.