This was such a beautiful family saga told from the POV of three different members of the Bright family that spans decades. It’s character driven and takes an intimate look at different generations in one typical family and I adored this family. I really don’t want to get into the plot, it’s best to let everything unfold for yourself but it has some heavy themes and issues. It’s also about second chances, love, life and loss and at times it’s very sad. There are some moments of hope though and ultimately this is such a worthwhile read. Families are complicated and messy and parents aren’t perfect, and the author examined this in a profound way. I feel like anyone could relate to the themes explored here, don’t miss this one! 

I’ve been on a streak lately of reading really strong debut novels and this is one of them. It’s being touted as Big Little Lies meets Succession and I can def see those comps, it’s a rich and powerful family with shocking secrets and everything unravels after two family members are poisoned during a holiday weekend away. Besides the family you get chapters from a police detective, Mei so there are strong police procedural elements as well. The pacing was fast, the mystery was tricky and complex and the writing was strong. There were so many good reveals and secrets that were exposed and things take a dark turn. The ending was as strong as the rest of it, I really don’t have any complaints, I’ll be following the author closely because this was sharp, clever and cunning. I do want to mention there is a violent death of a pet so keep that in mind, but overall a fantastic thriller that felt fresh! 

Every time I finish one of the authors books I have a smile on my face and I feel utterly charmed and this was no exception. Katie was such a warm and relatable main character, I adored her from the start and Hutch was a swoon worthy leading man. I love how the author writes, she really knows how to tell a story and she always makes me feel like I’m right there alongside the characters and I truly had that experience here. The secondary characters were also fantastic, Rue was the best and George Bailey the dog stole the show. Some of the plot points were a little silly but overall this was super fun and fans of the author will be delighted. 

I feel like this would be a great choice if you’re in a book slump and you want something to pull you out of it. I raced through it, the pacing was fast and there were some twists and turns that kept me engaged. I found I didn’t want to put it down when I needed to, always a great sign! I absolutely loved the ending and I can be super picky about them, but this was just a really strong and solid read for me across the board. I enjoyed the authors previous release but I liked this one even more, it was more nuanced and complex and it really felt like she found her stride.

I absolutely love an epistolary novel, I feel like I rarely come across one, so I was super excited to get my hands on this one. I think they can be difficult to pull off, but the author did an amazing job tying everything together here and I know it couldn’t have been easy. There are so many characters and so many pieces of them throughout, whether it’s from their journal entries or emails, or even a note passed during math class and this gave the whole book such a fly on the wall feeling. The town of Goodnight is super quirky and charming in its own way and the residents match that as well, so lots of fun and cute moments but there was also a lot of depth here as well. Each character was fully fleshed out and I felt like I truly knew them by the end and the plot was fun and unique. Overall a really sweet and heartwarming read that I enjoyed so much. 

I’m a sucker for a surprise pregnancy in a romance and it’s even more fun when it’s the result of a one night stand. I respected and really liked Leah immediately, her reaction to the pregnancy and her behavior afterwards felt really authentic and Logan was such a sweet man. I loved how well he took care of Leah throughout the pregnancy and the way they bonded over both having awful parents made their connection feel so deep. The found family aspect of this one was so good, I need to check out the authors earlier series to get the backstory but I really enjoyed how they all had each other’s backs. If you like low angst stories that are sweet and beautiful this was so cute. Both narrators were brand new to me but I thought they were both so talented, they really brought the emotion of Leah and Logan to life 

 I will always read a book about an influencer, there is something endlessly interesting to me about the world’s obsession with social media influencers. The murder mystery wasn’t the most interesting part to me, it was the dynamics between the family. I can’t imagine growing up with the whole world watching my every move, it honestly sounds miserable and I liked that this looked at the dark side of social media. If you have a fascination with family vloggers like I do try this! Brit Pressley is one of the very best and she shines so bright here. 

The author has a really amazing ability to write emotional romance with tons of depth, yet it’s balanced out by moments of light as well and they manage to not be depressing even though the subject matter can be heavy. Natalia and Hunter have a push and pull relationship right from the start, they have an undeniable connection but so many obstacles in their way. This is def a slow burn because of their individual circumstances, I really didn’t know how it would end and was kind of worried about their path to an HEA but I should’ve known that the author would pull everything together in the end. As I mentioned earlier this does have some sad parts but overall it was hopeful and so many sweet and tender moments better these two. I loved Natalia’s relationship with her stepdaughter and really respected how much she stepped up for her, family is an important theme here, in all its many forms and books like that always tug at my heart. Both narrators brought lots of emotion to their portrayal of the characters and embodied them so well. If you want a romance with depth, a little heartache and a side of a spicy talking hero, try this! 

 I absolutely love the authors brand of humor and paired with a super fun premise here, this was such an entertaining listen. The quirky town was so fun, as well as the residents and I loved the rom com movie vibes. The narrators were both fantastic and made a longer book fly by! 

This was not your typical missing child thriller, Elizabeth does not behave how a normal parent would when she realizes her daughter has vanished so it’s strange right from the start. She’s worried for sure, she just doesn’t tell anyone, including the police and it’s clear that she has secrets she’s willing to go to great lengths to hide. So I definitely judged her the whole time, she’s not a likable character but she was interesting for sure. The pacing here was on the fast side with short chapters and plenty of action. It did veer into some outlandish turns but some of the twists were solid so it all kind of balanced out for me in the end. If you want a thriller with a pretty fresh angle try this, I really haven’t read anything else exactly like it and I always appreciate that, I just wish it would’ve been a bit more grounded and not so silly.