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Month: June 2022

Published on Leave a comment on The Lies I Tell
The Lies I Tell Book Cover The Lies I Tell
Julie Clark
Fiction
Sourcebooks Landmark
June 21, 2022
Hardcover
320
Purchased

Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be—a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.

Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is.

The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.

My review:

This was riveting!! I really enjoyed this author's previous novel The Last Flight (that one comes highly recommended also), however in my opinion this one even topped that! Learning about the life of a conwoman was absolutely fascinating, and I can't even imagine the amount of research the author likely had to do to make this character's life so believable! There really wasn't any part where I thought "this could never really happen, it's too coincidental", which happens often in thriller books. Every aspect of how the main protagonist worked to dupe people was described, and I was totally along for the ride! The other protagonist is a woman who as a journalist she indirectly wronged, and is now out to expose her. The pacing was spot on, the twists and turns were plentiful and sprinkled throughout (which I love), and the writing was great with no unnecessary verbiage. I can't talk about the ending without spoilers, but let's just say it was unexpected and one I won't soon forget. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that toward the very end of the book there is an Easter egg hidden about the previous book. If you've read it, I think you'll catch it right away and smile 🙂

Keep in mind that this is not a thriller with tons of jaw dropping twists, but it was such a perfectly crafted story. If you are in the mood for a believable story about a woman con artist, settle in for a great ride! I loved this book and can't wait to see what this author cooks up next!

Published on Leave a comment on The Book Woman’s Daughter
The Book Woman's Daughter Book Cover The Book Woman's Daughter
Kim Michele Richardson
Fiction
Sourcebooks Landmark
May 3, 2022
Paperback
352
Purchased

In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.

Picking up her mother’s old packhorse library route, Honey begins to deliver books to the remote hollers of Appalachia. Honey is looking to prove that she doesn’t need anyone telling her how to survive, but the route can be treacherous, and some folks aren’t as keen to let a woman pave her own way. If Honey wants to bring the freedom that books provide to the families who need it most, she’s going to have to fight for her place, and along the way, learn that the extraordinary women who run the hills and hollers can make all the difference in the world.

My review:

This book is the sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. While I do think you could read this as a standalone novel, I think you will get more context for the characters and setting if you read the first one before this. I liked the first one, but didn't love it as much as most people who read it (including my book group). The things that I was not as enamored of in that first book were not as present in this one, and so I ended up enjoying this one more. One of my favorite parts of this one was the friendship between main protagonist Honey (the book woman's daughter) and a new woman in town who is the fire tower watcher. I also felt that we got a little more about the secondary characters, who didn't seem as fleshed out in the first book, and a lot less romance (and we all know how I feel about obligatory romances!). We do still get the glimpses into the lives of the people Honey delivers books to as part of the Packhorse Library project, but it's not the main focus of the book. Also not the main focus is the blue skin Honey inherits from her mother or the romance she develops in the latter half of the book. Both of these things were present, but not the main plot points, which for me personally made this a better reading experience. The survival aspects, the way women were treated and how they triumphed over obstacles, and the female friendship were the parts of the book that pulled me in and kept me engaged.

A well written and satisfying sequel with great emphasis on setting, characters, and perseverance. If you enjoyed the previous novel you will love this one, and if you were lukewarm about it, you may be as surprised by it as I was.

Published on Leave a comment on The Hotel Nantucket
The Hotel Nantucket Book Cover The Hotel Nantucket
Elin Hilderbrand
Fiction
Little, Brown and Company
June 14, 2022
Advance reader E-book
416
Free from publisher via NetGalley

After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.

My review:

I honestly don't know what we are all going to do when summer doesn't begin with an Elin Hilderbrand novel (the author has said she will only be writing them for a couple more years)! Most of her novels take place on Nantucket, and although I've been to the Cape and Martha's Vineyard, I've yet to make it to this island off the coast of MA. I don't know of any author who can create the sense of place better than Elin. From the beaches, to the food, to the shopping, and this time to a hotel. We follow a cast of characters who have all been hired to run the newly refurbished Hotel Nantucket. The new billionaire owner wants to receive a highly sought after 5 keys from a hotel reviewer, which leaves the staff with impossibly high standards to maintain (and put up with a lot of rude behavior from some guests, as you can imagine). We follow these characters, who all have their own backstories and secrets, as they aim to give the perfect hotel stay experience. One of the characters we also follow is the ghost of Grace, a woman intent on "haunting" the hotel until someone discovers the true story surrounding her death in 1922. While I understood that Grace was a perfect method for the reader to spy on some of the secretive behavior we might not have otherwise been privy to, I'm still not a fan of ghosts in my novels. Despite that small quibble, this was a highly entertaining and engaging read. I was rooting for all of these characters (even the ones who were a bit unlikable) and couldn't wait to see if they would get their 5 key review. I absolutely loved that at the end of the book the author wrote her own blue book (given to all the hotel guests to help them plan their stay on the island) which includes references to Nantucket places (and where some of her previous books took place). I'll definitely be keeping this guide in case I ever make it to Nantucket.

