SYNOPSIS

Melina Green is an aspiring playwright. Unfortunately, the theatre world often overlooks female writers. Despite this, she has written a play that shines a light on the life of her ancestor, Emilia Bassano. Melina chose to write about Emilia after doing in-depth research and discovering she may have been the writing of some of Shakespeare’s works. In fact, Shakespeare may not have written any of his own work.

Due to the bias against female playwrights, Melina's best friend, Andre, submits the play to a festival under a false male name to increase its chances of being recognized and selected for production.

The book alternates between Melina’s situation in the present day and Emilia’s life in the 1500s.

MY THOUGHTS

Jodi Picoult is an excellent writer, and she is an automatic read for me. This book is different than her other books, and honestly, it wasn’t my favorite of hers that I’ve read.

Picoult did a ton of research, and I enjoyed reading the Author’s Note at the end.

I liked learning about the Shakespeare’s authorship question & how hard it has been for women playwrights.

I am also a big Broadway theatre fan, so it made me consider how often certain playwrights are selected.

I enjoyed the overall plot, the premise, and the different POVs. But, I thought the story dragged. I think this could have told in significantly less pages & better execution.

This is also a personal preference, but I like it when books are organized in shorter chapters. It flows better IMO. Here, the sections are SO long. It is daunting. I wish they were broken up differently.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🥝. 3.5 stars. Historical fiction. Very solid premise, plot, & topic, but IMO it dragged & the execution could have been a lot better. Nevertheless, Picoult is an amazing writer!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on August 20, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Rosie, a heart transplant recipient, uses DonorConnect to anonymously connect with her donor’s husband, Morgan.

Rosie works at her parents’ bridal salon, and she lives an apartment above her parents’ garage. She has had a bit an ✨interesting ✨dating history. She loves love & relationships, and she wants to find her person.

Morgan is a famous author. His wife, Daphne, was a poet, and she died about a year ago.

MY THOUGHTS

OMGGGG that was so good!!

Realistic & well-developed characters.

Loved the different perspectives. We get Rosie’s POV, the DonorConnect messages between Rosie & Morgan, emails from Morgan to his friend (which are more like diary entries), a few voicemails from Morgan, & excerpts of Daphne’s poems.

Expertly plotted & paced.

Satisfying ending.

Impossible to put down. Lots of infatuation, obsessing, & unhinged behavior.

At times, Rosie reminded me of Joe Goldberg in You, but why was I also ready to fight for her?! My girl was delulu, but I loved her still.

Unreliable narrators everywhere.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️READ THIS ASAP!! OMG SOOOOO GOOD.

Thanks to Atria Books & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on January 14, 2025.

SYNOPSIS

Tina, a young nanny, mysteriously died due to a fall out of a window at the Barclays’ home. Tina was the nanny for Rose Barclay. After the trauma of Tina’s death, Rose stopped speaking.

Rose’s parents, Ian & Beth, are in the midst of a nasty divorce and custody battle. Harriet, Ian’s mother, also lives in the home.

Stella is appointed as a GAL by the Court. A guardian ad litem (GAL) is a person appointed by a court to look after and protect the interests of someone who is unable to take care of themselves. Here, she’s appointed to investigate Rose’s situation and report back to the Court.

MY THOUGHTS

I am a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen’s writing, and her latest didn’t disappoint.

This is a solid, unique premise. I was suspicious of everyone, and I was eager to find out what happened to Tina, to learn about Stella’s past, and to figure out what was up with Rose. Pekkanen ties up all these loose ends nicely, and the ending is satisfying.

It is medium, steady pace, and tension builds throughout the book.

I love a story with a dysfunctional family, too.

Unpredictable with good twists.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️unique plot. tense with dysfunctional family. satisfying ending.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on August 6, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Eve is a successful writer with a husband & five kids.

One day, she finds herself recovering from brain surgery & a cancer diagnosis.

MY THOUGHTS

Very short read.

Well written.

Fictionalized version of the author’s actual battle with glioblastoma. Heart-wrenching & could really feel her feelings as she navigated various emotions & stages of her journey.

Devastating mixed with humor and hope.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️very short but moving book + fictionalized version of the author’s actual battle with glioblastoma.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group | The Dial Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on October 8, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Margot is nineteen when she becomes pregnant after her married 30 something college professor with questionable morals initiates an affair with her. She ends up becoming a single mom to her son, Bodhi.

Margot was raised by Shyanne, her single mother, and her estranged dad, Jinx, is a former pro-wrestler. Jinx was married to another woman and has other kids.

As Margot navigates becoming a new mom, two of her three roommates move out. Jinx simultaneously gets out of rehab & is fresh out his marriage ending, and he moves in with Margot, Bodhi, and Susie (the remaining roomie).

After loosing her waitressing job due to lack of affordable childcare options, Margot turns to OnlyFans for income.

MY THOUGHTS

Contemporary fiction

This is my first Rufi Thorpe read, and I was blown away.

I flew through this book in a day and a half.

Thorpe expertly crafted a story that made me feel so many feelings & challenged me to reexamine how I view certain things.

I really enjoyed how the notion of perspective is introduced, and Thorpe alternates between first person & third person.

Thorpe’s writing is truly a master class in character development. Each character is flushed out, and all are human, flawed, nuanced, and real.

The book explores a lot of deep themes and questions. What implicit biases we have toward other people based on what they do for money or limited information we have? How quickly do we judge others? What makes someone a good person? What is a good life? What preconceived notions do we carry about people we don’t know?

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Margot navigate challenges

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one of the best books of 2024. a master class in character development.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on June 11, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

-Ten years ago, Phoebe Dean, a highschooler, was killed in a car accident on the way home from a party. Her brother, Grant Dean, was driving the car, and Becca was in the backseat. Grant waited 27 minutes to call the police.

-Now, the small town is still remembering Phoebe, and lots of people are still wondering what happened to her. A memorial is scheduled to remember her, and it brings a lot of questions.

MY THOUGHTS

-This was a major snooze fest. Truly, nothing actually happens in this book.

-The writing is not good, and I'm not sure why exactly this needed to be written.

-None of the characters are likeable, which is fine, but they also are not developed.

-The same thoughts are repeated over and over again.

-The ending was not satisfying, and it felt really cheap to me.

-I read so many books in this genre, and this is not one I would recommend. It isn’t even a thriller or suspense.

-Even when we find out what happened to Phoebe, it is not satisfying.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️There’s too many books out there. I wouldn’t recommend this one. It isn’t even a thriller or suspense.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.

SYNOPSIS

Four adult women, Blakely, Grace, Meg, and Thera, reunite to discuss their resurfaced secret.

Growing up, the group became summer camp friends at Camp Pendleton, a camp for gifted kids.

During their senior summer, something went down, and they have kept it a secret for 26 years.

Now, anonymous notes bring them back together to examine the past.

TRIGGER WARNING (SPOILER)

Animal violence

Death of dog

MY THOUGHTS

I love Lucinda Berry and am a big fan of her writing style. This is her 3rd book that I’ve read. I gave 4 stars to “The Best of Friends” and 5 stars to “When She Returned”, so I was excited for this one.

This one is told from multiple POVs and alternating timelines (past and present). At times, it was hard to keep everyone straight. The different characters all felt like the same voice, so it was a bit hard to follow.

Ooh, reminded me of an elevated PLL (Pretty Little Liars).

There's palpable tension throughout the book, but the most of the “twists” were predictable.

The pacing is a bit slow, and I didn’t like any of the characters. Unlikable characters aren’t an issue, but they lacked depth & I couldn’t connect with them.

There’s some gratuitous violence scenes that went a bit too far. I also HATEEEEEE reading about violence to animals.

The plot had a lot of potential, but ultimately fell short for me. I absolutely will continue to read Berry’s work though!

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Love Lucinda Berry, but this one fell short for me.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 23, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Sports agent Myron Bolitar gave a eulogy for his client, coach Greg Downing, three years ago. Now, federal agents claim that Greg is alive and wanted for a double homicide.

Myron and his friend Win set out to uncover the truth, but secrets and a dangerous conspiracy put their lives at risk.

MY THOUGHTS

I haven't read any other Myron Bolitar books in the 12-book series, so you can still enjoy it as a standalone read.

I am slowly making my way through Coban’s repertoire. He’s written 30+ novels, and I’ve read 3 so far. I enjoy his writing style, and he clearly knows how to craft a thriller.

Set mostly in NYC & mainly from Myron’s POV with some chapters from Killer’s POV & Win’s POV.

Steady pacing.

Satisfying ending.

Well-plotted.

Lots of names to keep straight. Bit confusing at first.

Interesting twists and premise.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️solid thriller/suspense from Coban. Although 12th book of series, I read as standalone & enjoyed.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on May 14, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Cordelia Black is a pharmaceutical rep by day and a serial killer/vigilante by night.

She loves her best friend, her god daughter, expensive brands, and killing bad men.

MY THOUGHTS

I enjoyed some of the characters, and I love a woman MC with lots of rage.

Overall, I was disappointed by the book. It fell flat for me. The beginning was slow, and the writing was VERY repetitive. The ending was mehh.

Cordelia never stops talking about how amazing she is & what brands she wears. If she referred to herself in third person one more time, I was going to LOSE IT! She always talks about how amazing & in control she is, but is constantly doing dumb shit.

Honestly, the writing felt juvenile, or maybe it is the way the MC is written. It felt very YA.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️mehhh - this was not for me.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on October 29, 2024.

SYNOPSIS

Honey is a biographical style story of Amber Young, an aspiring singer.

Young chronicles her life beginning with childhood auditions and her roots, then a teenager being recruited into a girl group, and finally, a young adult trying out singing as a solo artist.

Basically, we watch as she rises to become a young & famous pop star in the late 1990s & early 2000s.

MY THOUGHTS

Coming-of-age story.

Nostalgic. Millennial readers will be reminded of pop idols of their childhood. Think Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera.

Love how it captured the culture of the time period.

Told from Amber’s POV & in biographical style. There’s intermittent media pieces at the end of some chapters - song lyrics, headlines, article blurbs, & wikipedia entries.

Solid writing. Interesting portrayal of Amber coming into her sexuality.

Overall, I would say nothing major happens. Interesting observations.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars. nostalgic + coming-of-age story. millennial readers will enjoy. nothing major happens, but good writing & interesting observations.

Thanks to Celadon and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on June 25, 2024.