Another perfect summer read, with memorable characters, food, and places. While I could have done without the ghost, it honestly was a small dip in my enjoyment of this story. Definitely a book to tuck in your beach or travel bag.

Published on Leave a comment on Meant to be Mine
Meant to Be Mine Book Cover Meant to Be Mine
Hannah Orenstein
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
June 7, 2022
Advance E-reader copy
288
Free from publisher via NetGalley

What if you knew exactly when you’d meet the love of your life? Edie Meyer knows. When her Grandma Gloria was a young woman, she had a vision of the exact day she would meet her soul mate—and then Grandpa Ray showed up.

Since then, Gloria has accurately predicted the day every single member of the family has met their match. Edie’s day arrives on June 24, 2022, when she’s twenty-nine years old. She has been waiting for it half her life. That morning, she boards an airplane to her twin sister’s surprise engagement, and when a handsome musician sits beside her, she knows it’s meant to be.

But fate comes with more complications than Edie expected and she can’t fight the nagging suspicion that her perfect guy doesn’t have perfect timing. After a tragedy and a shocking revelation rock Edie’s carefully constructed world, she’s forced to consider whether love chooses us, as simple as destiny, or if we choose it ourselves.

My review:

3.5 stars

This book was fun and engaging. The best thing about it was that it really makes you think how would you live your life (or a portion of it) if you knew the exact date something momentous was to happen? I remember this question coming up in a book from a few years ago (The Immortalists) where the date was when each of the siblings would die. This book is not as grim as that, but it still makes you think the same thoughts, would you want to know? How would it effect your choices? Edie knows the date when she will meet her forever love. She has fun with dating, but ultimately breaks up with any guy she really starts to have feelings for, because she knows they did not meet on the specified date. Then she meets "the guy" on the day, and starts her path of happily ever after. Of course she ends up questioning all the past and present relationships in her life, remaining strong in her belief that no one in her family has not found their true love from Grandma Gloria's prophecy. There is no question that I would never personally buy into this whole idea, but this was still a well rounded, well written story that I really enjoyed. And the whole idea does make you think about the possibilities, even if you don't believe in the concept. There is also a side story about a woman running for Congress, the main protagonist is hired as a stylist for her, while her sister's best man is the campaign manager.

I really liked this one. It's a light read, but it still makes you think. The interesting twist near the end is very satisfying, yet muddles the prediction idea even more. This one will make a perfect summer beach/pool read. I have another title on my backlist of books by this author, and I'm excited to give that one a look sooner rather than later.

Published on Leave a comment on One Of Us Is Dead
One of Us Is Dead Book Cover One of Us Is Dead
Jeneva Rose
Fiction
Blackstone Publishing
April 26, 2022
Hardcover
318
Purchased

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

My review:

I didn't have to get any farther than the synopsis to know this book was one I wanted to get my hands on. Rich people behaving badly is my kryptonite! I've seen a lot of reviews saying to read this is you like the Real Housewives drama. I don't know if that's accurate since I've never watched any of those shows, but I do know that there was plenty of drama in this book. All of these ladies are "friends" because they are married to rich men and therefore are in the same social circle. They all have secrets (of course), and they will all pretty much backstab each other to remain at the top of that circle. Salon owner Jenna spends hours each week with them as they perfect every inch of their bodies, so she knows the dirt on all of them. This was such a fun frolic among some super fun (if mostly unlikable) characters. Yes, one of them does die in the end, but you'll have to read to find out who, what, and why. These ladies were certainly over the top, but I found myself laughing out loud in several places over their shenanigans!

I highly recommend the audio for this one (if you enjoy that format). Each character had their own narrator and voice, and they were splendid with their snarkiness! This is a super entertaining read that you can't take seriously, just go in it for the rich people drama.